Crumb rubber (CR) manufactured from waste tires used in bitumen could improve bitumen performance and reduce environmental pollution. In this work, three different modification methods, pretreatment of the CR particles (microwave activation), warm mix additive (Sasobit), and trans-polyoctenamer (TOR) were used to improve the compatibility of CR with bitumen. Moreover, two other specimens, Sasobit and microwave activated and TOR and microwave activation were fabricated, and their performance was investigated. The softening point, elastic recovery, force ductility, rotational viscosity, temperature sweep, frequency sweep, and multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) tests were measured to evaluate the physical and rheological properties of rubberized bitumen. The results showed that TOR improved the physical properties of rubberized bitumen significantly but had a negative effect on the viscosity. Sasobit decreased the viscosity of rubberized bitumen considerably and improved the physical properties of rubberized bitumen moderately. Microwave treatment on CR had a negative effect on the high temperature performance and elastic recoverability of rubberized bitumen, however, attributing to the degradation and devulcanization effect of microwave on CR, the viscosity of rubberized bitumen was improved. From the results of composite modification, the influence of TOR on the performance of rubberized bitumen was more obvious than that of the microwave activation treatment. Moreover, the influence of Sasobit on its performance was less than that of the microwave activation treatment.

This article is intended to investigate the microwave heating performance of asphalt mixtures containing magnetite powders (MPAM). For this purpose, the surface temperatures of asphalt mixtures containing different dosages of magnetite powders were measured during microwave heating. The low-temperature bending test and water sensitivity test were also conducted to evaluate the performance of MPAM. Heating rate and reflection loss of different thicknesses of MPAM were determined using a microwave heating test and arch reflectivity test, respectively. The results showed that because its main components are triiron tetroxide and iron oxide, which have excellent microwave-absorbing properties, magnetite powders can be used as microwave absorbers to improve the ability of microwave absorption and increase the heating rate of asphalt mixtures. The heating rate of the asphalt mixtures increased with the increase of the amount of magnetite powder. The addition of magnetite powder improved the low-temperature properties of the asphalt mixture, but it reduced the water stability of the asphalt mixture. Considering that the microwave-absorbing asphalt mixture used for melting snow and ice should have good water stability, the recommended dosage of magnetite powders was 60%. The microwave-absorbing properties of MPAM were related to its thickness in the pavement structure and frequency of microwaves. In order to greatly enhance the absorbing efficiency, future work should be focused on matching thickness and matching frequency.

This paper studies the effect of fly ash on rheological properties of magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) paste. Six different dosages of fly ash (0%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% by weight of MgO) samples are prepared to investigate the rheological properties of fly ash–magnesium oxychloride cement (FA-MOC) paste. The effects of fly ash on fluidity, setting times and mechanical properties of MOC paste are measured. Phases and microstructures of FA-MOC paste are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). An optical microscope is used to evaluate the flocculation of fresh FA-MOC paste. The results reveal that fly ash can improve fluidity and retard the setting time of MOC paste. The water-absorbing ability and the morphology effect of fly ash have combined effects on the rheological properties of FA-MOC paste. At the same time, the results show that fly ash used in MOC paste does not change the phases composition of hardened paste, but increases the amount of $5\mathrm{Mg}{(\mathrm{OH})}_2·{\mathrm{MgCl}}_2·8{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$ (Phase 5). However, fly ash weakens the structure of hydration products and results in poor mechanical properties of MOC paste.

The application of top-grade calcined bauxite to improve the skid resistance of pavement surface coatings increases construction costs and causes excessive tire wear. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the polishing behavior of different grades of calcined bauxite aggregate. The polished stone value of calcined bauxite was measured after the standard polishing time and the extended polishing time. The Los Angeles (L.A.) abrasion and the crushing value, profile roughness, hardness, X-ray diffraction, and micromorphology were also tested. The results showed that the calcined bauxite above 75# (the ratio of corundum to mullite by weight, C/M > 1) satisfied the requirement of the ultra-thin friction course. Compared with basalt, the calcined bauxite above 80# (C/M > 3) has better long-term skid resistance, even though the pavement surface is subject to heavier traffic. Due to the higher cohesion of lower porosity, more hard minerals to keep the surface roughness, and less soft minerals to smooth the surface roughness, calcined bauxite with a higher corundum content has the better skid resistance. There is a power law relationship between C/M and Polished Stone Value (PSV). Considering the diminishing returns of higher-grade calcined bauxite, it is necessary to accurately select the appropriate C/M of calcined bauxite before use in pavement surface coatings.