Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194

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Construction and Building Materials

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Improvement of high modulus asphalt mixtures with average quality

aggregate and bitumen by application of polymeric additives
M. Ranieri, C. Celauro ⇑
DICAM – Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, Aerospaziale, dei Materiali, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy

h i g h l i g h t s

The need for higher performances requires improved asphalt concrete for pavement.

Mix design of improved mixtures with average quality components was carried out.

Dry addition of commercial and waste polymers was carried out into the mixes.

Polymeric additives are proved to improve mechanical performances.

Saving of high quality and not-renewable resources is a beneficial consequence.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The paper deals with the development of asphalt mixtures for high performing binder and base courses,
Received 2 January 2018 modified with both commercial and waste polymeric additives, via dry process. The focus was on the mix
Received in revised form 11 April 2018 design of high performing mixtures making use of average quality aggregate and average penetration
Accepted 12 May 2018
grade bitumen (as locally available) instead of the usually required high quality components, manly very
Available online 25 May 2018
hard bitumen, thus aiming to improve the reference mixture as made possible by suitable polymers.
Mixtures were subjected not only to conventional tests for mix design purposes, but also to advanced
Keywords:
tests for performance evaluation such as rutting resistance and fatigue resistance. The dynamic modulus
High modulus mixtures
Bituminous mixtures
was also evaluated by means of modulus tests in triaxial cell.
Polymers The test results provided useful information about the use of studied additives for bituminous mix-
Waste plastics tures. In details, when selecting a High Modulus Base aggregate gradation, the addition of polymeric addi-
tives is proved to improve mechanical performances such as modulus and permanent deformation
resistance even when using average quality aggregate and less hard bitumen (more easily available in
Southern Italy) than those typically used for these special formulations, with beneficial environmental
consequences (saving of high quality, not-renewable resources).
Ó 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction use of available resources and low environmental impact tech-

Increased heavy vehicle traffic, geometric and weight changes
in load transfer systems on the road pavement, together with the
widespread tendency to traffic overloaded, have created problems
in most existing road pavements. Today the growing demand for
performance and the need to protect the ecosystem lead engi-
neers/designers to develop new manufacturing and monitoring
technologies, and to experiment the use of new materials, and to
improve analysis models as well as design methods of pavements
and mixtures. The criterion followed is to promote more rational
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: mauro.ranieri@unipa.it (M. Ranieri), clara.celauro@unipa.it
(C. Celauro).
niques [1].
For economic and technical reasons, we are currently witness-
ing a phenomenon of expansion on the market of additives used
in the technology of asphalt mixtures. These products are used in
order to improve performance and reduce the costs for asphalt
pavement production and execution. In general, meeting all these
goals with a single product is difficult, because higher quality
requires higher costs. The latest researches in this area have
resulted in products whose quality increases performance at min-
imal cost [2].
The incorporation of waste materials and other industrial prod-
ucts as construction materials is also discussed, as being one of the
main solutions used by practitioners to respond to society’s current
sustainability issues. In particular, the introduction of plastic waste

