Design and laboratory performance of reactive cold patching materials containing epoxy/unsaturated polyester blends

Currently, cold patching materials (CPMs) have become a preferred choice for pothole repair on asphalt pavements in cold and wet weather, to timely restore pavement serviceability and improve traffic safety. However, the survival time of conventional asphalt-based CPMs is not satisfactory, and volatile and toxic components in emulsified or dissolved asphalt are more easily leached to cause water and air pollution, while advanced CPM that can achieve a longer repair longevity may be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly in the long term. The main objective of this paper is to develop a pollution-free, economical and high-performance CPMs to repair asphalt pavement potholes more effectively and sustainably. Specifically, a low viscosity, high toughness and low temperature curing epoxy resin (ER) binder was designed and the unsaturated polyester was selected adaptively. On this basis, the mix proportion of epoxy/unsaturated polyester-based mixture was designed and its performance of the mixture during construction and service was investigated. The results show that epoxy/unsaturated polyester mixture (EUPM) with the optimal material composition possessed excellent high temperature rutting resistance, low temperature deformation performance and water stability. The cold patching materials using EUPM and epoxy resin as the interface agent had excellent repair effect and adapted to a certain humid environment. The study proved the feasibility and advantages for the investigation utilizing EUPM as cold patching materials in asphalt pavement maintenance.