Evaluation of water effect on bituminous mastics with different contribution fillers and binders

The study demonstrates that the use of hydroxide and calcium carbonate as a filler in adequate amounts can improve the behavior of bituminous mixtures under the action of water. For this, a study has been carried out based on the Cantabrian abrasion loss test under wet conditions, water sensitivity to indirect strength and an immersion–compression test. The bituminous mixtures were made with two different types of aggregate, four percentages of hydroxide and calcium carbonate as filler, and two bitumens with 60/70 and BM-3c of penetration in amounts of 4.8% and 5.2% respectively of the mix.

The results shows that the contribution of hydroxide and calcium carbonate as a filler in the mixture increases its preserved resistance up to 40%, fulfilling the specifications for its application in construction work. Furthermore, the filler contribution is demonstrated to improve the adherence between aggregate–bitumen under the effect of water by 45%. Moreover, a statistic linear model was developed for each test based on aggregate type, bitumen and filler of the mixture.

Highlights
▸ We use calcium hydroxide and calcium carbonate as filler in bituminous mixtures. ▸ We realized the Cantabrian test under wet conditions, water sensitivity test and immersion–compression test. ▸ We analyze its behavior under the action of water during different periods of time. ▸ We demonstrate the improvement of its properties with this type of filler. ▸ We realized a statistic linear model.