Experimental Investigation of the Use of Recycled Cross-Linked Polyethylene as Aggregate in Porous Asphalt Mixture

Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) is a type of insulation for high-voltage cables that is widely used in electrical cable coatings because of its good thermal and electrical resistance properties. Due to lack of appropriate technology for XLPE recycling, incineration and burial methods are mainly used for the waste of these materials. In this study, XLPE wastes were used as a substitute for fine aggregates of porous asphalt mixtures. For this purpose, 25, 50 and 75% volumes of the 2.36 to 4.75 mm aggregates were replaced with the same size XLPE particles. Optimal asphalt percentage was estimated by the mixture’s air voids percentage and Cantabro tests. In the next step, the performance of the samples was evaluated by modified Lottman, Cantabro on aged samples and asphalt drain down tests. The results showed that XLPE particles, due to their low absorption capacity, can enhance the resistance of porous asphalt mixtures to moisture damage. The evaluations also revealed that specimens which 25% aggregates between 2.36 to 4.75 of them replaced with XLPE, had the best performance compared to control and other specimens containing XLPE.