Graphene Nanoplatelet (GNP) Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures - A Novel Multifunctional Pavement Material (Final Report for NCHRP IDEA Project 173)

39 Pages·2016·0.915 MB·\39

by  Jialiang, Le, Mihai, Marasteanu, Mugurel, Turos

NCHRP IDEA Program

Graphene Nanoplatelet (GNP) Reinforced Asphalt
Mixtures:A Novel Multifunctional Pavement Material

Final Report for
NCHRP IDEA Project 173

Prepared by:
Jialiang Le, Mihai Marasteanu, Mugurel Turos
University of Minnesota

January 2016
Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Programs
Managed by the Transportation Research Board

This IDEA project was funded by the NCHRP IDEA Program.
The TRB currently manages the following three IDEA programs:
• The NCHRP IDEA Program, which focuses on advances in the design, construction, and
maintenance of highway systems, is funded by American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research
Program (NCHRP).
• The Safety IDEA Program currently focuses on innovative approaches for improving railroad
safety or performance. The program is currently funded by the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA). The program was previously jointly funded by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the FRA.
• The Transit IDEA Program, which supports development and testing of innovative concepts
and methods for advancing transit practice, is funded by the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) as part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP).

Management of the three IDEA programs is coordinated to promote the development and testing
of innovative concepts, methods, and technologies.

For information on the IDEA programs, check the IDEA website (www.trb.org/idea). For
questions, contact the IDEA programs office by telephone at [phone].

IDEA Programs
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

The project that is the subject of this contractor-authored report was a part of the Innovations Deserving
Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Programs, which are managed by the Transportation Research Board
(TRB) with the approval of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The
members of the oversight committee that monitored the project and reviewed the report were chosen for
their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The views expressed in this report
are those of the contractor who conducted the investigation documented in this report and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine; or the sponsors of the IDEA Programs.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine;
and the organizations that sponsor the IDEA Programs do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade
or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the
investigation.
Graphene Nanoplatelet (GNP) Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures:

A Novel Multifunctional Pavement Material

IDEA Program Final Report

NCHRP IDEA 173

Prepared for the IDEA Program
Transportation Research Board
The National Academies

Jialiang Le
Mihai Marasteanu
Mugurel Turos

University of Minnesota

April 2016

NCHRP IDEA PROGRAM COMMITTEE
IDEA PROGRAMS STAFF
CHAIR STEPHEN R. GODWIN
DUANE BRAUTIGAM Director for Studies and Special Programs
JON M. WILLIAMS
Consultant
Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies

INAM JAWED
MEMBERS
Senior Program Officer
CAMILLE CRICHTON-SUMNERS
DEMISHA WILLIAMS
New Jersey DOT
Senior Program Assistant
AGELIKI ELEFTERIADOU

University of Florida
ANNE ELLIS EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
Arizona DOT
ALLISON HARDT SHONGTAO DAI, Minnesota DOT
Maryland State Highway Administration EDDIE JOHNSON, Minnesota DOT
JOE HORTON GEORGENE GEARY, Georgia DOT
California DOT
MAGDY MIKHAIL
Texas DOT
TOMMY NANTUNG
Indiana DOT
MARTIN PIETRUCHA
Pennsylvania State University
VALERIE SHUMAN
Shuman Consulting Group LLC
L.DAVID SUITS
North American Geosynthetics Society
JOYCE TAYLOR
Maine DOT

