Evaluation of an alternative bituminous material as a soil stabilizer

Abstract

Asphalt cements, cutback asphalts, and emulsified asphalts are used as bituminous stabilizing agents in the pavement systems. The emulsified asphalts are increasingly used in lieu of cutback asphalts because of environmental regulations and safety. Consequently, development of a new stabilization material, which is environmentally safe and non-flammable, is desired for replacing cutback asphalts. In this study a petroleum-resin-based (PRB) material was tested to investigate its physical and mechanical characteristics as an alternative bituminous soil stabilizer in terms of replacing the cutback asphalts because the PRB material has been proved an environmentally safe material. Based on various laboratory tests, including an unconfined compressive strength test, a soil suction test, dielectric measurements, a resilient modulus test, and an optical microscopy test, it has been verified that the PRB material affects base-layer waterproofing, but significant strength gain was not found. When mixed with mostly granular base materials, the PRB material coated soil or aggregate particles and decreased the volume of voids, which can be thought as potential water flow channels. Consequently, the PRB material is expected to reduce permeability.