A lab study to develop a bridge deck pavement using bisphenol A unsaturated polyester resin modified asphalt mixture

•A new type of asphalt mixture, UPR modified asphalt mixture, is put forward.•Optimum formula of UPR modified asphalt is determined by BBR and DSR tests, etc.•Lab performances of SBS, epoxy and UPR modified asphalt mixtures are compared.•Some lab performances of UPR modified asphalt mixtures are excellent.•The cost of UPR modified asphalt is only 60% of that of epoxy modified asphalt. To improve the low-temperature and anti-fatigue performances of the bridge deck pavement and decrease its cost, an unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) modified asphalt mixture is put forward in this paper. First the optimum formula of UPR modified asphalt is determined through several tests. Second the ductility, bending beam rheometer (BBR), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and tensile tests are conducted for matrix asphalt, and SBS, epoxy and UPR modified asphalts. Finally, Marshall, rutting, low temperature bending, freeze-thaw splitting and fatigue tests are conducted for their mixtures. Test results show that the laboratory performances of UPR modified asphalt mixture are more excellent than those of SBS modified asphalt mixture and have advantages over those of epoxy modified asphalt mixture in low-temperature crack resistance, water stability and anti-fatigue ability. The maximum flexural-tensile strain, stripping inflectionpoint and fatigue life of UPR modified asphalt mixture are 2.54, 1.25 and 1.08 times of those of epoxy modified asphalt mixture, respectively. Whereas the cost of UPR modified asphalt is only 62% of that of epoxy modified asphalt. Although the BPA will have a certain impact on the health of BPA unsaturated polyester resins production workers and construction workers, this impact can be controlled by limiting BPA concentrations within reasonable ranges and taking effective protective measures.