Engineering Properties of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Mixtures

Author(s):  
Mohammad Jamal Khattak ◽  
Gilbert Y. Baladi

A large research program sponsored by the Michigan Department of Transportation was designed and completed to evaluate the effect of polymer modification on the various properties of asphalt mixtures. These include the micro- and macrostructural, morphological, chemical, and engineering properties. Some of the engineering properties of the styrene-butadiene-styrene and styrene-etylene-butylene-styrene polymer-modified asphalt mixtures are presented and discussed. The elastic, fatigue, tensile, and permanent deformation properties were investigated at 60, 25, and –5°C. It was found that, for some polymer systems, the fatigue life and the indirect tensile strength increased considerably at 25°C while the elastic properties at -5°C were not affected by the addition of polymer. The implication of this is that the use of some polymer systems in asphalt mixtures enhances their fatigue cracking and rutting resistance without affecting the low temperature cracking potential.

2015 ◽  
Vol 1113 ◽  
pp. 9-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Nurulain ◽  
P.J. Ramadhansyah ◽  
A.H. Norhidayah

This paper presents a review of nanoclay as a latest technology in order to overcome problem due deterioration such as rutting, fatigue, stripping, cracking and so on. Nowadays, with increasing of traffic volume and heavy vehicle conditions of existing road totally fail in order to accommodate this situation during design period. In order to manage this problem the new technology had been create and apply. Previous researches prove that nanotechnology has potential solution to enhance the performance and durability of construction materials. Material properties were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to previous research there were proved that addition of nanoclay lead great improvements on permanent deformation and fatigue life of hot mix asphalt (HMA). In addition the overall performance of nanoclay as polymer modified asphalt binder was improve in terms of rutting and fatigue cracking resistance compare to non-modified asphalt binder. Therefore, nanoclay itself would be an alternative as modifier to use in the bitumen to improve the lifetime of asphalt pavements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan ◽  
Zhanping You ◽  
Mohd Khairul Idham Mohd Satar ◽  
Muhammad Naqiuddin Mohd Warid ◽  
Nurul Hidayah Mohd Kamaruddin ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to assess the performance of modified asphalt binders and engineering properties of mixtures prepared with incorporation 3 vol% and 6 vol% of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and combinations of CaCO3 and LLDPE. The rheological properties of control and modified asphalt binders were evaluated using a series of testing such as rotational viscometer (RV), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. Meanwhile, four-point beam fatigue test, the dynamic modulus (E*) test and tensile strength ratio (TSR) test were conducted to assess the engineering properties of asphalt mixtures. Based on the findings, the RV and MSCR test result shows that all modified asphalt binders have improved performance in comparison to the neat asphalt binders in terms of higher viscosity and improved permanent deformation resistance. A higher amount of CaCO3 and LLDPE have led modified asphalt binders to better recovery percentage, except the asphalt binders modified using a combination of CaCO3 and LLDPE. However, the inclusion of LLDPE into asphalt binder has lowered the thermal cracking resistance. The incorporation of CaCO3 in asphalt mixtures was found beneficial, especially in improving the ability to resist fatigue cracking of asphalt mixture. In contrast, asphalt mixtures show better moisture sensitivity through the addition of LLDPE. The addition of LLDPE has significantly enhanced the indirect tensile strength values and tensile strength ratio of asphalt mixtures.


Author(s):  
Aroon Shenoy ◽  
Kevin Stuart ◽  
Walaa Mogawer

Researchers have often looked for relationships between mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures and rheological properties of binders when assessing the resistance of mixtures and binders to permanent deformation. When mixtures are subjected to deformation on application of a stress, aggregates act as load-bearing entities, and binders deform in response to applied stress. Intuitively, a correlation must exist between the properties of mixtures and binders. However, a good correlation usually is not observed. There could be a number of reasons for the observed poor correlations, including ( a) variability in the data or a possible change in the microstructure of two-phase, polymer-modified asphalt in the presence of aggregates, or ( b) strong interactions between the aggregate and the binder that, of course, are not reflected in the binder properties. In such cases, there are reasons to believe asphalt mastics might provide a better correlation because they would account for at least the physicochemical aspects of the aggregate–binder interaction. The present work compared asphalt mixture data initially with mastic data and then separately with binder data. The mastic and binder rheological data were generated with the same equipment under identical conditions of measurement to identify which one correlates better with the mixture data. A good correlation was obtained in only one case when Superpave® shear tester data for mixtures were compared with the dynamic shear rheometer data for binders. In all cases analyzed in this work, no correlation was found between the permanent deformation for mixtures and the rheological properties of the mastics.


