Performance of asphalt mix containing glass & glass-lime composite

fillers
J. Choudhary, B. Kumar & A. Gupta
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India

ABSTRACT: This study explored the potential of glass powder and glass- hydrated lime composite as miner-
al filler in asphalt mixes. For comparison, control mixes prepared with stone dust were taken for considera-
tion. Physical and chemical characterization of filler materials is done as per relevant test standards. Marshall
test procedure that has been recommended in Indian paving specification was used for mix design and evalua-
tion. Other performance characteristics such as Marshall Quotients, indirect tensile strengths, retained Mar-
shall stability values and Cantabro tests was evaluated. All three materials in consideration satisfied the crite-
ria for mineral filler specified in Indian specifications. Glass powder was found to deliver superior
performance in terms of Marshall Stability, Marshall Quotient, Indirect tensile strength and optimum binder
content when compared with stone dust mixes. However, it became frail in presence of moisture due to pre-
dominance of Silica in its composition. Glass-lime composite is proven to be best filler amongst three, since
not only it delivered best performance in terms of strengths and optimum binder content, but also it displayed
moisture resistance almost similar to stone dust.

1 INTRODUCTION from bottles and window panes etc as fillers in as-

Asphalt concrete mix consists of well graded ag-
gregates, filler and bitumen. In India, mineral filler
can be defined as the finest aggregate in asphalt mix
which mostly passes through a 0.075 mm sieve and
have plasticity index less than 4 (MORTH, 2013).
Filler affects performance of mix from construction
phase to entire service life of pavement (Cardone et
al., 2015). Filler influences the performance of
pavement against distresses such as; rutting failure,
fatigue failure, aging and moisture susceptibility
(Kandhal et al., 1998). Recently due to increase in
environmental concerns and inflation in cost of
pavement materials, researchers are displaying inter-
ests to utilize various secondary materials such as fly
ash, dimensional stone wastes, brick dust, bio mass
ash, glass powder etc as fillers in place of conven-
tional materials such as stone dust and cement (Ara-
bani et al., 2017; Chandra and Choudhary, 2013;
Choudhary et al., 2016).
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Waste glass is a non-metallic and non biodegradable
material which is generated worldwide in large
quantities and facing serious issues regarding its safe
disposal. Recent studies utilized waste glass powder
phalt mixes and found good mechanical properties
(Arabani et al., 2017; Saltan et al., 2015). However,
usage of glass in asphalt mix may also causes poor
moisture resistance due to low asphalt absorption
and predominance of silica (Wu et al., 2007). It must
be noted that, large amount of glass waste is also
generated in form of slurry during the cutting and
polishing operations in glass industries which
needed a safe disposal. Unlike primary waste glass
sources (bottles, window panes etc.), it is finer in na-
ture and requires substantially less energy for reduc-
tion to suitable fineness.
This study investigates the influence of waste glass
powder from glass industry as mineral filler in as-
phalt concrete (Grading II) mixes and compare its
performance with conventional stone dust mixes.
Hydrated lime is one of the most popular anti-
stripping agent which is used worldwide to improve
moisture sensitivity of asphalt mixes. Considering a
possibility of poor moisture resistance of glass mix-
es, an attempt is made to prepare a composite filler
of glass and hydrated lime (at equal weight propor-
tion) and introduced as the third filler in asphalt mix.
The performance characteristics of mixes containing
three fillers (glass, glass-lime and stone dust) were
evaluated by examining their fundamental characte-
ristics and by performing various laboratory investi-
gations, involving minimum of three specimens in
each test to meet the reproducibility criteria in stan-
dard testing. 3.2 Characterization tests on filler

