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Go to Editorial ManagerPlastic pollution represents a significant global environmental challenge, with millions of tons of plastic waste accumulated annually in landfills and natural ecosystems. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this issue due to the widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment. As a response to this problem, this study examines the use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate and single-use face masks as additives in porous asphalt mixtures to improve the mixtures’ properties and promote sustainability in pavement engineering. The research aimed to evaluate the combined effect of incorporating recycled polymers into a hybrid system, rather than separately modified mixtures of polyethylene terephthalate and single-use face mask fibers. Laboratory tests indicated that the hybrid mixture exhibited optimal performance, achieving a 34% increase in Marshall stability, a 19% decrease in flow, and a 20% reduction in air-void content. Additionally, permeability decreased by 36%, while remaining within the accepted limit, improving moisture susceptibility, and cantabro abrasion losses decreased by up to 11%, suggesting improvements in cohesion, structure, and durability. The findings demonstrate that hybrid polymer modification offers an environmentally sustainable and high-performance approach for future porous asphalt pavements.
Rutting is the most common distress that most Iraqi asphalt pavements suffer from it. Asphalt binders are modified by using additives and polymers to enhance their physical qualities and fulfill the performance demands. Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) has been used in many countries to enhance the physical and mechanical characteristics of asphalt binders and mixtures that can improve the performance of asphalt pavements. In this paper, evaluation of the Iraqi asphalt binder and mixtures performance by using three percentages of Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) (0.4, 0.8, and 1.2) percent by asphalt binder weight and added to (60-70) penetration grade asphalt binder to show the applicability and suitability of using PPA in asphalt pavement in Iraq. Original asphalt binder and modified are subjected to traditional tests which are penetration, ductility, softening point, and viscosity. Results show better performance and enhancement of the physical properties of the modified binder. Other tests are Marshall Stability and wheel track tests. The results of the addition of PPA to the asphalt mixture show increases in the Marshall Stability and enhance the performance of the asphalt pavement mixtures. The wheel track test is applied to the original and modified mixture at two test temperatures 40 ?C and 50 ?C and the results show a decrease in the rut depth when the percentages of PPA increase. It is concluded that %PPA addition will enhance the performance of the Iraqi asphalt pavement and the mixture will be more rutting resistant, especially in high-temperature weather.