Performance evaluation of BDM/unsaturated polyester resin-modified asphalt mixture for application in bridge deck pavement

Although epoxy resin-modified asphalt mixture (ERMAM) shows excellent performances as used in bridge deck pavement, its cost is high and low-temperature anti-cracking resistance is poor, so unsaturated polyester resin-modified asphalt mixture (UPRMAM) is proposed to replace ERMAM. However, there is still a great gap in strength between UPRMAM and ERMAM. In this paper, 4,4′-bismaleimidodi-phenylmethane (BDM)/unsaturated polyester resin-modified asphalt mixture (BDM/UPRMAM) is presented for bridge deck pavement. Marshall, splitting, three-point bending, rutting, bending creep, immersed Marshall, freeze–thaw splitting, four-point bending fatigue and oil corrosion tests are performed to compare the performances of BDM/UPRMAM, pure unsaturated polyester resin-modified asphalt mixture (PUPRMAM) and ERMAM. Results show that the addition of BDM into PUPRMAM makes the splitting tensile strength, flexural-tensile strength and dynamic stability increase by 17.6%, 29.2% and 80.94%, respectively. It also improves the resistance to water damage and fatigue disease significantly while it decreases low-temperature performance. Compared with ERMAM, BDM/UPRMAM has similar splitting tensile strength, worse flexural-tensile strength, dynamic stability and fatigue resistance, better low-temperature crack resistance and lower cost. As a result, BDM/UPRMAM can be used as the bridge deck surfacing material.