1994 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. Lewandowski

Abstract • Polymer modification of asphalt binders has become a more accepted method for addressing pavement distresses. The heavier vehicle loads, higher traffic volumes and increased tire pressures have forced user agencies to explore polymer modification for asphalt pavement applications. • The compatibility between the asphalt and polymer depends on many factors. The most significant of these, based on microscopy, are the asphalt crude source, polymer microstructure and the thermal/mechanical history of the polymer-modified asphalt binder. • Classical methods and methods derived specifically for measuring the effect of polymers in the asphalt have poor correlation to mixture performance. The tests also seem to be specific to the different polymers tested. The test conditions make it difficult to extract basic information about the binder's mechanical properties. • Considerable work has been done on the rheology of asphalt and polymer-modified asphalt binders over a wide range of temperatures and rates of loading. Time-temperature superposition has been used to describe the effect of rate of loading on the complex shear modulus (G*) of both polymer modified and unmodified asphalt binders. The addition of polymers has been found to dramatically change the properties at high temperatures or low rates of loading. This has been correlated with varying degrees of success to permanent deformation in the asphalt mixture. • The bending beam rheometer and the direct tension test are ideally suited for measuring the low temperature properties of polymer-modified asphalt binders. Good correlation was found with bending beam results and the fracture temperature of the mixture using the TSRST method. Failure strains, measured for polymer-modified asphalt binders with the direct tension test, were up to ten times greater than that observed for unmodified binders. Polymer-modifiers generally decreased the fracture temperature of the mixture by 6–10°C. • Polymer modifiers for asphalt binders which contain a large percentage of butadiene (50% or greater), exhibit improved low temperature properties. This was observed as a decreased Tg for a polybutadiene modified asphalt measured using dynamic mechanical analysis. Also direct tension results for SB (50% butadiene) -modified asphalt binders showed a marked increase in low temperature failure strains. • The performance-based specifications (SHRP) show good correlation with mixture performance. The best correlations were observed between the binder's Theological properties and the load-associated fatigue and low-temperature thermal cracking resistance. For permanent deformation, it was observed that the aggregate plays a significant role in the resulting rutting. Further testing and field studies are required to validate these laboratory measurements. • Asphalt-rubber mixtures have been shown to have useful properties with respect to distresses observed in asphalt concrete pavements. Most notably a large increase in viscosity and improved low-temperature cracking resistance have been measured. Only a limited body of test results exists and further testing is required to fully understand the contribution of asphalt-rubber to the mixture's performance.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2434
Author(s):  
Laura Moretti ◽  
Nico Fabrizi ◽  
Nicola Fiore ◽  
Antonio D’Andrea

In recent years, nanotechnology has sparked an interest in nanomodification of bituminous materials to increase the viscosity of asphalt binders and improves the rutting and fatigue resistance of asphalt mixtures. This paper presents the experimental results of laboratory tests on bituminous mixtures laid on a 1052 m-long test section built in Rome, Italy. Four asphalt mixtures for wearing and binder layer were considered: two polymer modified asphalt concretes (the former modified with the additive Superplast and the latter modified with styrene–butadiene–styrene), a “hard” graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) modified asphalt concrete and a not-modified mixture. The indirect tensile strength, water sensitivity, stiffness modulus, and fatigue resistance of the mixtures were tested and compared. A statistical analysis based on the results has shown that the mixtures with GNPs have higher mechanical performances than the others: GNP could significantly improve the tested mechanical performances; further studies will be carried out to investigate its effect on rutting and skid resistance.


Author(s):  
H. Barry Takallou ◽  
Hussain U. Bahia ◽  
Dario Perdomo ◽  
Robert Schwartz

The effect of different mixing times and mixing temperatures on the performance of asphalt-rubber binder was evaluated. Four different types of asphalt-rubber binders and neat asphalt were characterized using the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) binder method tests. Subsequently, mix designs were carried out using both the SHRP Levels I and II mix design procedures, as well as the traditional Marshall mix design scheme. Additionally, performance testing was carried out on the mixtures using the Superpave repetitive simple shear test at constant height (RSST-CH) to evaluate the resistance to permanent deformation (rutting) of the rubberized asphalt mixtures. Also, six rectangular beams were subjected to repeated bending in the fatigue tester at different microstrain levels to establish rubberized asphalt mixtures’ resistance to fatigue cracking under repeated loadings. The results indicate that the Superpave mix design produced asphalt-rubber contents that are significantly higher than values used successfully in the field. Marshall-used gyratory compaction could not produce the same densification trends. Superpave mixture analysis testing (Level II) was used successfully for rubberized asphalt mixtures. Results clearly indicated that the mixture selected exhibited acceptable rutting and fatigue behavior for typical new construction and for overlay design. Few problems were encountered in running the Superpave models. The results of the RSST-CH indicate that rubber-modified asphalt concrete meets the criteria for a maximum rut depth of 0.5 in.; and more consistent results were measured for fatigue performance analysis using the repeated four-point bending beam testing (Superpave optional torture testing). The cycles to failure were approximately 26,000 at 600 microstrain.


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