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Evaluation and Mix Design of Cement-Treated Base Materials with High RAP Content Paper Number 11-2742 2011 Annual TRB Meeting Deren Yuan Research Engineer Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968 Tel: (915)-747-5474, Email: [email protected] Soheil Nazarian Professor and Director of Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968 Tel: (915)-747-6911, Email: [email protected] Laureano R. Hoyos Associate Professor Department of Civil Engineering The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Texas 76019 Tel: (817)-272-3879, Email: [email protected] Anand J. Puppala Professor Department of Civil Engineering The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Texas 76019 Tel: (817)-272-3879, Email: [email protected] Item Number Words Abstract 1 250 Text 3850 Table 1 250 Figure 12 3000 Total 7350 TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.
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Page 1: Evaluation and Mix Design of Cement-Treated Base …docs.trb.org/prp/11-2742.pdfEvaluation and Mix Design of Cement-Treated Base Materials with High RAP Content Paper Number 11-2742

Evaluation and Mix Design of Cement-Treated Base Materials with High RAP Content

Paper Number 11-2742

2011 Annual TRB Meeting

Deren Yuan

Research Engineer

Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems

The University of Texas at El Paso

500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968

Tel: (915)-747-5474, Email: [email protected]

Soheil Nazarian

Professor and Director of

Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems

The University of Texas at El Paso

500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968

Tel: (915)-747-6911, Email: [email protected]

Laureano R. Hoyos

Associate Professor

Department of Civil Engineering

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, Texas 76019

Tel: (817)-272-3879, Email: [email protected]

Anand J. Puppala

Professor

Department of Civil Engineering

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, Texas 76019

Tel: (817)-272-3879, Email: [email protected]

Item Number Words

Abstract 1 250

Text 3850

Table 1 250

Figure 12 3000

Total 7350

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 1

ABSTRACT 1 Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and granular base materials were collected from stockpiles 2

throughout Texas to evaluate the feasibility of using mixes containing high RAP content for base 3

course applications. Mixes containing 100%, 75% and 50% RAP treated with portland cement 4

of 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% were evaluated in a full-factorial laboratory experiment. For mixes with 5

75% and 50% RAP, both virgin and if available recycled base were used. Experimental results 6

indicates that, besides the cement content, the RAP content and fine content in RAP-granular 7

base mixes significantly affect the properties of the RAP mixes, and that the effects of RAP type 8

and asphalt content in RAP are very limited. 9

The goal of this project was to evaluate the applicability of the current Texas Department 10

of Transportation (TxDOT) mix deign for cement-treated bases with high-RAP-content base 11

mixes, and if necessary, to propose necessary modification to it. Despite many specifications that 12

limit the RAP content to 50%, it is quite feasible to develop and construct high-quality bases 13

with more than 50% RAP. The use of mixes with 100% RAP does not seem to be either 14

economical or perform as well as mixes with up to 75% RAP primarily due to lack of fine-15

grained particles. Economical alternative to achieve the strength and durability by modification 16

of the gradation of the RAP is also provided. 17

To achieve a 300-psi unconfined compressive strength as required by TxDOT, the 18

optimum cement contents are statistically about 4%, 3% and 2% percents for mixes of 100%, 19

75% and 50% RAP, respectively. Since the achievement of any specified strength and/or 20

modulus may not always ensure the durability, a number of other parameters, which may be 21

relevant to performance and long-term durability, were also evaluated through laboratory testing. 22

23

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 2

INTRODUCTION 24 The use of recycled materials in roadway maintenance, rehabilitation and construction has 25

become increasingly more prevalent over the past two decades. Each year, approximately 100 26

million tons of hot-mix asphalt is milled in the U.S. (1). One of the specific goals of the FHWA 27

recycled materials policy includes increasing the percentage of RAP used in the highway 28

projects. The primary use of RAP is currently in their reintegration into new hot-mix, warm-mix 29

or cold-mix pavements. Nonetheless, a large quantity of RAP, especially of marginal quality, 30

remains unused in some areas in the US, such as Texas. The use of RAP in base course has been 31

encouraged to reduce waste, and provide cost effective materials for roadway maintenance, 32

rehabilitation and reconstruction (2, 3, 4, 5). This is particularly true for projects that require 33

long-hauling distances for disposal of RAP or suitable base aggregates are scarce. 34

