Performance of cold mix asphalt incorporated with aromatic polyamide fibre as distress maintenance

Permanent deformation, raveling, and potholes are signs of surface deterioration that if left untreated, can get worse rapidly. A practical alternative for these failures is Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA), which eliminates the requirement for hot mix manufacture and enables quick repair in a variety of weather and road conditions. Due to Malaysia's frequent rainfall, potholes filled with CMA exhibit a more severe affinity and bonding mechanism. Since CMA requires more time to cure before reaching its final strength and has poorer mechanical performance, it should only be used as a short-term solution to pothole maintenance issues. Therefore, this research encourages a new approach to the maintenance issue of pothole patching in order to provide a long-lasting and durable CMA. This study focuses on the interaction between potholes in the pavement and the adherence and affinity of the CMA combined with Aromatic Polyamide Fibre (APF). The morphology and microstructure of the asphalt mixes are analyses by using AFM and FESEM test. This research also summarizes the adherence adequacy of the APFCMA used in the permanent maintenance of potholes in the pavement industry. The result shows that CMA incorporated with APF improved the Marshall Stability from 7.480 kN to 7.674 kN. It also enhances the Indirect Tensile Strength with an increment of almost twofold from control sample while reducing the air voids. Besides that, the microstructural analysis indicates that CMA incorporated with APF gives better resistance towards moisture and adhesion hence, it can be concluded that CMA with APF has excellent mechanical and adhesive properties, which makes it a viable option for long-term pothole repair.