On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad hosted the public defense of the Master’s thesis by Farah Salam Hassan from the Civil Engineering Department. Her thesis, titled “Evaluating the Rutting Resistance of Asphalt Mixtures Modified with Nano Clay and Crumb Rubber”, was presented in Dr. Khalid Shaker Hall under the supervision of Professor Dr. Mohammed Qadir Ismael.
The study focused on evaluating the effects of adding Nano Clay (NC) and Crumb Rubber (CR) to Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) in terms of Marshall properties and rutting resistance. The research tested different percentages of NC (2%, 4%, and 6%) and CR (10%, 20%, and 30%) by weight of asphalt cement. The results demonstrated that adding 6% NC and 30% CR significantly improved Marshall stability by 22.3% and reduced the flow of the asphalt mix. Additionally, the modification of asphalt with 6% NC and 30% CR led to a 48.56% reduction in rut depth compared to the control mix.
Based on the findings, Farah proposed several recommendations for future research, including exploring the impact of NC and CR on asphalt binder and bituminous mixtures, assessing their performance at low temperatures, and studying their influence on the aging characteristics of asphalt mixtures.
After the scientific discussion and evaluation by the examination committee, Farah Salam Hassan was awarded a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering / Highway and Transportation Engineering.
