Mechanical performance of asphalt concrete modified with nanoparticles: Nanosilica, zero-valent iron and nanoclay

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of nanomodifications in the asphalt mixture performance. Three types of nanoparticles were used: silica, zero-valent iron and bentonite. The correspondent mixtures were tested for stiffness, fatigue, permanent deformation and water sensitivity. The results showed that nanomodifications lead to improvements in the performance. (1) nanosilica improved stiffness and permanent deformation; (2) zero-valent iron presented better water sensitivity; (3) and bentonite improved fatigue life and elastic behavior. An analysis of the nanomodifications based on all the mechanical performance indicators was performed and revealed that the silica modification achieved the best global performance.