ABSTRACT

Asphalt is a complex visco-elasto-plastic material with very slow self-healing properties that can be accelerated by means of induction heating. With this purpose, metal particles have to be added to the mixture and heated once the first microcraks appear in the road. By using this method, it is possible to extend the service life of roads by at least 30%. One of the main disadvantages of asphalt induction heating is the increased production costs and environmental impact caused by the metallic particles. However, this inconvenient might be minimized through the use of waste metallic particles. The present investigation explores the use of 4 types of metal particles for asphalt induction heating, 2 of them waste materials. These are (1) steel grit, (2) steel wool, (3) metal fibres from old tires and (4) steel shavings. Results show that even contents below 0.45% can produce satisfactory heating and healing results.