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.05.126
0950-0618/Ó 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
184 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194
in asphalt binders and mixtures is an excellent alternative to land-
fill disposal [3], because asphalt modification by polymer incorpo-
ration can significantly improve the performance of road
pavements [4–9].
The demand for superior performance compared to those of tra-
ditional asphalt mixtures, the recovery and recycling of existing
pavements, the use of new materials combined with new produc-
tion technologies have given rise to so-called special pavements.
These have particular characteristics regarding particle size frac-
tions and high quality materials. This category includes, for exam-
ple, asphalt mixtures with additives and high modulus asphalt
mixtures.
High modulus asphalt mixtures for base (and binder) layers,
better known as Enrobé à Module Élevé (EME), were introduced
in France in the 1980s with the purpose of maximizing stiffness
and fatigue resistance, whilst ensuring that rutting and durability
(particularly moisture resistance) requirements were still being
met. One of the fastest growing offsets of EME has been urban
roads, based on the ability to reduce overall layer thickness as a
result of the substantially higher stiffness of the material, while
still being able to maintain the same level of performance. This
has translated into direct savings in road construction material
usage and construction costs. The superior structural properties
of high modulus material justify thickness reductions of 25 to
40% compared with conventional French materials [10–12].
The main characteristic of these mixtures is high stiffness,
obtained by using specific gradations, hard or very hard bitumens
and quite high bitumen content. Due to a limited workability of the
mixtures, their use was mostly to be considered in case of very
high traffic or when mechanical stability of the bituminous mix
is of primarily importance [13,14] (airports, mainly, for strengthen-
ing of taxiways and runways).
In essence, EME is hot-mix asphalt consisting of hard bitumen
blended at high binder content with good quality, fully crushed
aggregates in order to produce a (relatively) fine-graded mix with
low air void content. EME is designed to combine good mechanical
performance with durability and impermeability when well com-
pacted [10]. It is designed in the laboratory to yield high elastic
stiffness, high permanent deformation resistance and high fatigue
resistance, whilst also offering good moisture resistance and good
workability, which are the four key parameters for long-life pave-
ments. To achieve the required performance, i.e. high stiffness, fati-
gue resistance, high rutting resistance, resistance to brittle thermal
cracking, ageing resistance and workability, appropriate asphalt
mix designs were found which resulted in the first set of
performance-based specifications NF P 98-140 published by
AFNOR in 1992 [15]. Among the key components were the hard
special bitumen grades, mostly 10/20 and 15/25 penetration, with
characteristics that resulted in compromises between optimized
thermal susceptibility and ageing resistance [12].
According to a research project [10] developed in 2007 by the
CRR (Centre de Recherches Routieres in Belgium), which takes as
its primary reference the French standard NF P 98-140 [15], these
mixtures were considered as a possible solution to contrast rutting
in Belgium, due to increased heavy traffic. The primary objective of
this study was to assess the technological feasibility, in terms of
mix design, production and application of these mixtures very
well-known abroad, especially in France, the country of origin,
and still little used in Belgium. In other words, the aim was to pro-
vide the necessary knowledge in the study of the mix design of
EME and the correct requirements to be included in the specifica-
tions by verifying that it was possible to produce this mixture with
the materials commonly used in Belgium [10].
There is doubtless similar interest in application of these
mixtures in Southern Italy [16] and in Sicily in particular, where
there is not only heavy traffic, but also and above all a warm
Mediterranean climate, which is more penalizing – as far as rutting
resistance, mainly – than the French and Belgian continental cli-
mate. Indeed, the use of EME would be particularly advantageous
in warm climates [17].
Although for several years these mixtures have been used in
many applications such as highways, urban roads and airport run-
ways, Italian current technical standards does not yet cover the
high modulus asphalt. These mixtures are also of particular inter-
est in other countries [11,18–21] such as Australia, United King-
dom, South Africa, Spain, Poland, Morocco and Mauritius.
The aim of this study primarily is to evaluate the feasibility of
producing ‘‘EME” mixtures not necessarily by using high-
performance materials, but – in accordance to environmental and
economic sustainability issues- by preferring the use of locally
available stone aggregate and bitumen, thanks to proper addition
of suitable polymers.
In order accomplish with the above aim, the study is organized
into the following main sections: materials, methods, results and
discussion and, lastly, conclusions. The materials’ section fully pro-
vides the characterization of the base materials used in this study.
The methods, results and discussion section shortly summarizes
the experimental plan, then the experimental results are detailed
and discussed, with respect to the objectives of the paper. In the
conclusion section, key conclusions are drawn and main contribu-
tions are pointed out.
2. Materials
The special asphalt mixtures that are the object of this study are known in the
technical literature as EME that is, as already mentioned above, high-modulus
asphalt mixtures, with good performance both in terms of stability and durability.
The materials used to produce these mixtures will detailed in what follows.
2.1. Bitumens
The binders used in this study were a standard neat bitumen (penetration grade
50/70), very commonly available in contexts such as in Southern Italy, and a harder
neat bitumen (penetration grade 35/50) in the range of the high modulus bitumen:
their characteristics are reported in Table 1. The reason for choosing the 35/50 pen
grade bitumen was primarily due to its availability on the local market, compared
to even harder pen grade bitumens.
A dynamic mechanical analysis of these binders was conducted with a dynamic
shear rheometer (DSR), making it possible to obtain the rheological properties in
terms of complex modulus |G⁄| and phase angle d for a reference temperature of
30 °C, as shown in Fig. 1. These were obtained by frequency sweep tests, in the fre-
quency range between 0.10 and 10 Hz, carried out in strain-controlled mode over a
wide range of temperatures, according to the EN 14,770 standard. The tests were
carried out using parallel plate geometry, by applying strain amplitudes carefully
checked to be within the LVE response of the material, in order to ensure applica-
bility of the time-temperature superposition principle. The testing temperature
ranged from 10 °C to 80 °C, while the testing frequency ranged from 0.1 to 10 Hz.
The plate geometries adopted were 8 mm with a 2 mm gap, in the range of test-
ing temperature between 10 and 30 °C, and 25 mm with a 1 mm gap, in the range
of testing temperature between 30 and 80 °C.
As expected (see Fig. 1), in the low frequency range 35/50 pen grade bitumen is
stiffer and more elastic when compared to the 50/70 pen grade bitumen. At high
frequency, the complex modulus master curves coincide, but the phase angle mas-
ter curves still prove the beneficial contribution of an higher elastic component in
the case of the 35/50 pen grade bitumen. This behaviour, in the whole range of ser-
vice temperature, is the basic reason for preferring the use of low penetration grade
binders for production of high-modulus asphalt mixtures, for pavement application
when complex modulus is of primary interest and stress relaxation (at low temper-
atures) is not of concern [22].
2.2. Polymeric additives
The additives used in the study were two commercial products - a polymeric
compound of selected polymers (SP) and a polyfunctional polymeric system (PPS)
- and a waste plastic (P) recovered after recycling of greenhouse films.
SP is a compound of different polymers having low molecular weight and med-
ium melting point, commercially provided in semi-soft and flexible granules.
Approximately, a dosage of 4–8% on weight of bitumen is recommended. PPS is a
 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194 185

Table 1
Characteristics of the bituminous binders used in the study.

Characteristic Standard Unit 50/70 bitumen 35/50 bitumen

3
Specific weight at 25 °C EN 3838 g/cm 1.033 1.033
Penetration at 25 °C EN 1426 dmm 68 35
Ring and Ball Softening Point EN 1427 °C 50.5 56
Penetration Index EN 12,591 0.21
Ductility at 25 °C ASTM D113 cm >100 224
Viscosity at 60 °C EN 13,302 Pa∙s 255.5 9.88
Viscosity at 100 °C EN 13,302 Pa∙s 3.917 1.11
Viscosity at 135 °C EN 13,302 Pa∙s 0.435 0.24
Viscosity at 150 °C EN 13,302 Pa∙s 0.222 0.11
Equiviscosity temperature (g = 0.17 Pa∙s) EN 13,302 °C 155 161
Compaction temperature (g = 0.28 Pa∙s) EN 13,302 °C 145 150
After short term ageing (RTFOT):
Mass loss EN 12607-1 % 0.19 0.062
Penetration at 25 °C EN 1426 dmm 44 25
Ring and Ball Softening Point EN 1427 °C 64.5 61
Viscosity at 60 °C EN 13,302 Pa∙s 668 417

1E+09 Table 2
TR = 30°C Characteristics of the commercial additives used.
1E+08
Characteristics Additives
1E+07
SP PPS
1E+06 Colour Grey From pale grey to dark brown
|G*| (Pa)

Dimensions (mm) 2  4 mm 4  6 mm
1E+05 Softening point (°C) 160
Melting point (°C) 180
1E+04
Melt index 15
Fixed residue at 500 °C (%) 20  30
1E+03
Residual moisture (%) 10
35/50
1E+02 Apparent density (g/cm3) 0.40  0.60 0.45  0.60
50/70
1E+01
0.00001 0.001 0.1 10 1000 100000 1° heating cooling 2° heating
70
αT x f (Hz)
60
90
Heat flow (mW)

