Warm mixture asphalt with modified asphalt by predigested and activated crumb rubber: A successful case.

Description

Warm mixture asphalt with modified asphalt by predigested and activated crumb rubber: A successful case.

Eliceth Llajaira Roa Hernández (1), Jorge Alarcón Ibarra (2), Hugo Bandala Vázquez (3), C. Enrique Villa (4)

(1) Lasfalto S de R.L de C.V, Zapopán, México, eliceth.roa@lasfalto.com.mx
(2) Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, México jorge.alarcon@umich.mx
(3) Neotech® Asphalt, Guanajuato, México, hbandala@neotechasphalt.mx
(4) Lasfalto, S. De R.l. De C.V., Guadalajara, México, evilla@lasfalto.com.mx

ABSTRACT.
The warm mixture asphalt is a technology developed in Europe at the end of the 1990s decade in the frame of the Kyoto and the European Economic Community agreement, they were proposed to reduce the greenhouse emissions. In Mexico City, its usage in pavements is mandatory due to the federal decree published in 2010.
Another key technology to reduce the waste and emissions is the rubber recycling of end-of-life tires (EOLT) in asphalt mixtures. Even its application is promoted since the 1960s, its use was limited by challenges for the incorporation technologies. Recently, the semi-wet technology that uses a product patented as RARX, has facilitated the crumb rubber incorporation into these mixtures.
In September 2024, it was substituted the road surface in a section of the circuit street of the Azteca stadium in Mexico City (around 290 length meters for 10 width meters and 7.5 thickness centimeters). They were applied around 500 ton of warm mixture asphalt with crumb of EOLT. It was performed a critical quality control during the whole process, from the aggregate selection up to the build and the application of the asphalt mixture. The mixture performance was assessed through volumetrics tests, TSR and HWTT. Finally, the results of the mixture assessment were satisfactory.

KEYWORDS: Warm mixtures asphalt, semi-wet process, EOLT, crumb rubber.