Rehabilitation of an Italian highway by Cold In-Place Recycling techniques

In Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR), emulsion and foamed bitumen have currently used as the most common binders. However, there is a need to better understand the mechanical performance of these stabilized mixtures. This paper shows the results obtained from two trial sections in order to optimize the rehabilitation process of an Italian highway through CIR techniques for a subbase layer. The trial sections were built through two different stabilization techniques: cement-foamed bitumen and cement-emulsion treatment. Both applications considered recycled mixtures of 50% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and 50% cementitious and granular milled materials, combining different contents of cement and bituminous binder. The experimental program provided the mechanical characterization in laboratory and in-situ. The result analysis allowed to evaluate and compare mechanical performance of stabilized-recycled materials and to highlight the practical application of the two stabilization techniques.