A Strategy to Select the Combination of Innovative Sustainable Materials for Asphalt Mixtures

There are a number of innovations in asphalt pavement design and construction that can positively affect the sustainability of those pavements. These innovations include the use of recycled aggregates, recycled asphalt pavement, waste shingles, warm mix asphalt and bio-asphalt generated from biomass. The purpose of this project is to integrate the various recycled material innovations used in designing more sustainable asphalt pavements. Engineers normally select one of these materials for asphalt pavement design and construction. A challenge to implementing these new technologies is the lack of a systematic approach to evaluating combinations of these materials. The objective of this research is to provide a systematic approach to selecting the right combination of these components in designing an asphalt mixture. The individual materials to be considered include warm mix asphalt (WMA) and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). The research project will utilize data from existing research projects to develop a systematic approach to selecting the optimum combination of materials with performance and life cycle in mind. The deliverable will be a guideline for a life cycle assessment (LCA) based selection approach for multiple streams of materials.