Physical characterization parameters such as specific

3 MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL gravity, plasticity index and particle size distribution
INVESTIGATION were assessed using specific gravity test (ASTM D-
854), plasticity index and particle size analysis
3.1 Materials
(ASTM D-422) tests respectively. Harmful clay con-
tent was determined as per methylene blue value
3.1.1 Aggregates
(MBV) (EN 922-9) test. Morphological and minera-
The crushed aggregates of dolomite origin were col- logical analyses were performed using Scanning
lected from Dalla quary of Sonbhadra district electron microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction
(24.4570° N, 82.9932° E) in Uttar Pradesh, India. (XRD) techniques. Apart from these, affinity of
The physical properties of aggregates and chosen glass and stone dust fillers towards asphalt was as-
gradation were stated in Table 1. and Table 2 respec- sessed using hydrophilic coefficient (JTG E42-2005)
tively. tests.
Stone dust has higher specific gravity (2.698)
Table 1. Evaluated properties of aggregates than glass powder (2.38) and hydrated lime (2.336),
Property Specification Results which may result in an application of lower volume
Used of filler in the asphalt mix when weight proportion-
Aggregate Impact IS:2386 11.1% ing scheme is adopted. This will affect the optimum
Value (Part IV) bitumen content (OBC) of the mix. Both glass and
Los Angeles Abrasion IS:2386 13.4%
hydrated lime were found to be non plastic in nature,
Values (Part IV)
Water Absorption IS: 2386 0.374% whereas plasticity index of stone dust was found to
Value (Part III) be 2.3. All materials satisfied India specification for
Combined Flakiness IS: 2386 21.3% mineral filler (MORTH, 2013).
and Elongation Index (Part I) Particle size distribution of stone dust and glass
powder was determined using hydrometer analysis.
Table 2. Gradation of asphalt concrete (Grading II). Particle size distribution of hydrated lime could not
Sieve Size Recommended Gradation be determined using hydrometer due to its fine size
(mm) Range Selected and reactivity with water. The grain size distribution
(Cumulative % (Cumulative % curves of glass and stone dust (Figure 1) were diffe-
passing) passing) rentiated by fineness modulus (FM) and Coefficient
19 100 100 of uniformity (Cu) parameters. Stone dust is the
13.2 79-100 91 coarsest filler since it has higher fineness modulus
9.5 70-88 74 (5.57) than glass powder (5.38). Stone dust also has
4.75 53-71 62 higher (17.89) Cu value than glass powder (5.00)
2.36 42-58 50 which suggested the presence of well graded par-
1.18 34-48 43 ticles in comparison to glass powder.
0.6 26-38 35
0.3 18-28 25
0.15 12-20 14
0.075 4-10 4

3.1.2 Bitumen
VG 30 (Viscosity Grade 30) bitumen, which is used
in lieu of 60/70 penetration grade asphalt was used.
3.1.3 Fillers
Conventional stone dust of dolomite origin was uti-
lized as control filler and was collected from the
Dalla quary in Sonbhadra district (24.4570° N, Figure 1. Particle size distribution of glass and stone dust fillers
82.9932° E). Glass powder is obtained from dump-
ing ground of glass factory situated in Bhopal city SEM images of stone dust suggested the presence of
(23.2599° N, 77.4126° E). Composite glass-hydrated well graded angular particles with texture lies be-
lime filler is prepared by mixing glass and hydrated tween somewhat smooth and rough (Figure 2). The
lime at equal mass ratios. In this analysis, oven dried particles of glass powder were found to be more un-
filler with only the fraction that passes through 0.075 iformly graded and have rough texture. Hydrated
mm sieve was used. lime was found to have very small, sub angular and
uniformly graded particles. XRD analysis suggested
that stone dust primarily consists of dolomite
(CaMg(CO3)2) in its composition which is a calcium
based water insoluble mineral which promotes bitu-
men-aggregate adhesion (Figure 3). Similar adhe-
sion promoter minerals namely calcite (CaCO3) and
Portlandite (Ca(OH)2) are found in hydrated lime.
As it was expected glass powder consists of silica in
form of quartz in its composition which has negative
effect over moisture sensitivity. No expansive clay
mineral was primarily found in any materials
Hydrated lime (0.25 mg/g) and stone dust (3.25
mg/g) has lowest and highest MBV values respec-
tively whereas MBV value of glass is 1.25 mg/g.
3.3 Tests on asphalt mixes
3.3.1 Design of asphalt concrete mix
Marshall method as specified in MS-2 (Asphalt In-
stitute, 1997) of asphalt mix design is recommended
in Indian condition to determine OBC of the mix
(MORTH, 2013). OBC of the mix was taken as bi-
tumen corresponding to 4.0 percent air voids. Me-
chanical and volumetric properties of mixes were
stated in Table 3.

Table 3. Marshall and volumetric parameters of

mixes
Marshall Bulk
OBC Flow VMA VFB
Mix type Stability specific
(%) (mm) (%) (%)
(kN) Gravity
Stone
6.2 12.51 3.51 2.423 17.26 74.70
dust
Glass 6.03 12.82 3.14 2.44 16.38 74.87
Glass-
hydrated 5.53 13.71 3.1 2.45 15.23 72.88
lime
Require-
5.4 14
quire- 9 (min) 2-4 - 65-75
(min) (min)
ments
Figure 2. SEM images of glass powder (top left), Stone dust
(top right) and hydrated lime (bottom) at 2000X resolution. The OBC of stone dust mixes (6.20) was found to be
higher than that of glass (6.03) and glass-lime (5.53)
mixes. This may be due to higher absorption of
stone dust as attributed from its higher MBV. Glass-
lime filler mixes has lowest OBC which may be at-
tributed to bitumen extender action of hydrated lime
due to their fine particle size. Glass-lime filler mix
were found to have highest Marshall stability (13.71
kN) followed by glass (12.82 kN) and stone dust
(12.51 kN) mixes. All mixes met all design require-
ments for asphalt concrete mix as per Indian specifi-
cations.