Given the fact that the quality of base material is one of the most important factors for 35

long-term performance of flexible pavements, the question that remains to be answered is how 36

does the use of high quantities of RAP in a base course affect the mechanical properties of the 37

mix and the performance of a flexible pavement? This paper presents the results from a 38

comprehensive laboratory testing program on cement-treated RAP (C-RAP) mixes as part of a 39

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) research project. Based on these results, statistic 40

relationships between strength/modulus and cement content/RAP content are proposed for mix 41

design consideration. 42

43

MATERIALS 44 RAP and granular base materials were collected from stockpiles in six districts of TxDOT. To 45

ensure that representative materials are considered in this study, a survey was distributed among 46

the 25 districts of TxDOT. Based on the responses of the districts in terms of desire to use C-47

RAP and their geographical location in the State, materials from Childress, El Paso, Fort Worth, 48

Lubbock, Pharr and Waco were gathered for laboratory testing. Table 1 provides a brief 49

description of these materials. RAP samples were collected randomly from each stockpile at six 50

different locations. In addition, representative local base materials were also sampled. Type I/II 51

(ASTM C-150) portland cement was used throughout the testing program. 52

53

Table 1. Description of Collected RAP and Granular Base Materials 54

RAP Base Material District

Ownership Aggregate Type Virgin Salvage

Childress (CHR) State Limestone/ Granite Gravel NA

El Paso (ELP) Private Limestone/Dolomite Hard Limestone NA

Fort Worth (FTW) State Limestone Limestone NA

Lubbock (LBB) State Limestone Limestone Limestone

Pharr (PHR) Private Silica Shard Soft Limestone Gravel/Limestone

Waco (WAC) State Limestone Soft Limestone NA

55

PROPERTIES OF RAP 56 RAP properties are governed by the milling and crushing operation, as well as by the 57

characteristics of the aggregate, binder and age from which the RAP is obtained. Since the 58

quality of virgin aggregate used in asphalt concrete usually exceeds the requirements for granular 59

aggregate used in base courses, there are generally no durability concerns regarding the use of 60

RAP in base courses. The main properties of RAP considered here are the gradation, asphalt 61

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 3

content and sand equivalency value. Sieve analysis, asphalt content test, and sand equivalency 62

test were performed on each of the six randomly sampled RAP materials from each stockpile. 63

The particle size distribution of milled RAP is determined by the characteristics of the 64

milling unit, speed of and temperature during milling operation and the original HMA gradation 65

and binder content. Figure 1a shows the average gradation curves of the RAP from the six 66

stockpiles obtained through dry sieving. For comparison, typical range of particle size 67

distribution of RAP reported by FHWA (6) and the upper-lower limits for Grade 1 (high quality) 68

base materials specified by TxDOT are also shown in this figure. The lack of aggregates passing 69

No. 40 sieve is evident, similar to the findings in a previous study in Texas (7). A significant 70

portion of coarse aggregates visually consisted of a conglomerate of finer particles. Wet sieving 71

was not deemed effective in breaking down these aggregates because of the gluing action of the 72

binder. The differences in the average gradations among all six RAP materials are not very 73

significant with the largest variation of about 15% occurring around No. 4 sieve. The coefficient 74

of variation among the results from the six samples of each RAP stockpile increased as particle 75

size decreased from less 1% for aggregates retained on 1 in. sieve to about 50% for particles 76

passing No. 200 sieve. 77

Asphalt contents of RAP were determined by using NCAT ignition oven method. The 78

RAP samples from each of the six locations within a stockpile were divided into the following 79

three bins: 80

Bin 1: particles retained on 0.5 in. sieve 81

Bin 2: particles passing 0.5 in.-sieve and retained on No. 4 sieve 82

Bin 3: materials passing No. 4 sieve 83

The asphalt contents by bin and by weighted average for all RAP materials are shown in Figure 84

