Performance Evaluation of Semi-Dense Bituminous Macadam with Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen

Year : 2025 | Volume : 15 | Issue : 02 | Page : 15 20
    By

    Sonu Meena,

  • Harsh Rathore,

Abstract

This research focuses on evaluating the performance behavior of Semi-Dense Bituminous Macadam (SDBM) mixes incorporating 9% Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB), with varying proportions of bitumen binder. The aim is to understand how different binder contents influence critical pavement properties such as Marshall stability, flow value, bulk density, air voids, Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA), and Voids Filled with Bitumen (VFB). The experimental investigation reveals that increasing the bitumen content generally improves the mix’s stability, flow, and bulk density up to a certain optimal level. The best performance was achieved at a bitumen content of 5.0%, where the mix recorded a maximum Marshall stability of 693 kg and a flow value of 3.15 mm. These values reflect a well-balanced mix with adequate strength and flexibility. However, increasing the bitumen content beyond this point led to a marginal drop in stability, accompanied by higher VFB and lower air voids, indicating a denser mix that might compromise long-term durability under heavy traffic or thermal stress. Based on the results, the optimal binder content lies between 5.0 and 5.25%, offering a favorable combination of mechanical strength, durability, and resistance to deformation. The addition of CRMB significantly enhances the overall performance of the pavement mix by improving elasticity and reducing susceptibility to cracking and rutting. Moreover, utilizing crumb rubber derived from waste tires supports sustainable infrastructure practices, offering an eco-friendly solution for waste management while improving pavement quality. This study provides meaningful insights into the effective use of CRMB in road construction, encouraging the development of resilient, long-lasting, and sustainable pavements. The findings serve as a valuable reference for civil engineers, highway authorities, and researchers involved in pavement material design and sustainable construction technologies.

Keywords: Semi-dense bituminous macadam, crumb rubber modified bitumen, marshal stability, Air voids, VMA, VFB, sustainable pavement

[This article belongs to Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management ]

How to cite this article:
Sonu Meena, Harsh Rathore. Performance Evaluation of Semi-Dense Bituminous Macadam with Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen. Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management. 2025; 15(02):15-20.
How to cite this URL:
Sonu Meena, Harsh Rathore. Performance Evaluation of Semi-Dense Bituminous Macadam with Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen. Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management. 2025; 15(02):15-20. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jocetm/article=2025/view=211909


References

  1. Justo CEG, Veeraragavan A. Utilization of waste plastic bags in bituminous mix for improved performance of roads. Bangalore: Centre for Transportation Engineering, Bangalore University; 2002.
  2. Shahan-ur-Rahman A. Use of waste plastic in construction of flexible pavement. New Building Materials & Construction World. 2009.
  3. Vasudevan R. Utilization of waste plastics for flexible pavement. Indian Highways (Indian Road Congress). 2006 Jul; 34(7): 105–111.
  4. Indian Roads Congress. Manual for construction and supervision of bituminous works. New Delhi: Department of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways; 2001.
  5. Vasudevan R, Rajasekaran S. Study of the construction of flexible road using plastic-coated aggregate. Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC), Atlanta, USA. 2006.
  6. Yadav K, Sangita, Chandra A. Identification, characterization and quantification of elastomeric/
    plastomeric waste for sustainable waste minimization. Am J Environ Sci. 2005; 1(3): 202–5.
  7. Awwad MT, Shbeeb L. The use of polyethylene in hot asphalt mixtures. Am J Appl Sci. 2007; 4(6): 390–6.
  8. Vasudevan R, Nigam SK, Velkennedy R, Ramalinga Chandra Sekar A, Sundarakannan B. Utilization of waste polymers for flexible pavement and easy disposal of waste polymers. In: Proc. Int Conf Sustainable Solid Waste Management; Chennai, India. 2007 Sep 5–7; 105–11.
  9. Sabina, Khan TA, Sangita, Sharma DK, Sharma Performance evaluation of waste plastic/polymers modified bituminous concrete mixes. J Sci Ind Res. 2009 Nov; 68: 975–9.
  10. Shankar S, Prasad CSRK. Evaluation of rutting potential for crumb rubber modified bitumen in asphaltic mixes. Emirates J Eng Res. 2009 Sep; 14(2): 91–5.
  11. Ajay Kumar A, Chandrakar VKS, Porey PD. Experimental study of crumb rubber in semi dense bitumen concrete. Int J Curr Trends Eng Technol. 2017;3(3):116–9.
  12. Sheikna L, SivaPrakash SV. Road construction with plastic wastes. In: National Conference on Recent Trends in Engineering Sciences.
  13. Indian Roads Congress. IRC: SP: 53 Guidelines on the use of polymer and rubber modified bitumen in road construction. New Delhi: IRC; 2002.
  14. Khan A, Gangadhar, Murali Mohan, Raykar V. Effective utilisation of waste plastics in asphalting of roads. Bangalore: R.V. College of Engineering; 1999.
  15. Gopalakrishnan KS. An insight into rubberized roads. In: Indian Road Congress Seminar on Bituminous Roads: Design and Construction Aspects.
  16. Shrivastava A. Polymer modified bitumen and related properties. In: Indian Road Congress Seminar on Bituminous Roads: Design and Construction Aspects.
  17. Khanna SK, Justo CEG. A textbook of highway engineering. New Delhi: Nem Chand Publications; 2001.
Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 15
Issue 02
Received 21/03/2025
Accepted 17/04/2025
Published 22/04/2025
Publication Time 32 Days
156

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics