Rheology of waste plastic fibre-modified bitumen

Abstract Development of modified asphalt materials to improve the overall performance of pavements has been the focus of several research efforts made over the past few decades. Use of discarded waste plastic construction was one of the steps taken in this direction. Using the waste materials in road construction will not only bring out significant saving in road material costs but also help towards tackling the problems of disposal of such waste materials, which tend to be hazardous in as much as they can cause pollution of both air and water. The dynamic shear rheometer is used for the determination of the rheological properties of bitumen in a wide range of temperatures. The rheological properties of road bitumen are improved by means of polymer modification as identified by both conventional and more fundamental rheological parameters. The present study aimed at preparing bitumen modified with waste plastic fibres and finding the variation of conventional and rheological properties (before and after ageing) at different temperatures. Both short- and long-term ageing is considered. The complex modulus is determined at 10 rad/s and at temperatures varying from 46 to 58°C. Using the test results, the optimum fibre content was found out and properties of unmodified and modified bituminous mixes were compared using the Marshall test. Keywords: waste plasticbituminous layermodified bitumenhighway Notes 1. garg.311@gmail.com Additional informationNotes on contributorsRashi Garg 1 1. garg.311@gmail.com