1b. The lowest asphalt contents were usually observed for Bin 2. The unusually high asphalt 85

content in Lubbock RAP can be attributed to a significant amount of recycled surface treatment 86

that manifested as disk-shape aggregates. 87

Average sand equivalency values (ASTM D 2419) for six samples of each stockpile 88

varied from 50% to 91%. The standard variation among individual stockpiles varied from 1.7% 89

to 5.6%. The high sand equivalency values can be attributed to the asphalt binders coating finer 90

aggregates. 91

92

LABORATORY EVALUATION OF RAP MIXES 93 Since the main goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of using mixes with high RAP 94

contents, only mixes containing 100%, 75% and 50% RAP were utilized. For mixes with 75% 95

and 50% RAP, both virgin and recycled base materials, when available, were added to the RAP. 96

Four levels of cement content, 0%, 2%, 4% and 6%, by dry weight were used for all 97

mixes except for 100% RAP. Stable specimens could not be made from the untreated (0% 98

cement) mixes of 100% RAP. As listed in Table 1, since six RAP materials and eight granular 99

base materials were used in this study, there are 18 (3 x 6) mixes for 100% RAP, 32 (4 x 8) 100

mixes for 75% RAP and 32 (4 x 8) mixes for 50% RAP. 101

102

Evaluation Protocol and Methodology 103 Achievement of a specified strength/stiffness does not always ensure the durability of chemically 104

stabilized mixes. To develop a realistic mix design procedure for RAP mixes, a number of 105

parameters were considered. Some of these parameters were necessary for a comprehensive 106

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 4

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

a) Average Gradations of RAP 130 131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

b) Asphalt Content by Bin and by Weighted Average 149

Figure 1. Characteristics of RAP Materials Used in This Study 150

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.010.1110100

Sieve Size, mm

Pe

rce

nt

Pa

ss

ing

Typical FHWA Range Limits of TxDOT Grade 1

Childress El PasoFt. Worth Lubbock

Pharr Waco

#4 #40 #200

9.4

4.7 4.7

11.0

3.94.6

3.85.3

3.4

5.7

3.14.3

7.45.8 5.8

8.8

6.5 6.7

6.5

5.34.7

7.9

4.85.2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Childress El Paso Ft. Worth Lubbock Pharr Waco

RAP Source

As

ph

alt

Co

nte

nt,

%

Bin 1: > 0.5"Bin 2: 0.5" > but > 0.187" (No. 4)

Bin 3: < 0.187" (No. 4)Weighted Average

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 5

evaluation but may not lend themselves to the day-to-day mix design and operation for most 151

state highway agencies. These parameters and their related tests are briefly described below. 152

153

Gradation. The RAP aggregates consisting of crushed rock or gravel covered by asphalt binder 154

exhibit mechanical properties that may be much different from the aggregates in typical granular 155

base materials. As will be seen later, the strength and stiffness of a compacted cement-treated 156

RAP mixes are mainly determined by the gradation of the mix and the cement hydration rather 157

than the properties and shape of aggregate (especially for mixes with high RAP content. 158

159

Moisture-Density Characteristics. Based on this study, the optimum moisture contents (OMC) 160

and maximum dry densities (MDD) can be determined in a simplified manner. For each RAP 161

content, moisture-density curves were developed for the mixes with 0% and 6% cement contents. 162

The OMC and MDD values for mixes with 2% and 4% cement contents were estimated through 163

linear interpolation of the OMC and MDD values obtained from the mixes with 0% and 6% 164

cement contents. This was deemed justified since the variations in these two parameters between 165

0% and 6% cement contents are reasonably small. 166

167

Strength. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS, ASTM D 1633 or Tex-120-E) has been used 168

by many highway agencies in their mix design for cement-stabilized base layers as the only 169

quantitative requirement for engineering properties. A target 7-day UCS in the range of 200 psi 170

to 600 psi or more is currently adopted by different highway agencies. A minimum 7-day UCS 171

of 300 psi is used as the main criterion for cement content selection in this study, since this value 172

is used recommended by TxDOT. Requirements for other parameters such as modulus, moisture 173

susceptibility and long-term durability are established on the basis of this UCS requirement. 174