TR = 30°C 50
80
40
70
30
60
20
δ (deg)

50
10
40
0
30 0 50 100 150 200 250
Temperature (°C)
20
35/50
10 Fig. 2. DSC test results on the SP additive.
50/70
0
0.00001 0.001 0.1 10 1000 100000 As can be seen in Fig. 2, DSC results on SP additive allows to identify the poly-
mers that compose the sample, based on the analysis of the three peaks in the heat-
αT x f (Hz)
ing phases: the lowest is around 106 °C (typical for low-density polyethylene), the
second one at 120 °C is for the high-density polyethylene, while the last peak at
Fig. 1. Complex modulus (|G*|) and phase angle (d) master curves of the binders 160 °C is for polypropylene. Since the enthalpy of a phase transition is determined
used. by integration of the area under the corresponding DSC peak, qualitative evaluation
of the area under the peaks confirms that SP is a low-density polyethylene with a
compound of cellulosic and glass fibers and plastomeric polymers, as well as SP, but small quantity of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene. Fig. 4, in the same
it also contains various fibres, paraffins, liquid components and other additives, way, allows to conclude that the waste plastic used in this study is a mix of high
combined in pellets. A dosage of 0.2–0.6% on weight of aggregates is recommended. density polyethylene and polypropylene. These additives have low affinity with
Table 2 summarizes the physical properties of the additives used, as provided the bitumen and therefore, for practical needs, it is much more advantageous to
by the manufacturer. directly add them in a ‘‘dry” process: the additive is added to the hot aggregates,
A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test was carried out on SP and waste before mixing with the bitumen [23,24].
plastics in accordance with the ISO 11357-3 standard. This test allows to identify
the polymeric components, since, through heating from 60 °C to 180 °C, cooling 2.3. Aggregates
from 180 °C to 60 °C and again heating, it provides the thermal transitions - tem-
perature and enthalpy values corresponding to glass transition (Tg), melting point For the production of the asphalt mixtures, the typical gradation for EME suit-
(Tm) and crystallization (Tc). Thermal analysis of polymers is therefore of great able for binder and base course was considered, with a diameter between 0 and 16
importance for determining best processing temperatures and, in general, for devel- mm. The aggregates used were crushed limestone from a local quarry, whose gra-
oping appropriate methods for processing. The test was not performed on PPS due to dation and physical and mechanical properties are given respectively in Tables 3
the high heterogeneity of its components. The test results are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. and 4.
186 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194

1° heating cooling 2° heating The available fractions (or appropriate sub-fractions) as provided by the quarry
4 were then combined in order to comply with the typical limits [15] of a dense
3 graded high-modulus asphalt (see Fig. 4).
The selected mixture of aggregates was then subjected determination of the
2
real specific weight according to the EN 1097-3:1999 standard and the results
Heat flow (mW)

1 was 2.842 g/cm3.

0
-1 3. Methods, results and discussion
-2
-3 The experimental study was developed on the following
mixtures:
-4
-5
1. Marshall test mix design on the conventional mixture, at 4 per-
-6
0 50 100 150 200 250
centages of bitumen, according to the EN 12697-34 standard;
Temperature (°C) 2. Compactibility test of the optimized conventional mixtures as
well as on mixtures with polymeric additives (produced, as
Fig. 3. DSC test results on the waste plastic. said, via dry process), at different bitumen content, with a gyra-
tory compactor (D = 150 mm), in accordance with the EN
12697-31 standard.
Mix grading curve Upper limit Lower limit
100 Finally, tests on selected mixtures only (both with and without
90
additives) were performed in order to assess the following
properties:
80

70

Rutting resistance, according to the EN 12697-22 standard,
Passing (%)

60 method B;
50
Complex stiffness modulus, according to the EN 12697-26 stan-
40 dard, annexes B and D;
30

Fatigue resistance, according to the EN 12697-24 standard,
annex D.
20

10
3.1. Mix design
0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Marshall tests, according to the EN 12697-34 standard, were
Sieve size (mm)
carried out only to the traditional mixture (without additives)
Fig. 4. Mix grading curve. produced with 50/70 pen grade bitumen, in order to assess the
fulfilment of physical and mechanical properties typically

Table 3
Gradation of the aggregates’ fractions.

Sieve (mm) Passing (%)

Fractions
a2 (20/25) a3 (10/15) a4 (6/10) a5 (0/6) Filler
32 100 100 100 100 100
24 100 100 100 100 100
20 94.73 100 100 100 100
12 18.33 99.96 100 100 100
8 0.77 85.67 99.91 99.70 100
4 0.51 38.3 72.62 97.78 100
2 0.49 15.66 41.54 70.60 100
0.4 0.44 6.62 16.84 26.09 99.31
0.18 0.41 5.28 11.21 17.19 93.78
0.075 0.33 4.01 6.42 10.57 74.25

Table 4
Physical and mechanical characteristics of the aggregates.

Characteristics Fractions
a2 a3 a4 a5 filler
3
Bulk specific weight, g/cm (EN 1097-7) 2.85
Apparent specific weight, g/cm3 (EN 1097-6) 2.82 2.83 2.84 2.85
Los Angeles abrasion,% (EN 1097-2) 22.10 20.19 20.64 20.12
Sand equivalent,% (EN 933-8) 91.38 90.41
Void ratio 0.80 0.79 0.71 0.73
Absorption coefficient (EN 1097-6) 0.64 0.51
 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194 187

Table 5
Marshall test results on the traditional mixture with 50/70 grade bitumen.

b (%) v (%) S (KN) F (mm) R (KN/mm) VFB (%) capp (g/cm3)

4.8 6.03 12.24 4.27 2.87 69.22 2.46
5.2 2.88 13.39 4.07 3.29 82.90 2.52
5.5 2.52 14.67 4.40 3.33 86.05 2.52
5.9 1.82 13.30 5.33 2.49 89.75 2.53

