Selection of fibers to improve porous asphalt mixtures using multi-criteria analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Aramid fibers and glass fibers are widely used in dense-graded asphalt mixtures to improve the mechanical characteristics. However, their effect on the characteristics of porous asphalt mixtures has not been widely explored. This study evaluated the influence of aramid fiber, aramid pulp, glass-hybrid fiber, and cellulose fiber to improve the abrasion resistance and strength of the porous asphalt mixtures while maintaining their functional characteristics. The performance of PA-16 mixtures incorporated with fibers was evaluated using the Cantabro test, permeability test, indirect tensile strength (ITS) test, and moisture susceptibility test. Finally, a multi-criteria decision method (MCDM), weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) in combination with criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) as a weighting method, is applied to make a multifaceted decision and select the best option among the variety of fibers included in the study. Results concluded aramid pulp remarkably enhanced the abrasion resistance while glass-hybrid fibers improved the ITS of the mixtures. Particularly, aramid pulp was selected as the best fiber to improve the mechanical resistance, according to the proposed methodology.