The indirect tensile strength (ITS, ASTM D 6931) could be a primary parameter for 175

evaluation and qualification of asphalt emulsion-treated or dual-stabilized (asphalts emulsion 176

plus calcium-based additive) base mixes including those containing RAP up to 80% (8). To 177

study the significance of this parameter for cement-treated RAP mixes, ITS tests were performed 178

on specimens prepared from all mixes. Each specimen for ITS testing is 6 in. in diameter and 179

about 4.5 in. in height. 180

181

Modulus. Moduli of specimens were measured through the resilient modulus (RM, AASHTO T 182

307) test and the free-free resonant column (FFRC, ASTM C 215) test. RM test is widely 183

accepted since it attempts to simulate vehicular loading conditions on pavement structures even 184

though the test is time consuming, complicated and less accurate, in particular, for stabilized 185

materials. As part of a comprehensive evaluation program in this study, RM tests were limited to 186

those mixes with the optimum cement contents and are not presented here due to space 187

limitation. 188

The FFRC test is nondestructive, rapid, reliable and easy to perform for stabilized 189

materials. The principle of the FFRC method is based on the determination of the fundamental 190

resonant frequencies of vibration of a cylindrical specimen. From the longitudinal frequency, 191

Young’s modulus (called FFRC modulus here) of the specimen can be calculated. Over the years, 192 the test setup and data reduction of this method have been significantly simplified and enhanced for 193 day-to-day use (Figure 2 and draft Tex-148-E). FFRC tests were performed on all UCS specimens 194

to see the feasibility for establishing the relationships between the FFRC modulus (instead of 195

RM) and the strength parameters from the standard tests. 196

197

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 6

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

a) FFRC Test Setup b) Records from a FFRC Test 211

Figure 2. Free-Free Resonant Column (FFRC) Test 212 213

Moisture Susceptibility. Moisture susceptibility represents the potential of a soil to lose 214

strength/stiffness by absorbing water under capillary conditions. Moisture susceptibility is 215

particularly of major concern with the RAP blends in pavement base courses due to potential for 216

stripping. This parameter was evaluated by using tube-suction test (TST, 9). Outputs from TST 217

on a moisture-conditioned specimen include the retained strength, retained modulus and 218

dielectric constant. The retained strength is here defined as a ratio of the UCS measured after 2-219

day oven (140o F) cure and 8-day capillary soaking to the standard 7-day UCS (ASTM D 1633 220

or Tex-120-E). The current acceptance criterion for retained strength is 80%. It may be 221

reasonable to propose the same number for the retained ITS and FFRC modulus. 222

223 Long Term Durability. This parameter was studied by following the procedure of ASTM D 224

559. The procedure involves a cyclic wet-dry process that simulates rainfall events in a 225

reasonably short time period. The test was carried out by immersing samples in water at room 226

temperature for 5 hrs and then oven-drying at 160º F for 48 hrs to complete one cycle. This 227

process was repeated for up to 14 cycles. Figure 3a shows the setup of wetting-drying process. 228

After removal from the oven, the specimen was subjected to volume change and moisture 229

content measurements. After 3, 7, and 14 cycles, the specimens were subjected to UCS tests. The 230

results obtained provide adequate information whether the cement treated RAP materials are 231

durable or fail prematurely. This test was applied to those mixes with the optimum cement 232

contents. 233

234

Leachate. Due to the coarse nature of RAP materials, cement-treated RAP mixes should be 235

studied for any possible leaching of cement stabilizer due to moisture flow. Figure 3b shows the 236

apparatus for leachate test (10). The test utilizes flexible wall molds housing specimens. The 237

specimens were first cured in a moisture room for 7 days before subjecting to leachate testing. 238

