Stabilization of the pavement base course using asphalt emulsion is one of the strategies that improves the layer’s strength and, consequently, enhances the pavement performance. In this study, to improve the performance of the asphalt-emulsion-stabilized base course, asphaltenes derived from Alberta oil sands bitumen are added to the mix. Asphaltenes are a byproduct of the deasphalting process of oil sand bitumen and have no significant value in the asphalt industry. The modified mixes are prepared by adding different amounts of asphaltenes in powder form to the mix at ambient temperatures. Marshall stability and indirect tensile strength of the mixtures are evaluated using different contents of asphalt emulsion and asphaltenes. The low-temperature performance properties of the selected mixtures are investigated using an indirect tensile test and for the high-temperature properties a wheel-tracking test is conducted. The results of this study indicate that the addition of asphaltenes to the emulsion-stabilized mix significantly improves rutting resistance, with a slight increase in moisture sensitivity. However, the indirect tensile test results also reveal that modified mixes are slightly more prone to low-temperature cracking than are unmodified ones.

使用沥青乳液稳定人行道基础路线是提高层强度并因此提高人行道性能的策略之一。在这项研究中，为提高沥青乳液稳定的基础性能，将来自艾伯塔省油砂沥青的沥青质添加到混合物中。沥青质是油砂沥青脱沥青过程的副产物，在沥青工业中没有重要价值。通过在环境温度下向混合物中添加不同量的粉末状沥青质来制备改性混合物。使用不同含量的沥青乳液和沥青质来评估混合物的马歇尔稳定性和间接拉伸强度。使用间接拉伸试验研究了所选混合物的低温性能，并针对高温性能进行了车轮跟踪测试。这项研究的结果表明，在乳液稳定的混合物中添加沥青质可显着改善耐车辙性，而对湿度的敏感性略有提高。但是，间接拉伸试验结果还表明，改性混合物比未改性混合物更容易发生低温开裂。