Experimental investigation of the fatigue behaviour of asphalt concrete mixtures containing waste iron powder

The use of additives and admixtures in the construction of asphalt concrete pavements to strengthen them against dynamic loads has increased considerably in recent years. Recent research has shown that employing desirable waste materials in hot mix asphalts (HMAs) improves their dynamic properties noticeably. The study of some special cases, such as the addition of blast furnace slag and metallic materials of waste electronic instruments to HMA, has led to a considerable increase in the ability of HMAs to tolerate fatigue phenomena and repeated loading. Based on experimental studies, a model is proposed to describe the fatigue behaviour of asphalt mixtures containing waste iron powder. The results of this research show an important increase in the strength of asphalt mixtures containing waste iron powder against fatigue phenomena in comparison to conventional HMAs.

Research highlights
► This paper presents the first model of the fatigue behaviour of iron–asphalt mixtures in the world.
► This model is able to describe the fatigue behaviour of iron–asphalt under dynamic loading.
► Coarse surface, high stiffness and angularity of iron powder lead to enhanced fatigue performance.
► The model illustrates that the use of iron powder has a considerable effect on tensile strain of HMA.
► The use of this type of waste material could be a helpful solution for less polluted environment.