FHWA LIAISON
DAVID KUEHN
Federal Highway Administration

TRB LIAISON
RICHARD CUNARD
Transportation Research Board

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM STAFF
STEPHEN PARKER
Senior Program Officer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 1
C HAPTER 1
IDEA PRODUCT, CONCEPT, AND INNOVATION .......................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 2
APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY TO ASPHALT MATERIALS ..................................... 3
2.1 NANOC LAY ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
2.2 NANOSILICA ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
2.3 CARBON NANOTUBES ......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.4 BASALT FIBERS ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.5 INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHENE NANOPLATELETS ...................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 3
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GNP-REINFORCED ASPHALT BINDERS ............................... 6
3.1 SAMPL E PREPARATION ....................................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 COMPLEX SHEAR MODULUS TEST ................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 CREEP STIFFNESS TEST ....................................................................................................................................... 7
3.4 FLEXURAL STRENGTH TEST .............................................................................................................................. 9
3.5 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 4
COMPACTION PROPERTIES OF GNP-REINFORCED ASPHALT MIXTURES .......................... 13
4.1 MATER IALS AND TESTING ............................................................................................................................... 13
4.2 RESULTS OF COMPACTION EXPERIMENTS .................................................................................................. 14
4.3 RUT EXPERIMENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 15
4.4 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
CHAPTER 5
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GNP-REINFORCED ASPHALT MIXTURES .......................... 17
5.1 SAMPL E PREPARATION ..................................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 IDT CREEP TEST .................................................................................................................................................. 17
5.3 IDT STRENGTH TEST .......................................................................................................................................... 19
5.4 FRACTURE ENERGY TEST ................................................................................................................................. 19
5.5 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 6
INVESTIGATION OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY ................................................................. 23
6.1 SAMPL E PREPARATION ..................................................................................................................................... 23
6.2 TEST METHOD AND RESULTS .......................................................................................................................... 24
6.3 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS, PLANS FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FURTHER R ESEARCH ....................................................................................................................... 26
7.1. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................................... 26
7.2. PLANS FOR IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................................................................... 27
7.3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ...................................................................................... 27
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 28
LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 3.1 GNP materials ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
TABLE 3.2 Combinations of asphalt binders and GNPs ........................................................................................................ 6
TABLE 4.1 Test matrix for mix design group 1 ................................................................................................................... 13
TABLE 4.2 Test matrix for mix design group 2 ................................................................................................................... 14
TABLE 4.3 Number of gyrations Ngyr of mix design group 1 .............................................................................................. 14
TABLE 4.4 Number of gyrations Ngyr of mix design group 2 .............................................................................................. 14
TABLE 5.1 Test materials .................................................................................................................................................... 17
TABLE 6.1 Sample descriptions .......................................................................................................................................... 23
LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1.1: Graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) (a) graphene sheet, (b) atomic structure of GNP, and (c) as received GNP
materials. ................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
FIGURE 2.1: Carbon nanotube (CNT) structures: (a) Single-wall CNT and (b) Multi-wall CNT. ....................................... 4
FIGURE 3.1: Measured complex shear modulus and phase angle of GNP-reinforced asphalt binders. ................................ 7
FIGURE 3.2: Measured creep stiffness and m-value of GNP-reinforced asphalt binders with 3% GNP addition. ................ 8
FIGURE 3.3: Measured creep stiffness and m-value of GNP-reinforced asphalt binders with 6% GNP addition. ................ 9
FIGURE 3.4: (a) BBR strength test set-up, and (b) close-view of BBR test specimen. ......................................................... 9
FIGURE 3.5: Measured flexural strength of GNP-reinforced asphalt binders. .................................................................... 10
FIGURE 3.6: Measured stress-strain curves of 3% GNP-reinforced PG 52-34 asphalt binders (T = −30°C). ..................... 11
FIGURE 4.1: Sample compacted with the Brovold Gyratory Compactor. ........................................................................... 13
FIGURE 4.2: Typical measured compaction curve. ............................................................................................................. 15
FIGURE 4.3: Measured rut performances of GNP-reinforced asphalt mixtures.. ................................................................ 15
FIGURE 5.1: Creep stiffness S(t) (GPa) of mix design group 1 at (a) T = −18°C and (b) T = −28°C.. ............................. 18
FIGURE 5.2: Creep stiffness S(t) (GPa) of mix design group 2 at (a) T = −18°C and (b) T = −28°C.. ............................. 18
FIGURE 5.3: Results of IDT strength of GNP-reinforced asphalt mixtures.. ...................................................................... 19
FIGURE 5.4: Set-up of SCB tests. ....................................................................................................................................... 20
FIGURE 5.5: Measured load-displacement curves of three SCB specimens.. ..................................................................... 21
FIGURE 5.6: Fracture energy of GNP-reinforced asphalt mixtures.. ................................................................................... 21
FIGURE 6.1: (a) mold preparation and (b) beam cured with four electrodes....................................................................... 24
FIGURE 6.2: Schematics of 4-probe measurement of electrical conductivity.. ................................................................... 24
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Georgene Geary, Georgia Department of Transportation, for her contribution as the IDEA
advisor for this project.

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by Shongtao Dai and Eddie Johnson, Minnesota
Department of Transportation, for the experimental investigation of the rutting performance of GNP-reinforced asphalt
mixtures.

Special recognition goes to Dr. Inam Jawed for his support and guidance during the entire duration of this project.