Effect of Emulsified Asphalt Content on Creep Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Cold Recycled Emulsified Asphalt Bases

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the rapid development of road infrastructure has facilitated enhanced mobility and accessibility that has caused environmental degradation due to the continuous extraction of natural aggregates. To address this increasing problem, recycled aggregates and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) materials have been utilized in road construction worldwide. The studies related to various emulsified asphalt contents on permanent deformation and other parameters are limited. This study examined the performance characteristics of cold recycled emulsified asphalt bases with RAP materials in different proportions, i.e., 25%, 50%, and 75%, and evaluated in terms of the indirect tensile strength, tensile strength ratio, density, water loss, and permanent deformation at lower and higher emulsified asphalt contents than optimum. The results demonstrated that the total residual binder content influences the permanent deformation characteristics of cold mixes. There was no significant variation in the durability and strength with the RAP at the optimum emulsified asphalt content. But, the emulsified asphalt contents other than optimum influence the strength, density, and permanent deformation. The logarithmic and power-law models are best suited to predict the first-stage permanent deformation of cold mixes.