Laboratory investigation on the use of wood waste fibres in SMA mixtures

This research investigates whether wood waste fibres, produced from the leftovers from the manufacture of wood panels for furniture, can be used to stabilize the binder (to absorb the excess binder) in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixtures rather than being disposed of in landfill or incinerated. In this research, SMA 8 S mixtures with different amounts (0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.9% and 1.1%) of wood waste fibres were analysed. The reference mixture with 0.3% cellulose fibres was also produced. The ability of wood waste fibres to absorb the binder was determined by the binder drain down test, and the particle loss test was used as a primary indicator to evaluate the performance of the mixture. The influence of wood waste fibres on the performance of SMA mixtures was comprehensively evaluated with two amounts of wood waste fibres in terms of air void content, water sensitivity, stiffness, resistance to rutting, and resistance to fatigue. Research showed that 0.7% of the wood waste fibres is an optimal amount. It ensures both binder absorption and SMA 8 S mixture performance equivalent to that with 0.3% cellulose fibres.