S F
16 6.00
Table 6
15 Technical specification Marshall test results.
5.50
Required results Unit Course
14
5.00 Binder Base
13

F (mm)
S (KN)

Marshall Stability, S KN 10 8
12 4.50 Marshall Ratio, R KN/mm 3  4.5 >2.5
Marshall voids, v % 46 47
11
4.00
10
3.50
9 with and without additives were assessed by using a gyratory com-
8 3.00
pactor, according to the EN 12697-31 standard, since this tests pro-
4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 vide useful information on the workability of the mixtures, as well
R v as on its tendency to rutting. This is particularly important since
4.00 7 both workability and rutting resistance (considered the high bitu-
3.80 men content and the typical penetration grade of the binder used)
6
3.60 may be of concern for high modulus mixtures, together with an
R=S/F (KN/mm)

3.40
5
increased risk of low-temperature cracks, in comparison to typical
3.20 asphalt concretes.
v (%)

3.00
2.80
2.60
2.40
2.20
2.00
4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Bitumen content (%)
Fig. 5. Marshall test results at different bitumen contents.
considered in the national Specifications [25], using the bitumen
most commonly available in Southern Italy (the supply of harder
bitumen implies extra economic and environmental costs). Pro-
duction temperatures for the mixtures to be studied were based
on the equiviscosity and compaction temperatures of the neat
bitumens, obtained via viscosity measurements and given in
Table 1.
The percentages of bitumen (b’1 = 4.8%, b’2 = 5.2%, b’3 = 5.5%, b’4
= 5.9%, by weight of the aggregates) considered, were selected in
the range of the typical bitumen content for the target EME mix-
ture. The volumetric properties (v, air voids, and voids filled with
bitumen – VFB) were determined according to the requirements
of the EN 12697-8 standard. Calculation of the maximum specific
weight (ct) of the mixture was performed according to EN
12697-5 standard, while the calculation of the apparent specific
weight (capp) was performed according to the EN 12697-6 stan-
dard. The Marshall test results are reported in Table 5 and Fig. 5,
where S is the Marshall Stability, F is the Marshall Flow, and R
the Marshall Ratio S/F.
At national level, the typical requirements for binder and base
course, as detailed in Table 6 [25], are fulfilled for bitumen con-
tents between 4.8 and 5.1%.
3.2. Compactibility at the gyratory compactor
After the preliminary Marshall mix design of the reference (con-
ventional) mixtures, compactibility characteristics of the mixture
4 The gyratory compactor test was carried out on the following
mixtures: both the conventional mixtures – the one with the
3 35/50 grade bitumen and the one with 50/70 grade bitumen
and- were tested at 4.9, 5.1 and 5.4% of binder content: the lower
2 contents were selected in consideration of the results of the Mar-
shall mix (in the optimal range), while the highest was selected
1
for comparison purposed with the mixtures with additives (since
polymeric additivation via dry process typically requires higher
binder content in the mixtures). As far as the additives is con-
cerned, they were added to mixtures with the 50/70 bitumen only,
since the aim of this study is to improve the performance of mix-
tures that make use of this – local and economically convenient -
binder.
In terms of additive contents:

for the SP additive, two different contents (SP.3 = 0.3% of poly-
mer, SP.6 = 0.6% of polymer, by weight of mineral aggregates)
were used for producing mixtures to be subject to gyratory
compaction. During the experimental phase, having observed
that the specimens with SP were subject to bleeding due to
the excessive binder content, it was also decided to carry out
the test, for the percentage 0.3 of SP, on two specimens with
two lower bitumen contents (4.3 and, 4.6%);

for mixture with PPS, the polymer contents selected was the
0.3% of polymer, by weight of mineral aggregates, selected in
the range suggested by the producer;

for the waste plastics (P), based on previous study [26], three
bitumen contents (4.6, 4.9 and 5.1%) and different plastic con-
tents (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1%) were investigated.
In summary, the mixtures subjected to gyratory compaction are
detailed in Table 7, together with their labels.
The densification curves recorded during the gyratory com-
paction made it possible to obtain the parameters of the regression
lines, K and C1, that respectively define the workability and the
self-densification of the mixtures (see Table 8). From the data
results in Table 8, it can be observed that the K parameter is almost
constant for all the mixtures studied: this means that the
188 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194

Table 7
Mixtures (and corresponding labels) studied for compactibility at the gyratory compactor.

Bitumen content
(%)
Additive content 35/50 penetration grade 50/70 penetration grade
(%)
4.9 5.1 5.4 4.3 4.6 4.9 5.1 5.4
no additive 0 EME 4.9/35_50 EME 5.1/35_50 EME 5.4/35_50 EME 4.9/50_70 EME 5.1/50_70 EME 5.4/50_70
SP 0.3 EME 4.3/SP.3 EME 4.6SP.3 EME 4.9/SP.3 EME 5.1/SP.3 EME 5.4/SP.3
0.6 EME 4.9/SP.6 EME 5.1/SP.6 EME 5.4/SP.6
P 0.3 EME 4.6/P.3
0.5 EME 4.6/P.5
0.7 EME 4.6/P.6
1 EME 4.6/P1 EME 4.9/P1 EME 5.1/P1
PPS 0.3 EME 4.9/PPS.3 EME 4.9/ PPS.3 EME 5.4/ PPS.3

Table 8
Values of self-densification and workability of the mixtures studied.

