Sustainable development of pavement base stabilization using future road base material (FROBM)

Abstract

Sustainable road construction has emerged as a critical issue in assessing natural resources and urban development. With the rapid expansion of pavement networks to meet growing traffic demands, road base construction relies heavily on the consumption of natural aggregates and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) through the cement-treated base (CTB) technique. This practice contributes to the global warming and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with road construction. This study investigated a novel road base material, Future Road Base Material (FROBM), which emphasizes both eco-friendliness and economic advantages. Fine crushed rock (FCR) served as the parent aggregate and was modified with a chemical binder comprising 4% of the FCR weight. The proposed sustainable cementitious material, functioning as a non-OPC binder, incorporated fly ash and hydrated limestone as pozzolanic materials, along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as an alkali additive. An asphalt emulsion (AE) was employed as a special additive to enhance crucial pavement engineering properties. Through life cycle analysis (LCA), the construction activities and material acquisition of each stabilized base technique were evaluated in terms of project costs and carbon footprints. The non-OPC binder offered sufficient compressive strength for a stabilized base course. Furthermore, the addition of AE improved the elastic modulus and modulus of rupture of the non-OPC binder-stabilized mixture. Utilizing a non-OPC binder and AE in the base layer provides advantages in terms of construction cost and environmental impact. Although the costs increased slightly, the GHG emissions were reduced by approximately 30% compared to conventional base materials, with equivalent functionality and service life for road construction. The proposed stabilizing agent reduced the operational processes and demand for natural aggregates compared with the unbound FCR base course. Road-base stabilization using a non-OPC binder and AE represents an innovative approach to mitigate waste in coal mining and power plant industries by transitioning to a cleaner product. The concept of the FROBM serves as a valuable guideline for the development of future sustainable pavement materials.