LSU CM, Civil Faculty Published in Top Journal

March 27, 2023 

BATON ROUGE, LA – A paper by a group of LSU Construction Management and LSU Civil Engineering researchers titled, “Self-Healing Capability and Mechanical Properties of Asphalt Mixtures Prepared with Light-Activated Polyurethane Prepolymer-Modified Asphalt Binder,” was recently published in the Transportation Research Record.

The publication is one of the most cited and prolific transportation journals in the world.

Authors on the paper included Sharareh Shirzad, assistant professor at Applachian State University and former master’s and PhD student in construction management at LSU; Ipshit Idris, LSU Construction Management PhD student; Marwa Hassan, LSU Construction Management professor; and Louay Mohammad, LSU Civil Engineering professor.

In the paper, the group discusses its research into developing a new generation of ultraviolet (UV) light-activated, self-healing polyurethane prepolymer-modified asphalt binders using a reactive approach. It also sought to optimize production parameters. Rheological tests were conducted on the prepared binder blends to evaluate the effect of the modification on rutting and fatigue cracking. The effect of the modification on asphalt mixtures was also evaluated using a self-healing experiment and various mechanical laboratory tests.

Self-healing testing of the asphalt mixtures showed that mixtures with 10% polymer and continuous exposure to UV light exhibited the highest crack-healing rate. Loaded Wheel Tracking (LWT) results showed an improvement in rutting resistance of the mixtures prepared with polymer. In addition, Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test results showed an improvement in the cracking resistance with 5% polymer. An increase in high-temperature grade was also observed for the extracted binders from the prepared asphalt mixtures. Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) test results of the extracted binders showed an improvement in the elastic behavior and rutting resistance with an increase in polymer content. Furthermore, the extracted binders from aged mixtures showed an improved fatigue performance with the increase in polymer content.

Click here to read the full paper.

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