Effect of Polypropylene Fibre on Engineering Properties of Bitumen and Bituminous Mix

Abstract

The problems related with the bituminous pavements are their premature distress in the form of cracks,
ravelling, surface undulations and segregation. This results in huge maintenance cost.To minimize the
maintenance cost, the proper quality of work and material is important. Improving the qualities of bitumen and
improving the stability of bituminous mixes may be one of the solutions. This paper deals with use of
polypropylene fiber as an admixture to bitumen. Various tests on bitumen and polypropylene added bitumen
was conducted to compare the properties. Few tests on bituminous mixes were also performed to adjudge the
effect of different percentages of fibers on mixes. Marshall’s stability tests were conducted to determine the
optimum binder content. By varying the amount of 20 mm polypropylene fibers (3%, 5%, and 7% by weight of
bitumen), optimum fiber content was obtained. The results indicate that the addition of PP fibers increases the
stability but decreases the flow value.