Principal investigator: Mansour Solaimanian
University: Pennsylvania State University
Industry partner: Forta Asphalt Fiber
Maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements impose extensive delays, costs, and safety issues for Pennsylvania road users. In this project, the potential performance improvements resulting from fiber incorporation in asphalt pavement materials will be investigated. To this end, the fibers produced by Forta Corporation along with PA raw materials (e.g., binders and aggregates) will be used to fabricate asphalt testing specimens. The microstructure, blending quality, and performance of different fiber-modified samples will be evaluated using advanced tools and testing methods at the Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) lab. The optimal dosage and geometry of the fibers will be determined based on the compatibility of the fibers with asphalt materials and considering the binder rheological properties, cracking resistance, and rutting susceptibility of fiber-reinforced asphalt mixtures. The structural benefits and cost savings of the optimum fiber-modified asphalt mixture will be investigated using pavement design tools.