Quantifying the Performance of Warm-Mix Asphalt and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Flexible Airfield Pavements

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) is a current paving technology that uses various techniques for producing and constructing asphalt at lower temperatures. The benefits associated with WMA range from reduced carbon dioxide emissions to extended paving seasons. The performance and the environmental benefits of WMA can be enhanced by the addition of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) to the aggregate portion of the mix. This technology has been extensively used in the highway sector, but its use in the airfield sector has not been documented fully. Currently, asphalt mixtures used in the surfaces of airfield pavements are designed in accordance with the FAA P-401 specifications. This study quantified the performance of a WMA-RAP mixture compared with the standard FAA P-401. The asphalt mixture performance tester was used to test the mixtures for flow time and load cycles to failure so as to capture the rutting and fatigue cracking potentials of both mixtures. The laboratory data were used as input to the three-dimensional finite element analysis software ABAQUS, and the mechanical responses were determined within the surface layer of the airfield flexible pavement section modeled to represent the section constructed at the FAA National Airport Pavement Test Facility. The Greenhouse Calculator for State Departments of Transportation, a product of NCHRP Project 25–25, was used to assess the environmental impacts of both mixtures. This study's findings indicate that the laboratory and predicted performance of the WMA-RAP mixture are comparable to the performance of a standard FAA P-401 mixture. The cost and environmental benefits of the WMA-RAP mixture make this type of material a viable alternative to the standard FAA P-401 mixture.