Use of Glass Fibers in Thin Lift Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) Production for Low Volume Roads

Abstract

The road construction sector is dealing with ever depleting construction material problems, especially the availability of good quality aggregate has become more challenging for road projects over the past few years. The accelerated development demands many natural resources, and the extraction of resources like aggregate on a mass-scale also poses a significant threat to the environment. Using the available resources sparingly and optimally is the way forward to brace the scarcity of construction material, which we are about to face. There are many projects in progress to upgrade low-volume roads. But the designs are carried out using a 50mm asphalt wearing course, which is a conservative approach given the traffic movements of the roads are very much limited. For the traffic levels in such roads, using a thin asphalt layer between 25mm–35mm, the same design life could be achieved while cutting down construction costs for the pavement significantly. The study aims to adopt a mix that can be laid in thin layers, which will perform well in low traffic conditions.