Interfacial adhesion between recycled aggregate and asphalt mastic filled with recycled concrete powder

Recycled aggregate (RA) and recycled concrete powder (RCP) hold significant potential as environmentally sustainable raw materials for asphalt mixtures. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the bonding properties between RA and RCP-filled asphalt mortar (RCPAM). This investigation utilized an image processing-assisted modified water boiling test, binder bond strength (BBS) tests, and the surface free energy (SFE) method. The results indicate that the boiling water test method, even with the assistance of 2D image processing analysis, cannot adequately evaluate the adhesive characteristics of the RA-RCPAM interface. This limitation could be attributed to the relatively small number of samples tested and the significant variation in surface properties of RA. Increasing both the filler-to-asphalt (F/A) ratio and RCP replacement ratios adversely affected the interfacial bond strength of the RA-RCPAM interface. On the other hand, an increase in RA surface roughness contributed to a higher bond strength. Based on the experimental results, a best-fit multivariate mixed model was proposed to predict the interfacial bond strength between RCP-filled asphalt mortar and recycled aggregate within a given range of RCP replacement ratio, surface roughness, and filler-to-asphalt (F/A) ratios. The analysis of SFE suggested that moisture damage to RCPAM was caused by both cohesive and adhesive failure. Additionally, the minimal impact of adhesion work in wet condition with increasing RCP content suggested that adhesion failure energy was only marginally affected by the inclusion of RCP, even in the presence of moisture. These findings are expected to enhance the understanding of interfacial adhesion characteristics and moisture susceptibility of the RA-RCPAM interface.