Mixture b p % Gmm = C1 + k * log (N)

% % C1 K R2
EME 4.9/35_50 4.9 0.0 0.7989 0.0789 0.9969
EME 5.1/35_50 5.1 0.0 0.8278 0.0763 0.9889
EME 5.4/35_50 5.4 0.0 0.8224 0.0805 0.9756
EME 4.9/50_70 4.9 0.0 0.7972 0.0753 0.9989
EME 5.1/50_70 5.1 0.0 0.8190 0.0710 0.9988
EME 5.4/50_70 5.4 0.0 0.8141 0.0788 0.9952
EME 4.3/SP.3 4.3 0.3 0.8009 0.0757 0.9980
EME 4.6/SP.3 4.6 0.3 0.8072 0.0739 0.9984
EME 4.9/SP.3 4.9 0.3 0.8141 0.0788 0.9952
EME 5.1/SP.3 5.1 0.3 0.8168 0.0786 0.9940
EME 5.4/SP.3 5.4 0.3 0.8345 0.0741 0.9837
EME 4.9/SP.6 4.9 0.6 0.8278 0.0748 0.9900
EME 5.1/SP.6 5.1 0.6 0.8274 0.0755 0.9880
EME 5.4/SP.6 5.4 0.6 0.8366 0.0742 0.9702
EME 4.6/P.3 4.6 0.3 0.8232 0.0743 0.9896
EME 4.6/P.5 4.6 0.5 0.8154 0.0751 0.9913
EME 4.9/P.5 4.9 0.5 0.8253 0.0744 0.9897
EME 4.6/P.7 4.6 0.7 0.8108 0.0769 0.9929
EME 4.9/P.7 4.9 0.7 0.8257 0.0731 0.9865
EME 4.6/P1 4.6 1.0 0.8463 0.0660 0.9627
EME 4.9/P1 4.9 1.0 0.8540 0.0638 0.9518
EME 5.1/P1 5.1 1.0 0.8589 0.0617 0.9439
EME 4.9/PPS.3 4.9 0.3 0.8125 0.0797 0.9920
EME 5.1/PPS.3 5.1 0.3 0.8145 0.0798 0.9939
EME 5.4/PPS.3 5.4 0.3 0.8251 0.0787 0.9859

workability does not depend on the bitumen or polymer content
and can be explained considering that all mixtures have the same
(or very similar) aggregate skeleton. On the other hand, when the
bitumen or polymer content increases, the values of the initial den-
sification C1 and, consequently, the mixture’s density at any num-
ber of revolutions, also increases. In full scale construction this
implies that the effort for compacting mixtures such as those stud-
ied in this paper shall depend on their content in bitumen and/or
polymer, since their initial densification is proved to increase with
increasing bitumen or polymer content.
In order to evaluate the behaviour of the mixtures in the differ-
ent conditions of densification that may occur on site, during the
service life, acquisition of shear ratio, r, was also carried out dur-
ing the gyratory compaction, on specimens compacted up to a
number of gyrations N equal to 200 rpm.
Shear ratio values, a measure of the internal stability of the mix-
ture during the compaction, were determined during the test and
automatically recorded by the equipment, as depicted in Figs. 6
and 7. Fig. 6 presents the shear ratio lines of the mixtures studied,
except for the mixture with waste plastics reported in Fig. 7 in
order to make it as readable as possible.
An increasing trend of the shear ratio, r, in the initial stage of
compaction (in the first 50 gyrations) and stabilization beyond
the maximum value of N, together with fulfilment of the volumetric
requirements (VMA, VFA), guarantee a correct formulation and thus
good stability [27] during the service life. Conducted ahead of the
other mechanical tests, this test is useful for a preliminary selection
of mixes, as well as for optimizing the asphalt mix composition.
The shear ratio data in Fig. 6 show that the required stability at
high gyration numbers (r  70% @Nmax) is achieved for mixtures
with 0.3% of SP at lower binder contents (4.3 or 4.6%), as for mix-
tures with 50/70 neat bitumen at 4.9 or 5.1% of binder content.
The same conclusion can be drawn for mixtures with 0.3% of PPS
at 4.9 or 5.1% of binder content as well as for the conventional mix-
ture with 35/50 grade bitumen, at 4.9% binder content only.
For the other mixtures, a loss in internal stability is evident, due
to a too high binder content.
Regarding the mixture with waste plastics (P) in Fig. 7, stability
with the number of gyrations is achieved for the 0.5 or 0.7% of plas-
tics at the 4.6% of bitumen content. For the other bitumen or addi-
tive contents, again one can notice that a fall in the shear ratio is
evident.
 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194 189

1.25
EME 4.9/50_70
1.20
1.15
EME 4.9/35_50
1.10 EME 4.3/SP.3
1.05 EME 5.1/50_70
1.00 EME 4.9/PPS.3
0.95 EME 4.6/SP.3
0.90
EME 5.1/PPS.3
Shear ratio σ

0.85
EME 4.9/SP.3
0.80
0.75 EME 5.1/35_50
0.70 EME 5.1/SP.3
0.65 EME 5.4/50_70
0.60 EME 5.4/PPS.3
0.55 EME 4.9/SP.6
0.50
EME 5.1/SP.6
0.45
EME 5.4/53_50
0.40
0.35 EME 5.4/SP.3
0.30 EME 5.4/SP.6
0 50 100 150 200
Number of gyrations N

Fig. 6. Shear ratio for the mixtures with neat binders and commercial additives (SP and PPS).

0.90

0.85

0.80 EME 4.6/P.5

0.75 EME 4.6/P.7

0.70
EME 4.6/P.3
Shear raio σ

0.65

EME 4.9/P.5
0.60

0.55 EME 4.9/P.7

0.50
EME 4.6/P1.
0.45
EME 4.9/P1.
0.40

0.35 EME 5.1/P1.

0.30
0 50 100 150 200
Number of gyrations N

Fig. 7. Shear ratio lines of the mixture with waste plastics (P).

