Mechanical Behavior of Low-Density Polyethylene Waste Modified Hot Mix Asphalt

The use of polymeric waste in the modification of asphalt binders for the construction of road pavements is a technique studied several years ago. However, the use of these materials involves high temperatures close to 190 °C, which generate large environmental impacts due to their emissions. In this study, an asphalt cement (AC) with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) residue contents of 5%, 7%, and 10% with respect to the mass of the AC was modified by the wet method. The modification was carried out using a temperature of 150 °C with the aim of preventing the oxidation of the AC and reducing the emissions generated at high temperatures. Based on the physical-rheological properties of the modified asphalt binder, it was found that 5% LDPE produces the best performance. Subsequently, a hot-mix asphalt type HMA-19 control without a modified asphalt binder and another with a modified asphalt binder were manufactured in order to evaluate the mechanical behavior by means of the Marshall test, an indirect tensile strength (ITS) test, resilient modulus (RM) testing, resistance to fatigue testing, permanent deformation testing, and the Cantabro test. Additionally, the asphalt mixtures were tested under the conditions of short-term aging (STOA, Short-Term Oven Aging), long-term aging (STOA + LTOA, Long-Term Oven Aging), and partial saturation with water (STOA + LTOA + water). Based on the results, an ANOVA analysis of variance was performed to assess whether the changes in the mechanical response of the modified mixture are statistically significant with respect to the control mixture. As a general conclusion, it is reported that mixtures with LDPE can be used for thick layers in high-temperature climates in order to control rutting.