Abstract

The effects of weather conditions on modified asphalt mixtures were investigated in this study. Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) polymer was used as a modifier with concentrations of 3, 5, and 7%. The viscosity test was performed to determine the blending and compaction temperatures for the base and modified mixtures, while Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) was utilized to explore the dispersion of the polymer in the asphalt binder matrix. Moreover, mechanical tests were applied to observe the changes in the modified asphalt binders. The highest improvements were obtained for a 5% ASA concentration. The resilient modulus increased by 78%, while resistance to dynamic creep improved by 74% compared with the base asphalt mixture. The wheel tracking and moisture susceptibility results further illustrated that the modified asphalt mixtures were less susceptible to moisture than the base asphalt mixture. The aging index results showed that the modifier can mitigate the effects of weather conditions, and the 5% ASA showed the best performance among the mixtures.

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