Experimental investigation of the dynamic behaviour of asphalt concrete treated with photocatalytic mortars

The increase of environmental atmospheric pollution can be dealt with various methodologies, including the use of environmentally friendly materials based on photocatalytic reactions. Therefore, in the field of road construction, asphalt concrete pavements could be combined with a superficial layer of cement mortar containing photocatalytic substances in order to directly subject them to pollutants coming from vehicular traffic exploiting the wide surface area of road pavements in contact with the atmosphere. The aim of this study is to analyze the mechanical characteristics of the heterogeneous system asphalt concrete – photo-catalytic mortar in order to identify its actual behaviour and compare it with that of sole asphalt concrete. Modulus and fatigue dynamic tests have been carried out on specimens taken from porous asphalt concrete manufactured slabs over which photocatalytic mortars, prepared with different percentages of water, had pre-viously been poured. Investigations proved that the percentage of water used in the photocatalytic mortars af-fects the mixture fluidity, which influences both the level of penetration of the mortar through pores and the mechanical performances of road pavement.