In terms of residual air voids, Table 9 provides the average
values recorded during gyratory compaction at selected num-
ber of gyrations as considered in the national specification
(10, 100 and 180 number of gyrations). The corresponding
requirements from the national technical specifications [25]
are given in Table 10. These values confirm the results seen
in Figs. 6 and 7.
3.3. Permanent deformation resistance
Based on the results of the previous tests, on a selection of those
mixtures that proved to be stable to compaction, the small-scale
laboratory test was carried out for rutting resistance (wheel-
tracking test in air according to EN 12697-22). The test was carried
out on slabs produced for each mixture, with dimensions 305 
305  50 mm at the fixed air void content set equal to v = 4.5%.
Test results are given in Fig. 8.
In Fig. 8 it is possible to note that, for the same percentage of
polymer, there is no substantial difference regarding rut depth;
instead, at the same percentage of bitumen, the rut depth values
of the mixture with SP are half of those of the mixture without
additives. The same can be said for the mixture with PPS, while
the best result is the one offered by the mixture with waste plastics
where the rut depth value is reduced by one third compared to that
of the mixture without additives. Regarding the conventional EME
mixture (the one produced with the harder bitumen, 35/50 pen)
the rut depth values are – as expected - always lower than those
of the mixture without additives and a softer binder (produced
with 50/70 pen grade bitumen), but they are higher than those
of the mixture with the softer binder and the additives studied.
190 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194

Table 9
Average values of the air voids of the specimens at 10, 100 and 180 gyrations.

Mixture Binder content b Additive content p Number of gyrations

% % 10 100 180
EME 4.9/35_50 4.9 0.0 12.5 4.2 2.4
EME 5.1/35_50 5.1 0.0 10.0 1.8 0.4
EME 5.4/35_50 5.4 0.0 10.4 1.2 0.2
EME 4.9/50_70 4.9 0.0 13.0 5.1 3.2
EME 5.1/50_70 5.1 0.0 11.2 3.8 2.0
EME 5.4/50_70 5.4 0.0 9.9 1.7 0.4
EME 4.3/SP.3 4.3 0.3 12.6 4.7 2.8
EME 4.6/SP.3 4.6 0.3 12.1 4.4 2.6
EME 4.9/SP.3 4.9 0.3 11.1 2.7 1.0
EME 4.9/SP.6 4.9 0.6 10.2 2.0 0.7
EME 5.1/SP.3 5.1 0.3 10.8 2.4 0.8
EME 5.1/SP.6 5.1 0.6 10.2 1.9 0.6
EME 5.4/SP.3 5.4 0.3 9.6 1.4 0.3
EME 5.4/SP.6 5.4 0.6 9.5 1.0 0.3
EME 4.6/P.3 4.6 0.3 10.7 2.6 1.2
EME 4.6/P.5 4.6 0.5 11.3 3.3 1.8
EME 4.6/P.7 4.6 0.7 11.6 3.3 1.8
EME 4.6/P1 4.6 1.0 9.3 1.9 1.1
EME 4.9/P.5 4.9 0.5 10.4 2.4 1.0
EME 4.9/P.7 4.9 0.7 10.5 2.6 1.3
EME 4.9/P1 4.9 1.0 8.8 1.6 0.8
EME 5.1/P1 5.1 1.0 8.5 1.6 0.8
EME 4.9/PPS.3 4.9 0.3 11.1 3.6 1.9
EME 5.1/PPS.3 5.1 0.3 11.0 3.4 1.7
EME 5.4/PPS.3 5.4 0.3 10.0 1.5 0.1

Table 10 a better rutting behaviour. As far as those with polymeric additive,

Requirements for residual air void at different number of
gyrations [25].
Number of gyrations % voids
10 10  14
100 35
190 2
These additives, thus, improve permanent deformation resis-
tance, since they reduce the rutting tendency in a noticeable
way. This is also proved by the test results in terms of the
wheel-tracking slope in air (WTSair, according to the EN 12697-
22 standard), that is the average rut depth rate, increases with
the number of passages (see Table 11). In fact one can observe that
– as expected – this parameter increases when the percentage of
bitumen increases, while it significantly decreases with the
increase in the percentage of additive. Based on the results, this
parameter confirms what was said above.
3.4. Stiffness modulus
Four point bending tests were carried out on a further selection
of the optimized mixtures in order to assess stiffness modulus and
fatigue cracking resistance.
The stiffness modulus test was carried out, according to EN
12697-26 annex B, on beams with dimensions 400  50  45
mm, before each fatigue test. The deformation was kept constant
during the test (controlled strain). The deformation was 25 me,
the temperature was 20 °C and the frequencies were 1, 10, 30 Hz
and again 1 Hz in order to check that the specimen has not been
damaged during the loading. The complex modulus test and the
fatigue test were carried out on optimized mixtures, that is the
ones with the best results after formulation tests and wheel-
tracking test, using a four-point bending apparatus and the GCTS
CATS software. In particular, those with neat bitumen (3/50 and
50/70) were considered for comparison purposes, as reference
mixtures, each one at the binder content that was proved to offer
consistently with what above, it was chosen to select for further
testing those that proved to cumulate the lowest value of rut depth
at the wheel tracking test (see Fig. 8).
The stiffness modulus test parameters are given in Table 12. As
expected, the stiffness modulus values are highest at high frequen-
cies, and lowest at low frequencies, while the opposite happens
with the phase angle values; besides, the mixture with waste plas-
tics (0.5%) has the highest stiffness modulus values at the same
temperature and frequency conditions as the other mixtures. The
conventional mixture produced with the 35/50 pen grade bitumen
confirms higher values than the mixture with 50/70 pen grade
bitumen, due to the presence of harder bitumen.
Finally, the dynamic modulus was also evaluated in terms of
modulus master curves by means of a triaxial cell. This test con-
sists of applying a sinusoidal axial compression stress on a cylin-
drical specimen of asphalt concrete at a given temperature and
loading frequency. The resulting recoverable axial strain response
of the specimen is measured and used to calculate dynamic mod-
ulus. The tension was kept constant during the test (controlled
stress), which was carried out according to the EN 12697-26 stan-
dard, annex D. The tests were conducted at 10, 20, 30 and 40 °C,
with no confining pressure, at six frequencies per temperature
(20, 10, 5, 1, 0.5 and 0.1 Hz) on cylindrical specimens produced
at the gyratory compactor (100  150 mm in dimensions), at a
fixed air set equal to 5%. The stress levels applied were chosen in
such a way that the strain response was kept within the range
50  150 me. Four replicates were tested for each mixture and the
results were averaged.
Master curves for each bituminous mixture where constructed
by horizontally shifting the isotherms obtained according to the
time-temperature superposition principle, using the formula of
Arrhenius [28] at the selected reference temperature. Fig. 9 shows
the master curves.
The conventional mixture produced with the 35/50 pen grade
bitumen, as expected, offers in the whole range of frequencies
studied higher values than those of the mixture with 50/70 pen
grade bitumen, due to the presence of harder bitumen. The
 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194 191