This test was applied to those mixes with the optimum cement contents. Leachate was collected 239

after 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 cycles of leaching, while the UCS tests were conducted at the end of 14 240

cycles of leaching. The leachate collected was tested for pH value change and the amount of 241

calcium present after the corresponding cycles. Results were analyzed to address the loss of 242

cement due to leaching. 243

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 7

244

a) Wetting b) Drying 245

a) Setup for Wetting/Drying Process 246

247

b) Apparatus for Leachate Test 248

249

Figure 3. Test Setups for Long-Term Durability and Leachate Tests 250 251

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 8

Presentation and Discussion of Results 252

Moisture-Density Characteristics 253 Figure 4a shows the variations in OMC and MDD with different RAP contents for the untreated 254

mixes containing virgin base materials. In general, both OMC and MDD decrease as RAP 255

content increases except for OMC with Ft. Worth mixes. Figure 4b compares the OMC and 256

MDD for mixes of 100% RAP without and with 6% cement. The OMC and MDD of all mixes 257

are greater with 6% cement than those without treatment. The average differences are about 258

1.2% for OMC and 3.5 pcf for MDD. These two numbers may have significance for roadway 259

maintenance and minor rehabilitation projects as well as quality assurance if only the moisture-260

density curve is developed for untreated mixes in the laboratory. 261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

a) Variations of OMC and MDD of Untreated Mixes with RAP Content 275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

b) OMC and MDD of 100% RAP Mixes without Treatment and Treated with 6% Cement 290 291

Figure 4. Moisture-Density Characteristics of RAP Mixes 292

293

Effect of Asphalt Content 294 As shown in Figure 2b, the asphalt contents of RAP materials collected from the six stockpiles 295

cover a quite large range from 4.7% to 7.9%. The effects of asphalt content on strength and 296

6.6

6.1

4.8

7.2 7

.7

7.6

6.5

5.8

5.2

6.6 7

.2

6.9

5.4

5.2

6.0 6.4

5.2

6.2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

CHR ELP FTW LBB PHR WAC

Material Source

OM

C, %

50% RAP 75% RAP 100% RAP

13

3.2

13

1.8

12

5.6

12

8.8

11

9.8

11

7.3

12

5.5

121

.7

12

4.8

11

9.6

11

6.3

12

3.2

116

.0

115

.9 121

.7

119

.3

10

8.5

13

0.0

100

110

120

130

140

150

CHR ELP FTW LBB PHR WAC

Material Source

MD

D, p

cf

50% RAP 75% RAP 100% RAP

5.4 5.26.0

6.4

5.2

6.26.5 6.47.1

8.2

6.3

7.2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

CHR ELP FTW LBB PHR WAC

RAP Source

OM

C, %

0% Cement 6% CementOMC

123

.2

118

.0

11

6.9

11

9.7

119

.3

11

1.5

12

6.7

120

.8

12

2.3

12

2.9

12

2.4

11

5.3

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

CHR ELP FTW LBB PHR WAC

RAP Source

MD

D, p

cf

0% Cement 6% CementMDD

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 9

modulus for all mixes with 100% RAP are shown in Figure 5. Strength and modulus are perhaps 297

independent of asphalt content for different levels of cement treatment, even for the RAP from 298

Lubbock stockpile with 7.9% asphalt content. 299

300

301

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328

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332

333

334

335

336

Figure 5. Variations of UCS with Asphalt Content in Mixes of 100% RAP 337

338

Effect of Fine-Grained Aggregate 339 The lack of particles passing No. 40 sieve is apparent in all RAP materials collected as shown in 340

Figure 1. In particular, the fines contents (particles passing No. 200 sieve) are about 1% or less. 341

This occurs because the fines in RAP manifest themselves as larger particle sizes in the presence 342

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Asphalt Content, %

UC

S, p

si

2% Cement

150

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Asphalt Content, %

UC

S, p

si

4% Cement

290

0

200

400

600

800

3 4 5 6 7 8 9Asphalt Content, %

UC

S, p

si

6% Cement

440

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 10

of asphalt binder. As shown in Figure 6, the higher the fines content is, the higher the UCS 343

seems to be. Similar effects were also found for ITS and FFEC modulus. 344

345

346

347

348

349

350

351

352

353

354

355

356

357

358

359

360

361

362

Figure 6. Effect of Percent Aggregates Passing No. 40 Sieve on UCS for 100% RAP Mixes 363

364 The fines contents (particles passing No. 200 sieve) of the granular base materials 365

collected for this study are significantly higher (from 1% to 6%). Thus, for mixes with different 366

