In road construction, several processes and products are now available to produce environmentally friendlier warm mix asphalts, including the use of synthetic paraffin wax additives. These additives facilitate the production of energy efficient asphalt mixtures at reduced manufacturing and construction temperatures. However, their sustainability during the road life cycle can only be obtained by optimizing the mixture's performance. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the properties of different blends of base bitumens (softer to harder ones) containing a range of synthetic wax contents, as well as the performance of the corresponding warm mix asphalts, that could ultimately lead to more sustainable mixtures. It was concluded that different blends should be selected to maximize the temperature reduction, the fatigue or the rut resistance, without compromising the other properties of the mixture.

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h i g h l i g h t sRecycled polymers were studied as alternative to virgin SBS for binder modification. EVA modified binder showed similar performance to the control SBS modified binder. HDPE improved binder's high-temperature performance but decreased elastic recovery. Polymer modification enhanced binder properties, except storage stability. Waste plastics are an excellent alternative for more ecologic binder modification.

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