The Comparison of the EVA Based Resin Modified Bituminous Mixtures to SBS Modification in Terms of Mechanical Properties

The bituminous coating layers used in the flexible pavement are the top layer that is directly exposed to the effects of the traffic and the environment and therefore must be quite robust in terms of mechanical properties. The bituminous binder used in the mixture, is commonly modified with the Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) polymer additive so that the bituminous hot mixtures can resist to the increased traffic load and number for a long time without deforming. The high demand for SBS makes it difficult to supply when necessary and therefore brings on the use of alternative additives. In this study, the effects of the use of Ethylene-Vinyl-Acetate (EVA) based resin (EBR) on the mechanical properties of bituminous mixtures were investigated and their performance was compared with SBS modification. Marshall stability and flow, indirect tensile strength, indirect tensile stiffness modulus, indirect tensile cycling loading and dynamic creep tests were applied to pure and modified mixtures. As a result, it was found that EBR modification had significantly better performance compared to pure mixtures and showed close performance to SBS modification.