Variance analysis and performance evaluation of different crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt

In order to sort some important factors affecting the performances of CRM asphalt and evaluate the performances of different CRM asphalt, this study encompassed one kind of base asphalt binder, four kinds of crumb rubber, tread rubber (TR), heavy truck (HT), small truck (ST) and agriculture tire (AT) crumb rubber, two kinds of particle size, 60 mesh and 80 mesh, and three contents. Softening point, low temperature ductility, and penetration index are selected as basic evaluation indicators in analysis. Variance analysis shows that the crumb rubber content is the primary affecting factor in general, followed by the crumb rubber type, and particle size comes last. The greater the crumb rubber content is, the higher the softening point and the penetration index are, and the smaller the low temperature ductility is. Modified effects between 60 mesh and 80 mesh don’t manifest significant difference. The modified effects of TR-crumb rubber and HT-crumb rubber are better while the low temperature ductility of AT-CRM asphalt is the worst. Also according to the results of DSR and BBR test, TR-CRM asphalt has a better and comprehensive performance at the crumb rubber content of 20% by weight of base asphalt binder, and, if the price is also considered, selecting HT-CRM asphalt with the crumb rubber content of 15% is ideal. The study also finds an interesting phenomenon that the rutting factors of CRM asphalt may be remarkably different, although the softening points of them are the same.