RAP contents, the total finer contents in these mixes are different. Figure 7 shows an example of 367

the positive impact of fines content on the UCS for El Paso materials. Again, similar effects were 368

also found for ITS and FFRC modulus. Of course, other material properties may also affect the 369

strength and modulus of a cement-treated mix. However, the effect of materials passing No. 40 370

sieve on strength and stiffness seems to be significant for cement-treated RAP mixes 371

372

373

374

375

376

377

378

379

380

381

382

383

384

385

386

387

Figure 7. Effect of Fines Content on UCS 388

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

0% 2% 4% 6%

Cement Content

UC

S, p

si

100% RAP (0.3% Fines)

75% RAP (1.5% Fines)

50% RAP (2.7% Fines)

0

100

200

300

400

500

5%

(WAC)

6%

(ELP)

7%

(FTW)

11%

(LBB)

11%

(CHR)

12%

(PHR)

Aggregates Passing No. 40 Sieve in RAP

UC

S, p

si

2% Cement

4% Cement

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 11

Effect of Coarser Aggregate 389 Figure 8 shows the gradation curves of RAP, recycled base and virgin base collected 390

from Pharr stockpiles. The gradations of the two bases are very different except for the particles 391

passing No. 100 sieve. However, with 2% cement treatment, the two mixes, 50% RAP plus 50% 392

recycled base and 50% RAP plus 50% virgin base, provide quite similar strength and modulus 393

values. That is, 396 psi vs. 359 psi for UCS, 51 psi vs. 46 psi for ITS, and 1350 ksi vs. 1233 ksi 394

for FFRC modulus. This example indicates that the particle size distribution of coarse aggregate 395

has a lesser role on strength and modulus of cement-treated RAP mixes. The significance of this 396

phenomenon is that under cement treatment more RAP resources can be used in base course 397

applications. 398

399

400

401

402

403

404

405

406

407

408

409

410

411

412

413

414

415

416

417

Figure 8. Gradations of RAP, Recycled Base and Virgin Base 418 419

Moisture Susceptibility 420 The average retained UCS, ITS and FFRC moduli for all mixes involved in tube suction tests are 421

shown in Figure 9. The bar on each value corresponds to ± 1 standard deviation. All three 422

parameters meet or closely meet the requirement of 80% retained values. The smaller retained 423

ITS can be attributed to the shorter specimen heights relative to those used for the UCS and 424

modulus tests (about 4.5 in. vs. 8 in.), and thus the moisture due to capillary has more effect on 425

the properties of ITS specimens. The longer error bars for the retained ITS can be attributed to 426

the uncertainty in indirect tensile testing. Dielectric constant measurement was applied to all 427

specimens involved in the moisture susceptibility study. All dielectric values were significantly 428

less than 10 (a recommended value by TxDOT draft Tex-144-E). Thus, dielectric constant 429

seems to have less meaning for cement-treated materials. 430

431

432

433

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.010.1110100

Sieve Size, mm

Pe

rce

nt

Pa

ss

ing

TxDOT Limits for Grade1

RAP

Recycled Base

Virgin Base

#4 #40 #200

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 12

Figure 9. Average Retained Strengths and Modulus 434 435

Long Term Durability and Leachate 436 Figure 10 presents the results from wet-dry tests on the mixes of Childress and Ft. Worth 437

materials to assess the long-term durability of different mixes. Term “original” in the figure 438

stands for the UCS measured on specimens subjected to the 7-day standard cure. All three Ft. 439

Worth mixes exhibit high retained UCS strengths even after 14 cycles of wetting-drying. The 440

retained strengths of mixes from Childress exhibit different patterns and the retained strength of 441

the mix of 100% RAP decreases significantly. The adequate strength of a RAP mix from 442

standard cure may not always ensure its long-term durability even though the wet-dry testing 443

simulates an extreme situation of moisture damage. Results from leachate tests indicate that the 444

loss or leaching of cement for most treated mixes is not significant (less than 50 ppm in terms of 445

calcium ion concentration), and pH values almost keep constant after 14 leaching cycles. Rich 446

limestone in granular base materials may have an impact on leachate testing. 447

448

449

450

451

452

453

454

455

456

457

458

459

460

461

Figure 10. Variation of UCS with the Number of Wetting-Drying Cycles 462

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

100% RAP 75% RAP 50% RAP

Mix

Reta

ined

Str

en

gth

/ M

od

ulu

s, %

UCS ITS FFRC Modulus

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

100% RAP

(4% Cement)

