Studies show that each kind of fiber has its own advantages in improving the properties of asphalt binders. However, there are very limited research studies about mixed fiber-reinforced asphalt (MFRA). In this study, two kinds of fibers, basalt fiber (BF) and lignin fiber (LF), were selected to reinforce SBS (styrene–butadiene–styrene triblock copolymer)-modified asphalt, which is now widely used in pavement engineering. MFRA samples with different fiber mix ratios (FMRs) were prepared for the tests of softening point, ductility, and rheological properties, the micromorphology of which was studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The oil (asphalt) absorption rates of mixed fibers with different FMRs were also tested. The results show that the properties of MFRA were affected by the physical and chemical properties of fibers. Basalt fiber can better strengthen the physical properties of MFRA, while lignin fiber is good for improving the rheological properties, and the oil absorption rate of lignin fiber is higher than that of basalt fiber. Furthermore, the best FMR calculated by the efficacy coefficient method (ECM) was recommended as 1:2 (BF:LF). An interface layer between the fiber and asphalt was observed from the micro images, proving that the fibers bond well with the asphalt. Generally, mixing BF and LF together into SBS-modified asphalt could make full use of the advantages of different fibers and reinforce the comprehensive performance of MFRA better.

There are many parameters that could affect the properties of asphalt mixtures, such as the fiber additive, gradation type, nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS), and asphalt. To evaluate the influence of these factors on the crack resistance of asphalt mixture, 10 different types of asphalt mixtures were prepared. The indirect tensile asphalt cracking test (IDEAL-CT) and semi-circle bending test (SCB) were adopted to test the anti-cracking ability of the test samples. The parameters of these two test results were also used to conduct the correlation analysis to find the correlation between different parameters, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) test was also used to analyze the micro cracks of asphalt mixture. The results showed that basalt fiber could further enhance the anti-cracking ability of asphalt mixture. Stone matrix asphalt (SMA) showed better anti-cracking performance than Superpave (SUP) asphalt mixtures. The increase in the nominal maximum aggregate size could decrease the anti-cracking ability of asphalt mixtures. Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) modified asphalt could better reinforce the anti-cracking ability than pure asphalt. The CT_index of IDEAL-CT test and Flexibility index (FI) value of SCB test results showed better correlation. This paper has certain significance in guiding the design of asphalt mixtures having good crack resistance.

To clarify the influence of fiber type on the long-term performance of stone mastic asphalt (SMA), this paper used basalt fiber (BF) and lignin fiber (LF) to modify SMA-13 (SMA with aggregate nominal maximum particle size of 13.2 mm) asphalt mixture. The pavement performances (high-temperature performance, cracking resistance at low and medium temperature, and water stability) of the two kinds of fiber-reinforced SMA-13 were checked under different aging degrees (unaged, short-term aged and long-term aged), scanning electron microscope (SEM) test was conducted to explain the strengthening mechanism of the fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was used to analyze the changes in the chemical composition of asphalt after aging. The results of the wheel tracking test and uniaxial penetration test showed that the high-temperature performance of the BFSMA-13 (defined as the SMA-13 containing BF) is better than that of the LFSMA-13 (defined as the SMA-13 containing LF) at different aging degrees. The high-temperature performance of BFSMA-13 increases with the increase of the aging degree, while the aging process decreases the high-temperature property of LFSMA-13. The results of the three-point bending test and semi-circular bending (SCB) proved that BFSMA-13 is more capable of deformation and less prone to cracking at low and medium temperatures. The results of the immersion Marshal test indicated that BF can better improve the strength and the water stability of the SMA-13 mixture than LF. The SEM images showed that basalt fibers form a solid three-dimensional network structure in the mixture which could contribute to the strengthening of the mixture. The results of infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) degrades during asphalt mixture aging, and that the chemical composition of asphalt changes more after aging in LFSMA-13 than in BFSMA-13. The conclusions of this study help toward further understanding of the performance changes of the SMA-13 mixture during its service life and to guide the selection of fiber additives for SMA-13 mixtures.

This paper aims to better analyze the crack resistance of lignin fiber reinforced SMA-13 (LFSMA-13) asphalt mixtures, with and without polymer anti-rut agent (ARA), under different aging degrees. IDEAL-CT test and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were utilized to analyze the relationships between the crack resistance of LFSMA-13, with and without ARA, and the parameters of the FTIR spectrum of the asphalt extracted from the test samples. A convenient testing method to predict the anti-crack ability of the mixtures in a road was also derived in this study. The test samples were prepared using the specifications listed by AASHTO. The fracture formation work (W_initial) and cracking index (CT_Index) in the IDEAL-CT test were adopted to reflect the cracking ability of the asphalt mixtures in both the crack formation stage and the crack propagation stage. The peak areas of the FTIR spectrum were utilized to reveal the chemical properties of the asphalt material inside the SMA-13 asphalt mixtures, with and without ARA under different aging degrees. Grey correlation analysis was adopted to choose the most suitable FTIR spectrum parameters to derive the prediction models of W_initial and CT_Index under different aging degrees. After conducting a series of tests, the results showed that the aging process could well affect the crack resistance of the test samples and the peak areas of the asphalt extracted from the mixtures. The FTIR parameters selected from the grey correlation analysis could be used to well predict the anti-crack ability of the asphalt mixtures.

The bonding ability between basalt fiber bundle and asphalt mortar has a great influence on the properties of basalt fiber reinforced asphalt mixtures, yet the studies about the bonding between them is very limited. In this paper, a new test instrument called fiber-asphalt pulling machine and a new index called the nominal bonding stress (NBS) were designed and adopted to test and reveal the bonding between basalt fiber bundle and asphalt mortar. The procedures and rationality analysis of this new experiment was specified in this paper. In order to verify the reliability of the NBS index, the NBS values derived from this new test method and the rheological property indexes values of asphalt mortar under different powder–cement ratios were adopted to analyze the correlation between them. Two kinds of basalt fibers produced by two different manufacturers were adopted to conduct the parallel experiment. The results show that the nominal bonding stress between basalt fiber and asphalt mortar derived from this new test has a great correlation with the rheological properties of asphalt mortar, which also proves the credibility of this new test method and the NBS index.