Laboratory Tests for the Characterization of Cold Asphalt Patching Mixtures

Cold asphalt patching mixtures are widely employed in pavement maintenance op-erations due to their technical and economical effectiveness. However, their selec-tion is seldom based on the results of laboratory characterization tests, since there are no standard procedures which are recognized by the international community for such a purpose. The investigation described in this paper focused on the evalua-tion of the strength and stiffness properties of several cold asphalt patching products which were subjected to analysis in two characteristic compaction states: low com-paction, as achieved after placement in the field, and high compaction, as reached under the action of traffic loads. Mechanical characteristics evaluated in the labora-tory included indirect tensile strength, California Bearing Ratio, resilient modulus and quick shear strength. Analysis of the obtained results highlighted the existence of significant differences between the various products which were explained by re-ferring to their composition and curing behavior