ABSTRACT
Road pavement is a part of the road that is hardened to withstand the load of passing vehicles. Proper material selection and the correct mixture type are essential for making the pavement resistant to damage. Previous studies on polymer asphalt have modified the asphalt to increase the strength of the mixture, making it more durable and resistant to damage, with promising results for asphalt mixtures. This study investigates the use of concentrated latex, prevulcanized latex, and solid natural rubber powder, each with a content of 7% of the weight of the asphalt, as a substitute for the asphalt concrete wearing course (AC-WC) mixture gradation. Marshall testing was carried out with asphalt content ranging from 5% to 7% to determine the optimum asphalt content. The properties of asphalt modified with natural rubber, as a substitute for asphalt, affect penetration, softening point, flash point, specific gravity, and ductility. These modifications also influence the Marshall test parameters, including VMA (Voids in Mineral Aggregate), VIM (Voids in Mineral), VFA (Voids Filled with Asphalt), stability, and flow. The mixture with the highest Marshall stability value used the optimum asphalt content (OAC). It was found that the mixture with concentrated latex had an OAC of 6.9%, the mixture with prevulcanized latex had an OAC of 5.8%, and the mixture with solid natural rubber powder had an OAC of 6.65%.