4.0

T=
60°C 3.53 mm
EME 5.1/50_70
3.5
3.50 mm
EME 4.9/50_70

3.0

2.40 mm
EME 5.1/35_50
2.5
2.18 mm
Rut depth (mm)

EME 4.9/35_50
1.90 mm
2.0
EME 4.9/PPS.3
1.85 mm
EME 4.9/SP.3
1.70 mm
1.5 EME 4.3/SP.3
1.47 mm
EME 5.1/PPS.3
1.12 mm
1.0 EME 4.6/P.5

0.5

0.0
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
Number of passages, N

Fig. 8. Trend of rut depth in the wheel-tracking test.

Table 11
Values of WTSair (wheel-tracking slope in air) and total rut depth of the mixtures studied.

Mixture Binder content b(%) Pen grade Additive content p(%) WTSair (mm/103 cycles) Total rut depth (mm)
EME 4.9/35_50 4.9 35/50 0 0.077 2.18
EME 5.1/35_50 4.1 35/50 0 0.085 2.40
EME 4.9/50_70 4.9 50/70 0 0.106 3.50
EME 5.1/50_70 5.1 50/70 0 0.130 3.53
EME 4.3/SP.3 4.3 50/70 0.3 0.016 1.70
EME 4.9/SP.3 4.9 50/70 0.3 0.012 1.85
EME 4.9/PPS.3 4.9 50/70 0.3 0.028 1.47
EME 5.1/PPS.3 5.1 50/70 0.3 0.058 1.90
EME 4.6/P.5 4.6 50/70 0.5 0.009 1.12

Table 12
Values of complex modulus and phase angle of the mixtures studied.

Mixture Binder content b(%) Pen grade Polymer content p(%) |E*|(MPa) / (Deg)
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)
1 10 30 1 10 30
EME 4.9/50_70 4.9 50/70 0 3692 7282 8756 36 24 23
EME 4.3/SP.3 4.3 50/70 0.3 4168 7528 9188 30 20 18
EME 5.1/PPS.3 5.1 50/70 0.3 4240 7874 9704 31 22 19
EME 4.9/35_50 4.9 35/50 0 5451 9378 11,138 28 19 17
EME 4.6/P.5 4.6 50/70 0.5 6793 10,682 12,277 23 15 15

introduction of the additives is proved to be beneficial for the
modulus, since the master curves of the additivated mixtures
always prove improved performances with respect to the reference
mixture with no additive (with the same 50/70 bitumen). In
particular, the mixture with waste plastics provides the highest
stiffness modulus values at the same temperature and frequency
conditions compared to the other mixtures and, in the low
frequency range (i.e. at high service temperature), the modulus is
comparable with that of the conventional EME mixture, with hard
bitumen.
192 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194
1E+04
T = 20°C
|E*| (MPa)
1E+03
EME 4.9/35_50
EME 4.6/P.5
EME 4.3/SP.3
EME 4.9/50_70
EME 5.1/PPS.3
1E+02
0.0001 0.01 1 100
αT x f (Hz)
Fig. 9. Master curves of the mixtures studied.
In the case of the mixture with PPS the opposite happens, since
at low frequencies it provides similar values to the mixture pro-
duced with 50/70 pen grade bitumen, while at high frequencies
it provides similar values to the conventional EME mixture.
Based on the results it is clear, being the differences in perfor-
mances not statistically negligible, one can conclude that the
chemical nature of the polymers used significantly affects the final
results.
These test results lead to the consideration that additives can
positively influence the mechanical performance of the mixture:
in terms of stiffness modulus this means that it is possible to
obtain the same values as for a mixture produced with hard bitu-
men by using less hard bitumen and appropriately adding selected
polymers.
3.5. Fatigue cracking
As already mentioned above, the fatigue behaviour of the opti-
mized mixtures was studied using a four-point bending apparatus
and the GCTS CATS software, operating in deformation controlled
mode. The fatigue criterion used was the classical one, referenced
as Nf50, that is the number of cycles for which the modulus
decreases to 50% of its initial value (calculated at the 100th load
cycle). The value of the strain amplitude leading to failure at one
million cycles is hereafter called ‘‘e610”.
The tests were carried out at 20 °C and 10 Hz, according to EN
12697-24 annex D, on beams with constant cross-section having
dimensions 400  45  50 mm (sawed from slabs produced at
the roller compactor). The applied deformation was set equal to
350 me for short-duration tests and 150 me for long-term tests.
Fatigue test results made it possible to obtain the regression
lines (Wöhler curves) shown in Fig. 10, i.e. Eq. (1).
e ¼ a  Nb
where
a. ‘‘a” is a constant that depends on the physical and mechan-
ical characteristics of the material, test temperature and
frequency;
b. b is the slope of the fatigue lines, in logarithmic scale.
For comparison purposes, also the coefficient of determination
(R2) and the admissible strain level at N = 106 loading applications
(e610) where calculated, in order to compare the performance of the
mixture studied in terms of fatigue resistance. Table 13 summa-
rizes the results obtained.
1000
EME 4.6/P.5
EME 4.9/50_70
EME 4.3/SP.3
EME 4.9/35_50
EME 5.1/PPS.3
Strain (με)
100
1E+04 1E+05 1E+06 1E+07
Number of cycles, N
Fig. 10. Fatigue straights for the mixtures studied.
The high values of the regression coefficients R2 (see Table 13)
calculated prove that the results are only slightly dispersed and
very reproducible.
By comparing the fatigue lines, it can be noticed that the mix-
tures with SP, even though at lower binder content – which is
detrimental for this characteristic - offers similar fatigue perfor-
mance compared to the mixture without additives. On the other
hand, the mixtures PPS or waste plastics both offer quite improved
fatigue performance compared to the one without additives: the
mixture with PPS presents a fatigue straight that is shifted towards
higher number of cycles, almost parallel to that of the mixture with
additive. The mixture with waste plastics (P) presents the advan-
tage of a lower slope of the fatigue straight, thus the capability of
admitting – for the same number of loading applications – higher
strains. However, as expected, such mixtures do not reach the high
performance levels of the conventional mixtures with harder bitu-
men in terms of fatigue resistance, being the e6 reduced of about
the 40%, in the case of SP and waste plastic (comparable to that
obtained with the 50/70 neat bitumen), and of about the 30%
In any case, all admissible strain values e6 (>130 l strain) can be
considered satisfactory for road paving applications, showing that
the addition of polymers is a viable solution.
3.6. Synthesis of results
From each single test carried out, some useful information for
the use of polymer for producing EME-like mixtures, even with
ordinary component, can be drawn, as summarized in what follows

