Study of the Incorporation of Biomass Bottom Ash as a Filler for Discontinuous Grading Bituminous Mixtures with Bitumen Emulsion

Abstract

Energy consumption, because of population development, is progressively increasing. For this reason, new sources of energy are being developed, such as that produced from the combustion of biomass. However, this type of renewable energy has one main disadvantage, the production of waste. Biomass bottom ash is a residue of this industry that currently has not much use. For this reason, this research evaluates its use as a filler in bituminous mixtures, since this sector also has a significant impact on the environment, as it requires large quantities of raw materials. With this objective, first, the physical and chemical properties of biomass bottom ashes were evaluated, verifying their characteristics for their use as filler. Subsequently, bituminous mixtures were conformed with biomass bottom ash as filler, and their physical and mechanical properties were analyzed through particle loss and Marshall tests. The results of these tests were compared with those obtained with the same type of mixture but with conventional and ophite aggregates. This study confirmed that biomass bottom ash was viable for use as a filler, creating mixtures with a higher percentage of bitumen, better mechanical behavior, and similar physical properties. In short, more sustainable material for roads was obtained with waste currently condemned to landfill.