Moisture and Cracking Performance of Hot-Mix Asphalt Incorporating Recycled Concrete Aggregates Under Prolonged Water-Immersion Aging

Maribel Hernandez, Alexandra Ossa () and Maribel Trujillo-Valladolid
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Maribel Hernandez: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City 04510, Mexico
Alexandra Ossa: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City 04510, Mexico
Maribel Trujillo-Valladolid: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City 04510, Mexico

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-30

Abstract: Sustainable management of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) is key to the Circular Economy. Reusing crushed concrete as recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is a viable CDW solution, although RCA’s high absorption can affect performance. This study evaluates the effect of partially replacing 0%, 10%, and 30% of virgin aggregate with RCA in a dense-graded HMA, assessing its moisture susceptibility and cracking resistance. Specimens were subjected to long-term water-immersion aging (3 and 6 months at 25 °C) and tested for Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR), and Cracking Tolerance Index (CT-index). RCA incorporation consistently increased ITS at all aging levels. In particular, the 30% RCA mixtures exhibited the highest strength, exceeding the absolute ITS thresholds required by various U.S. transportation agencies to ensure structural capacity. While TSR values remained below the 80% AASHTO T 283 threshold, 10% and 30% RCA mixes had higher TSR than the control, indicating a comparative improvement in moisture resistance. Conversely, the CT-index decreased with more RCA and longer immersion, particularly at 30% RCA, revealing a trade-off between strength gain and cracking tolerance under prolonged wet exposure. Overall, a 10% RCA replacement level provided the most balanced performance, supporting its technical feasibility for sustainable, performance-based mixture design.

Keywords: recycled concrete aggregates; water-immersion aging; indirect tensile strength; moisture-induced damage; cracking tolerance index; fracture energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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