Optimising Heat And Re-Compaction Energy In The Thermomechanical Treatment For The Assisted Healing Of Asphalt Mixtures

A combination of heat and re-compaction energy (thermomechanical treatment), can be applied to damaged asphalt pavements for assisted healing purpose. This paper aims to optimise the thermomechanical treatment in hot asphalt mixtures by defining the temperature and the re-compaction energy that maximises the healing and minimises energy consumption. This laboratory study showed that the asphalt mixture had a poor healing performance by only applying heating energy. In contrast, the application of re-compaction energy significantly improved healing results. The heating temperature of 60 degrees C and re-compaction energy of 100 gyrations with the gyratory compactor is sufficient for the complete healing of the hot asphalt mixtures under study. Moreover, the addition of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag allows obtaining the same healing results with half of the energy consumed, improving this technology's sustainability. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.