75% RAP

(4% Cement)

50% RAP

(2% Cement)

Nnumber of Wet-Dry Cycles

UC

S, p

si

Oginal

3 Cycles7 Cycles

14 Cycles

a) Childress

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

100% RAP

(4% Cement)

75% RAP

(4% Cement)

50% RAP

(2% Cement)

Nnumber of Wet-Dry Cycles

UC

S, p

si

Oginal

3 Cycles7 Cycles

14 Cycles

b) Ft. Worth

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 13

Strength and Modulus vs. Cement Content and RAP Content 463 The UCS, ITS and FFRC modulus values for all mixes with different cement contents and 464

different RAP contents are summarized in Figure 11. Once again, the error bars corresponds to ± 465

one standard deviation. The effects of cement content and RAP content on strength and modulus 466

are evident. The large standard deviations can be attributed to the variability in RAP and 467

granular base materials from different sources. The larger variations for ITS may also be 468

attributed to the mechanism of indirect tensile testing. 469

Figure 11. Variations of Average UCS, ITS and FFRC Modulus with Cement Content 470

471

MODELS FOR MIX DESIGN 472 One of the main objectives of this study is to provide an easy way to determine the optimum 473

cement content for cement-treated RAP mixes. As shown in Figure 12, linear relationships 474

represent well the dependence of average UCS, ITS and FFRC modulus values on cement 475

content for all mixes involved in this study. The results shown Figure 12 indicate that for a 300-476

psi UCS, the optimum cement contents are about 4%, 3% and 2% for mixes with 100% RAP, 477

75% RAP and 50% RAP, respectively. Also, corresponding to a 300-psi UCS, the ITS would be 478

about 40 psi and FFRC modulus about 1000 ksi. In addition, in terms of per 1% cement, the 479

average rates of increase in UCS (the slopes of the lines) are 73 psi for 100% RAP content, 115 480

psi for 75% RAP content, and 145 psi for 50% RAP content. Since the relationships were 481

developed based on the RAP and granular base materials from only six stockpiles in Texas, they 482

need to be refined when a larger database becomes available. The large standard deviation 483

reelected as error bars in Figure 11 clearly indicates that the typical cement contents proposed 484

here should be validated through laboratory testing for a given mix before they can be used in 485

construction. 486

0

300

600

900

1200

0% 2% 4% 6%

Cement Content

UC

S,

psi

100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0% 2% 4% 6%

Cement Content

FF

RC

Mo

du

lus,

ksi 100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0% 2% 4% 6%

Cement Content

ITS

, p

si

100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 14

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

495

496

497

498

499

500

501

502

503

504

505

506

507

508

509

510

511

512

513

514

515

516

517

518

519

520

521

522

523

524

525

526

527

528

529

530

Figure 12. Relationships between Average UCS, ITS and FFRC Modulus and 531

Cement Content 532

R2 = 0.9992

R2 = 1R

2 = 0.9995

0

300

600

900

1200

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Cement Content, %

UC

S, p

si

100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

300 psi

R2 = 0.9999

R2 = 0.9963

R2 = 0.9976

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Cement Content, %

IDT

S, p

si

100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

R2 = 0.9896

R2 = 0.9728R

2 = 0.9357

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Cement Content, %

FF

RC

Mo

du

lus

, k

si 100% RAP

75% RAP

50% RAP

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 15

CONCLUSIONS 533 Eighty untreated and cement-treated mixes consisting of the RAP from 6 stockpiles and the 534

granular materials from 8 stockpiles in Texas were evaluated to develop a realistic mix design 535

procedure for high-RAP-content mixes used in roadway base course construction. The results 536

from the study can be concluded as follows: 537

538

• The RAP content in a mix strongly impacts strength, modulus and durability of the mix. 539

