Many roadway authorities frequently consider Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA) as an alternative to Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) for performing maintenance activities on asphalt concrete pavements in wet conditions or in cold regions during winter. However, applying CMA in wet conditions and exposing this material to moisture may cause stripping failure and a significant reduction in stability and durability. Additionally, freeze and thaw cycles during cold seasons may accelerate premature CMA failures by increasing the moisture susceptibility of the compacted materials. In this research, to investigate moisture susceptibility of different asphalt mixes while being exposed to saturation and accelerated freeze-thaw conditions, 12 widely used CMAs across North America, including high performance proprietary and conventional mixes, were tested in the laboratory and compared with a HMA mixture. Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) test results showed that the tensile strength of a few CMAs was comparable to the HMA and most of them were not susceptible to the moisture-induced damage. In contrast, after each material was subjected to a freeze and thaw cycle, the moisture resistance of most of the cold mixes reduced significantly.
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