Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Concrete as Sustainable Paving Material for Airfields

Abstract

Sustainability at airports has received attention recently as owners have worked to incorporate sustainable practices into projects and daily operations. Several guides have been published by airport agencies to document sustainable practices. One potential practice involves alternative paving materials for airfield pavements. Specifically, fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete has shown promising results and has recently been used to resurface Runway 1–19 at the Jackson Hole Airport in Jackson, Wyoming. This paper explores the feasibility of using fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete as a sustainable paving strategy for airfields. The study includes an extensive literature review, performance testing of an asphalt mixture, cost analysis, a sustainable credit summary, and a carbon dioxide emission comparison. Laboratory testing showed that the Jackson Hole Airport mixture performed better than a control mixture produced in the laboratory with similar materials. Further analysis concluded that a fiber-reinforced, porous asphalt friction course could qualify for several sustainable site credits. In addition, the minimal upfront cost of fibers makes this product attractive because the cost can be recouped by an approximate 1-year extension in service life. Pavement design simulations indicated a reduction in equivalent carbon dioxide emissions through the extension of service life. Recommendations for the use of fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete on airfields are provided based on the findings of this study and future research is identified.

Mechanical performance of fibers in hot mix asphalt: A review

“…Inclusion of fibers in the asphalt mixtures is gathering strength as they 101 act as a reinforcement, adding ductility and tensile strength to the material due to the enhanced 102 interlocking of aggregates. The interconnection between aggregates and fibers enables the material to withstand additional strain energy before cracking occurs; thereby, it is of great significance for extending the useful life of safer roads [28,35].…”

Effect of synthetic fibres on fracture performance of asphalt mortar

“…Additionally, a research investigated a polyester fibre reinforced asphalt mix in accelerated loading facility with the results to show remarkably better fatigue cracking resistance for the reinforced section than that of the polymer-modified (Gibson et al, 2012). Similar study using the same type of synthetic fibres concentrated on comparing the result of three different mixes: the field samples with fibre (0.5 kg/ton) from Jackson Hole Airport, without fibre from Sheridan County Airport, and one lab-designed mix without fibre (Stempihar et al, 2012). Finally, it has been observed that the synthetic fibres started to absorb strain energy and to reduce the crack propagation when the crack began to propagate at intermediate and high temperatures (Muftah et al, 2017).…”

“…Over the years, various technologies have been proposed to improve the performance of asphalt pavements, and one of these is the utilisation of fibres as reinforcement in asphaltic materials (NCHRP Synthesis 475, 2015). Reinforcing with fibres, and mainly synthetic fibres have been used widely in asphalt pavements (Edgar, 1998;Gibson et al, 2012;Gibson & Li, 2015;Guistozzi, Crispino, Toraldo, & Mariani, 2015;Ho, Shan, Wang, Chen, & Almonnieay, 2016;Kaloush, Biligiri, Zeiada, Rodezno, & Reed, 2010;McDaniel & Shah, 2003;Muftah, Bahadori, Bayomy, & Kassem, 2017;Prowell, 2000;Stempihar, Souliman, & Kaloush, 2012) because of the capacity of synthetic fibre-reinforced systems to withstand additional strain energy before cracking and to add extra tensile strength to the material. In other words, these systems are able to retard the deterioration progress of pavements.…”

Laboratory investigation on mechanical performance of cold foamed bitumen mixes: Bitumen source, foaming additive, fiber-reinforcement and cement effect

“…Fiber-reinforcement is recognized as for enhancing certain properties on hot mix asphalt (HMA); in particular, the addition of fibers influences the viscoelasticity of the mix and enhances dynamic modulus, reduces moisture susceptibility and rutting and improves fatigue resistance [30][31][32][33]. Limited research is available about fiber-reinforced cold mixtures.…”