• For a UCS of 300-psi, the average optimum cement contents are about 4%, 3% and 2% for 540

mixes of 100% RAP, 75% RAP and 50% RAP, respectively. 541

• The results from UCS, ITS and FFRC modulus tests are quite consistent. Corresponding to a 542

300-psi UCS, ITS and FFRC modulus are about 40 psi and 1000 ksi, respectively. 543

• For the mixes that meet the 300-psi UCS requirement, the average retained UCS, ITS and 544

FFRC modulus from tube suction tests meet or closely meet the recommended value of 80% , 545

and the average retained UCS values from wet-dry testing are similar. 546

• Dielectric values are significantly less than 10 for all cement-treated RAP mixes. 547

• Percentage of particles passing No. 40 sieve in general, and passing No. 200 sieve in 548

particular, in a RAP mix significantly impact its strength and modulus. Since the lack of 549

these particles in Texas RAP is common, RAP mixed with granular base (including recycled 550

base) materials with higher fines content can improve the quality of the mixes. 551

• Asphalt content in RAP does not seem to have a considerable impact on strength and 552

modulus of cement-treated RAP mixes. 553

• Particle size distribution of coarse aggregate only has a minor impact on strength and 554

modulus of cement-treated RAP mixes. 555

556

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 557 The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support and guidance of the Texas 558

Department of Transportation. Special thank you is extended to Dr. Jimmy Si of TxDOT for 559

directing this project. 560

561

REFERENCES 562

1. Recycling of Asphalt Pavement. Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association (MAPA), 2007, 563

(www.moasphalt.org/facts/environmental/recycling.htm) 564

2. Maher, M. H., and Popp, W., Jr. Recycled Asphalt Pavement as A Base and Subbase 565

Material. Testing Soil Mixed with Waste or Recycled Materials, ASTM STP 1275, 1997, pp.1 566

– 10. 567

3. Taha, R., A. Al-Harthy, K. Al-Shamsi and M. Al-Zubeidi. Stabilization of Reclaimed 568

Asphalt Pavement Aggregate for Road Bases and Subbases. Journal of Materials in Civil 569

Engineering, Vol. 14, 2002, pp. 239 – 245. 570

4. Guthrie, W. S., A. V. Brown, and D. L. Eggett. Cement Stabilization of Aggregate Base 571

Material Blended with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement. Transportation Research Record, No. 572

2026, 2007, pp 47-53. 573

5. Saeed, A. Performance-Related Tests of Recycled Aggregates for Use in Unbound Pavement 574

Layers. NCHRP REPORT 598, 2008. 575

6. Chesner, W., R. Collins, M. MacKay and J. Emery. User Guidelines for Waste and 576

Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction. FHWA Report FHWA-RD-97-148, 577

Federal Highway Administration, 1998. 578

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.

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Yuan et al. Paper No. 11-2742 16

7. Rathje, E. M., A. F. Rauch, K. J. Folliard, C. Viyanant, M. Ogalla, D. Trejo, D. Little and 579

M. Esfeller. Recycled Asphalt Pavement and Crushed Concrete Backfill: Results from Initial 580

Durability and Geotechnical Tests. Center for Transportation Research Report 4177-2, The 581

University of Texas at Austin, 2002. 582

8. Franco, S., P. Moss, D. Yuan and S. Nazarian. (2009), Design, Constructability Review and 583

Performance of Dual Base Stabilizer Applications. FHWA/TX-09/0-5797-1, Center for 584

Transportation Infrastructure Systems, University of Texas at El Paso, 2009. 585

9. Barbu, B. and T. Scullion. Repeatability and Reproducibility Study for Tube Suction Test. 586

FHWA/TX-06/5-4114-01-1, Texas Transportation Institute, The Texas A&M University 587

System, 2006. 588

10. Chittoori, B. C. S. Clay Mineralogy Effects on Long-Term Performance of Chemically 589

Treated Expansive Clays. Dissertation, University of Texas at Arlington, 2008. 590

TRB 2011 Annual Meeting Paper revised from original submittal.


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