Experimental study on cement-treated and untreated RAP blended bases: Cyclic plate loading test

The asphalt surrounding the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates decrease the performance characteristics of road layers. RAP material increases the permanent deformation potential of road layers under the traffic load. In this study, the performances of RAP-VA (Virgin aggregate) mixtures was tested using cyclic plate loading test by adding pozzolanic cement into mixtures in order to use RAP material at the rate of 100% and to minimize the permanent deformation in plant-mix base courses (PBC). The permanent surface deformations of base course were measured at different points throughout 100 loading cycles and all of the measurements were compared to that of base course prepared from 100% VA. The effect of RAP/cement rate of mixtures on the permanent deformations was examined and it was determined that the increase in RAP rate increased the permanent deformations but cement significantly decreased it. Moreover, considering the material costs of mixtures, the cost analysis was performed and the profit margins that using RAP and cement offers to constructors were computed.