Assessment of an Asphalt Mixture employing a Blast Furnace Slag Pretreated with a Polymer
Abstract
Blast furnace slags (BFS) could be used as substitutes of the coarse fraction of natural aggregates (NA) in the production of hot mix asphalts (HMA). However, its high porosity and absorption are generally seen as disadvantages in HMAs. For this reason, this study used a polymer employed in soil stabilization processes in order to partially fill the air voids of a BFS. Then, this pre-treated BFS material (BFS-SMK) substituted the coarse fraction of a NA in an HMA. The mechanical resistance and the moisture damage resistance was evaluated performing Indirect Tensile Strength and Marshall Tests. Additionally, Cantabro and resilient modulus tests were performed. An ANOVA - analysis of variance was carried out. As a general conclusion, the BFS-SMK could be used as a substitute material for NA in HMA.