As the asphalt pavement industry advances toward using higher reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) contents in asphalt mixtures, it becomes increasingly important to accurately assess the quality and variability of RAP to ensure pavement performance. NCHRP IDEA 245, “Simple and Rapid Tests for Assessing Quality and Consistency of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) for Recycled Asphalt Mixture Applications,” investigated innovative methods for determining the performance grade (PG) of RAP binders and assessing RAP stockpile variability, without performing solvent extraction and recovery, thereby avoiding the use of trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chemical solvents that may present environmental and health hazards. The primary innovation of this project is the development of a laboratory testing framework for estimating the PG of asphalt binders in RAP based on Indirect Tensile Asphalt Cracking Test (IDEAL-CT) and High-Temperature Indirect Tensile Test (HT-IDT) tests on compacted RAP specimens. This framework offers a reliable alternative to the traditional solvent extraction and recovery method for RAP binder characterization.

The final report is available here.