from the compactibility study, the workability of the mixtures
(see Table 8) can be considered as independent of the bitumen
type, due to the common aggregate skeleton. In any case, from
the internal stability measurements (shear ratios provided in
Figs. 6 and 7), the introduction of polymers is proved to achieve
ð1Þ the required performance at the same optimum binder contents
of the neat binders used or – which is beneficial - at even lower
binder contents.

from the rutting resistance study, the introduction of all the dif-
ferent type of polymers studied in the mixtures is proved to
cumulate much lower rut depth than those cumulated when
using the mixtures with neat bitumen, both harder and lower
pen grade. The best result is offered by the introduction of
waste plastic, that provides a total rut depth (1, 12 mm) that
is less than a third of those cumulated by the mixtures (total
rut depth about 3.51 mm) with neat bitumen, lower grade,
and less than a half of those cumulated by the mixtures (total
rut depth about 2.30 mm) with neat bitumen, harder grade.
 M. Ranieri, C. Celauro / Construction and Building Materials 178 (2018) 183–194
Table 13
Fatigue line parameters of the mixtures studied.
Mixture Binder content b(%) Pen grade Polymer content p(%)
EME 4.3/SP.3 4.3 0.3
EME 4.9/50_70 4.9 0 6328
EME 4.6/P.5 4.6 0.5
EME 5.1/PPS.3 5.1 0.3
EME 4.9/35_50 4.9 0 7717
*
Reduction of admissible strain, expressed with reference to that of the conventional EME, with harder bitumen.
The same is proved when comparing the WTSair (wheel-tracking
slope in air), a parameter able to reflect the tendency of the mix-
ture of cumulating permanent deformation with increasing load
application: the lower this parameter, the better the perfor-
mance. Again, the addition of waste plastic provides the best
results, followed by that obtained with SP, having the mixture
with waste plastic a WTSair = 0.009, at least one order of magni-
tude lower than those for the mixtures with the neat bitumen
only, both harder grade and lower grade, which proves that
the rutting phenomenon is still increasing when increasing
the load repetition, for these mixtures;

in terms of stiffness modulus, it is interesting to point out that
in the low frequency range (i.e. at high service temperature, that
is of interest in warm region as in South Italy), the introduction
of waste plastics provides the highest stiffness modulus values
at the same temperature and frequency conditions compared to
the mixtures with the other polymeric additives. This result is
remarkable, with respect to the aim of the paper, being the
modulus obtained by using a lower grade bitumen and adding
waste plastics, comparable with that of a conventional EME
mixture, with a harder bitumen;

lastly, when considering the fatigue resistance, it is proved that,
for the mixtures with polymers, the admissible strain values e6
(>130 l strain) obtained can be considered satisfactory for road
paving applications, despite the addition of polymers does not
allow to reach performance as high as those offered by the mix-
ture with harder bitumen. In this case, the best performance,
amongst those offered by the mixtures with polymers, is
obtained when adding the PPS compound.
4. Conclusions
The proposed study focused on the development and optimiza-
tion of asphalt mixtures for high performing binder and base
courses, modified with both commercial and waste polymeric
additives. For this purposes, the mixtures produced, with locally
available components (average quality aggregate and standard
50/70 penetration grade bitumen), were subjected to advanced
tests for performance evaluation such as complex modulus, rutting
resistance and fatigue resistance.
The optimized mixtures show good stability values and com-
paction and the positive influence that the additives studied have
on these mixtures, especially regarding permanent deformation
resistance (at the same bitumen content, mixtures with additives
– in particular with waste plastics - are much more resistant than
mixtures without additives, produced with 50/70 or 35/50 pen
grade bitumen).
Moreover, the use of additives allows optimization of mixtures
with lower binder contents and also makes it possible to obtain
higher stiffness modulus values than traditional mixtures without
additives, even comparable at high service temperature (in the
case of the waste plastic) with those offered by a proper high mod-
ulus asphalt mixtures, with harder bitumen and higher bitumen
content. Regarding fatigue resistance it can be said that mixtures
with additives do not offer the same high performance as the con-
193
a b R2 e610 Reduction of admissible strain*
4532 0.240 0.9797 164.5 46%
0.262 0.9828 169.5 44%
3115 0.206 0.9660 180.9 40%
5651 0.236 0.9773 216.8 28%
0.233 0.8771 302.2 0%
ventional mixture with hard bitumen; however, their presence
leads to similar (SP) or better results (PPS or waste plastics) than
those offered by a mixture without additives produced with
50/70 pen grade bitumen.
Indeed, the best performing modifier for fabricating an EME
depends on the performance of interest, so that different polymers
are proved to suit different needs. A development this study is cur-
rently ongoing and it involves a statistical study that considers dif-
ferent bitumen and different sources of locally available aggregate,
in order to highlight performance sensitivity to aggregate-bitumen
combinations, as well as considering other types of polymer, par-
ticularly recovered from waste material, since they can definitely
be an economic and ecological alternative for paving works.
Conflicts of interest
None.
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