Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Innovative Infrastructure Solutions (2019) 4:63 https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-019-0249-5 TECHNICAL PAPERS Performance evaluation of nanosilica‑modifed asphalt binder Faheem Sadiq Bhat 1  · Mohammad Shaf Mir 2 Received: 14 September 2019 / Accepted: 25 October 2019 / Published online: 19 November 2019 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 Abstract Continuous eforts are being made to enhance the performance of the pavements for which various modifers and additives are being utilized. Lately, emphasis has been given to the use of sustainable materials to be used in pavement construc- tion. The paper explores the use of nanosilica, which can be manufactured from industrial and agricultural wastes, as an asphalt modifer and evaluates its efect on high-temperature properties of VG-10 binder. The paper investigates the rutting potential of nanosilica-modifed binders by using diferent rheological approaches. Nanosilica was used in three concentra- tions (0.5%, 1% and 3%). It was found that adding nanosilica to asphalt binder improves its rutting resistance. Results of all the rheological approaches showed that resistance to permanent deformation increases with the addition of nanosilica. Nanosilica-modifed binders have high resistance to oxidative ageing. Nanosilica-modifed binders exhibited good storage stability at high temperatures. Keywords Rutting resistance · Superpave rutting parameter · Shenoy’s parameter · Complex modulus · Phase angle · ZSV · LSV · MSCR · Nanosilica Introduction Rutting has been identifed as major distress in asphalt pave- ments and is considered as one of the major design param- eters considered in the design of fexible pavements. Rutting mainly results due to densifcation and/or shear deforma- tion in the asphalt layers. However, the overall permanent deformation from the accumulation of the permanent strain in diferent layers of the pavement contributes signifcantly to rutting. The permanent strain accumulation in the pavement layers is dependent upon the component materials and the pavement design. Properties of the binder play a sig- nifcant part in resisting the permanent deformation. The intrinsic capability of the asphalt binder to resist the per- manent deformation afects the overall rutting resistance of the asphalt mixes. Asphalt being a viscoelastic material is highly dependent on time and temperature and deforms with time due to load application. The ability of the binder to resist this deformation is highly desirable to obtain a mix with high rut resistance [1]. Asphalt on its own is incapa- ble of resisting the excessive loads, stresses, temperature variations and oxidative processes. Therefore, diferent types of modifers are used to improve various properties of the asphalt. Several categories of asphalt modifers are used, which include polymers, rubbers, sulphur, fbres and various chemical agents [2–17]. Recently, the impetus has been on the use of nanoma- terials in various construction felds. Nanomaterials due to their high strain resistance, high functional density and high specifc surface area may provide solutions to various problems associated with the pavements. Various types of nanomaterials are being used in asphalt modifcation; nano- clay, carbon nanotubes, aluminium trioxide and nanosilica are few of them [18–27]. Earlier studies have shown that adding nanosilica to the asphalt binder improves its rutting resistance. Most of the studies to evaluate rutting resistance have concentrated on the use of Superpave rutting parameter G*/sinδ [28–38]. The studies have used diferent concentrations of nanosil- ica ranging from 1 to 6%; the authors selected lower and higher concentrations based on the study carried out by * Faheem Sadiq Bhat faheem_35phd17@nitsri.net Mohammad Shaf Mir shaf@nitsri.net 1 National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, J&K, India 2 Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, J&K, India