Rutting performance of hydrated lime modified bituminous mixes

Hydrated lime has conventionally been used in bituminous mixes primarily for improving the moisture damage resistance of bituminous mixes. Most of the available literature is about studies conducted on mixes in which lime was added as filler. The present study explores the effect of different proportions of hydrated lime added by two different methods (wet and dry) on the rutting performance of bituminous mixes. The rutting characteristics of unmodified and lime modified binders were evaluated in terms of superpave binder rutting parameter (G∗/sinδ) and non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr). Mix rutting performance was measured in terms of E∗, E∗/sinφ, flow number and accumulated strain measured in dynamic creep test. Rutting performance of mixes improved significantly by lime modification. Wet method of addition of lime has significantly higher beneficial effect than the dry method. Flow number determined at 60 °C demonstrated the beneficial effect of lime more distinctly compared with the dynamic creep test conducted at 40 °C. It was also observed in this study that the beneficial effect of lime addition in reducing rutting (which is a high temperature phenomenon) was realized more at higher mix temperatures.