3.3.2 Marshall Quotient

Marshall quotient (MQ) is defined as the ratio of
Marshall stability (kN) to flow (mm) which in-
dicated potential of the material's resistance to per-
manent deformation. Variation of MQ amongst all
mixes follows the pattern similar to Marshall stabili-
ty (Table 4).
Figure 3. XRD results of stone dust (top left), glass (top right) Table 4. MQ and ITS of studied mixes
and hydrated lime (bottom).
Mix type MQ (kN/mm) ITS (kPa)
Stone dust 3.56 640
Stone dust and glass have hydrophilic coefficients
Glass 4.08 733
0.77 and 0.81 respectively. Since both have hydro-
Glass-hydrated lime 4.42 782
philic coefficient less than 1, they are found to be
hydrophobic in nature. All fillers have low MBV
3.3.3 Indirect tensile strength test
which suggested low harmful clay contents in them.
Indirect tensile strength (ITS) of a mix is related to
cracking potential of asphalt mix. ITS test was
performed as per ASTM D 6931 specifications at
25ºC, at respective OBC of all mixes. ITS of glass-
hydrated lime mix was found to be highest followed
by glass and stone dust mixes (Table 4). This may be
due to enhanced interaction between bitumen and
filler attributed to fineness of glass and hydrated
lime filler.
3.3.4 Retained Marshall stability test
The moisture susceptibility of all three mixes was
determined by retained Marshall stability (RMS)
test. Two sets of (conditioned and unconditioned)
Marshall specimen samples were prepared. First set
was kept conditioned in a water bath maintained at
60º C for 24 hours and second were kept for 30 mi-
nutes at 60º C. The results are reported as the per-
centage of stability retained in conditioned samples
as compared to unconditioned samples is termed as
RMS and shown in Table 5.
Table 5. RMS and Cantabro Loss of studied mixes
Mix type RMS (%) Cantabro Loss (%)
Stone dust 92.63 2.42
Glass 76.54 3.12
Glass-hydrated lime 90.92 2.69
All mixes satisfied the Indian criteria of the mini-
mum requirement of 75% retained stability
(MORTH, 2013). Stone dust mixes were found to
have highest retained stability which may be due to
high percentage of dolomite in its mineral composi-
tion. As expected, glass powder mixes has lowest
moisture resistance which is attributed to high silica
in its composition. It fulfills the requirement of
moisture sensitivity by fine margin (Table 5). Glass-
hydrated lime filler mixes has RMS value almost
similar to stone dust, which may be due lowering in
silica in filler as well as due to presence of anti-
stripping portlandite and calcite minerals in hydrated
lime.
3.3.5 Cantabro durability test
Cantabro durability test is a relative measure of
resistance to disintegration (raveling). The percent of
loss in weight (Cantabro loss) act as an indicator of
durability and adhesion. Initial weight of Marshall
specimen is noted and then it is placed into the Los
Angeles drum operating without steel balls, for 300
rotations at a speed of 30 to 33 rotation per minute.
The percentage losses in weight (Cantabro loss) of
all filler specimen are almost similar (Table 5).
However, they followed a trend similar to that in
RMS values. This confirms the marginal lowering of
adhesion in mixes due to incorporation of glass
powder even in absence of water. However severe
deterioration in glass mixes is observed in presence
of moisture.
4 CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
This study investigated the suitability of glass and
glass-hydrated lime composite as mineral filler in
asphalt concrete mixes. Various physical and chemi-
cal properties of these materials and conventional
stone dust were determined and compared using
numerous characterization tests. After that, asphalt
mixes were prepared using Marshall mix design and
various performance parameters were determined.
All materials satisfied the requirement of fillers as
stated in Indian specifications. It can be concluded
that glass powder at this concentration (4% by mass)
can effectively be used as filler in asphalt concrete
mixes. Although, it has lower OBC and superior
Marshall stability than stone dust mixes, but it losses
substantial amount of strength in presence of water
(by loss of adhesion) due to excessive silica in its
composition. Among the three materials, glass-
hydrated lime is found to be most superior material.
Not only it has highest stability, MQ, ITS and lowest
OBC. It also has displayed moisture and raveling re-
sistance at par with stone dust mixes.
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