Application Context and Damage Characteristics

Asphalt pavement rutting represents a typical form of damage caused by the combined effects of high temperatures and heavy loads, primarily manifesting as plastic flow deformation within the wheel track zone. This issue is particularly pronounced in scenarios such as sections with sustained heavy traffic, long longitudinal slopes, bus-only lanes, and intersection approach roads. The Hanjiang Highway Bridge in Danjiangkou City, serving as a critical corridor for heavy freight transport, has developed rutting damage in its asphalt concrete pavement layer under prolonged heavy loads, compromising driving comfort and traffic efficiency. Multiple county roads and intersections in Wujin District have also exhibited varying degrees of pavement damage, including rutting and settlement, due to increased traffic volume and the rise in large vehicles.

Technical Solution Selection

Based on the traffic composition and specific damage characteristics of different roads, differentiated anti-rut agent application schemes have been developed in engineering practice:

The Hanjiang Highway Bridge deck repair project in Danjiangkou City employed PR MODULE high-modulus anti-rut asphalt mixture modifier. This material enhances the dynamic modulus and dynamic stability of the asphalt mixture, strengthening the pavement structure's load-bearing capacity and fatigue resistance to suppress the formation and progression of rutting.

County road maintenance projects on Wunan Road, Wuyi Road, Hubin Road, and South Ring Road in Wujin District adopted an 8cm Sup-25 (modified + anti-rut agent) + 4cm SMA-13 (modified) structural combination. Wujin Avenue, Donghuang Line, and Huanhu West Road adopted the repair scheme: “8 cm Sup-25 (modified + anti-rut agent) + 2 cm crack-resistant wearing course.” This batch of projects completed over 14,300 square meters of pavement repairs, improving approximately 3.7 kilometers of road mileage. The projects received an excellent rating in the completion (handover) acceptance evaluation.

Application Effect Evaluation

Engineering practice demonstrates that incorporating anti-rut agents verifiably enhances asphalt mixture's high-temperature stability, water stability, and low-temperature crack resistance. Taking the Rut King anti-rut agent applied on Jinwei Highway as an example, it effectively contributed to improving the road's deformation resistance. LuFu 8000 anti-rut agent also demonstrated performance in high-temperature rut resistance, low-temperature crack resistance, and fatigue resistance during technical validation.

Blending Process and Construction Key Points

Rutting inhibitors are typically supplied in granular form and applied as an on-site admixture. The standard construction process involves: heating aggregates to 170–180°C, directly adding the inhibitor to the mixing drum for dry blending (increasing mixing time by 2–3 seconds compared to conventional methods), then continuing to mix until uniform distribution is achieved after adding hot asphalt. The recommended dosage range is 0.3%–0.5% by mass of the asphalt mixture, equivalent to 3–5 kilograms per ton of mixture. The upper dosage limit may be applied for heavy-traffic sections, with special sections permitting increases above 0.6%.

Technological Evolution Trends

The anti-rut agent field is undergoing a technological evolution from universal to functionally tailored applications. Gansu Road & Bridge Construction Group, supported by a science and technology project from the Gansu Provincial Department of Transportation, has developed a natural high-modulus modified asphalt over three years. Utilizing natural rock asphalt as the modifier, it achieves technical breakthroughs in softening point, PG high-temperature grade, dynamic modulus, and other indicators. This product has been tested on heavy-duty traffic pavements in Gansu, Ningxia, and other regions, demonstrating enhanced rutting resistance without significantly compromising low-temperature crack resistance. This technological approach reflects the industry's shift from single-performance optimization toward balancing full-lifecycle benefits in anti-rutting agents.