Evaluation of the Durability and the Property of an Asphalt Concrete with Nano Hydrophobic Silane Silica in Spring-Thawing Season

In the spring-thawing season, the high frequency of freeze-soak-scour cycles in the short term is the main cause of pavement damage in the frozen region. One of the methods to improve the durability of asphalt concrete in spring-thawing season is to add suitable modifiers and additives which improve adhesion between asphalt binder and aggregate. This study evaluates the effect of nano hydrophobic silane silica (NHSS) on the performance damage of asphalt concrete (AC) in spring-thawing season. The effectiveness of nano hydrophobic silane silica was evaluated by conducting mixture tests after different freeze-soak-scour cycles, and the damage model of NHSS modified asphalt concrete was established based on the logistic damage model. The results showed that adding NHSS is an effective technique for mitigating freeze-soak-scour cycle damage of asphalt concrete in spring-thawing season. Moreover, the influence of scour, soak, and freeze—three separate factors on NHSS-modified AC in spring-thawing season—was discussed based the gray rational degree theory. The results illustrated that the freeze factor had a more significant impact on the damage process of NHSS modified asphalt concrete compared with the soak and scour factor.