Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway

Zhang, Haiqi; Ma, Zhiyong; Huang, Yimin; Zhang, Zhengquan; Xiang, Xiaomiao; Luo, Mingkun; Yu, Huayang

doi:10.3390/buildings15173107

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Open AccessArticle

Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway

by

Haiqi Zhang

¹,

Zhiyong Ma

²

,

Yimin Huang

¹,

Zhengquan Zhang

¹,

Xiaomiao Xiang

¹,

Mingkun Luo

¹ and

Huayang Yu

^2,*

¹

Jiangmen Jianghe Expressway Co., Ltd., Jiangmen 529000, China

²

School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Buildings 2025, 15(17), 3107; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173107

Submission received: 15 July 2025 / Revised: 6 August 2025 / Accepted: 27 August 2025 / Published: 29 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation)

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Abstract

Rapid expansion of global transportation infrastructure leads to the accumulation of vast quantities of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Recycling RAP is essential for reducing environmental impacts. However, current recycling practices typically limit RAP content to below 30%. Increasing RAP content in asphalt mixtures—especially beyond 50%—offers a more sustainable approach, but also introduces challenges in performance, design, and implementation. This study presents a case in which the hot central plant recycling asphalt mixture containing 50% RAP, enhanced with an active rejuvenating agent, was used for the lower layer of the Jianghe Expressway. The aggregate gradation was designed using the Marshall method, with the optimal asphalt–aggregate ratio determined to be 3%. The average compaction degree was 98.9%, the infiltration coefficient ranged from 6.43 mL/min to 23.77 mL/min, and the standard deviation of flatness did not exceed 1.0. However, material shoving was observed during paving, suggesting that, with appropriate adjustments, the technique can be optimized for large-scale implementation. The gradation of the RAP material showed minimal deviation from the design gradation, remaining within ±5%. The compaction scheme with eight roller passes and a loose paving coefficient of 1.35 yielded superior compaction performance.

Keywords: high RAP content; case study; Marshall method

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, H.; Ma, Z.; Huang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Xiang, X.; Luo, M.; Yu, H. Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway. Buildings 2025, 15, 3107. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173107

AMA Style

Zhang H, Ma Z, Huang Y, Zhang Z, Xiang X, Luo M, Yu H. Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway. Buildings. 2025; 15(17):3107. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173107

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Haiqi, Zhiyong Ma, Yimin Huang, Zhengquan Zhang, Xiaomiao Xiang, Mingkun Luo, and Huayang Yu. 2025. "Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway" Buildings 15, no. 17: 3107. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173107

APA Style

Zhang, H., Ma, Z., Huang, Y., Zhang, Z., Xiang, X., Luo, M., & Yu, H. (2025). Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway. Buildings, 15(17), 3107. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173107

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Design and Performance of High-RAP-Content Asphalt Mixture: A Case Study in Jianghe Expressway

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