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Part 8 Bituminous Materials: - 8.1 Introduction
Part 8 Bituminous Materials: - 8.1 Introduction
8.1 Introduction
Definitions Safety Production
Definitions:
Binder: A material used to hold solid particles together, i.e. bitumen or tar. Bitumen: A heavy fraction from oil distillation (also occurs as part of natural asphalt). Tar: A viscous liquid obtained from distillation of coal or wood. Rarely used in construction currently in the UK. Asphalt: A mixture of bitumen and mineral filler. Note that Hot Rolled Asphalt is a road surfacing material. Mastic: An adhering asphalt which is placed with trowelling. Macadam: A road construction material with binder and coarse aggregate. Tarmacadam was the first road surfacing material.
SAFETY
The flash point is the temperature at which vapour given off from the surface will burn. The fire point is the temperature at which the binder will burn. Water will spread a bitumen fire. The materials are generally used at temperatures high enough to cause severe burns. Both the materials and the vapours are potentially carcinogenic.
Melted Bitumen
Bitumen Preparation
Crude oil Fractional Distillation
Petroleum
Kerosene (parafin)
Diesel oil
Lubricating oil
Base Bitumen
Light oil
Blending Penetration Grade Bitumen Fluxing Cut-back bitumen Emulsification in water Oxidation
Bitumen Emulsion
Blown Bitumen
Tar Preparation
Binder Properties
Adhesion Bituminous materials adhere to clean dry surfaces. Viscosity All bituminous materials are viscous, i.e. when subject to a long term load they deform continuously. Softening point This is the temperature at which the binder softens to a predetermined point.
Sliding plate viscometer In this apparatus a thin film of binder is sheared between two glass plates and the shearing force is measured. Standard tar viscometer In this test the time taken for a set volume of tar to flow through an opening at a given temperature is measured. Penetration test For straight bitumens viscosity is normally measured with a penetration test. A 1mm diameter needle is loaded with a weight of 100g and the distance it drops into a bitumen sample in 5 seconds is measured (at 25oC). A bitumen is referred to as 70 pen if the penetration is 7mm. Softening point test To measure the softening point a small sample is melted, cast in brass ring and cooled and then progressively re-heated until it deforms (i.e. "flows") by a given amount.
TESTING Binders
BINDER MIXTURES
Cutbacks This term is used to describe a mixture of a binder and a light volatile oil. They are liquid at low temperatures until the volatile oil evaporates.. Due to the release of solvents into the atmosphere they are now rarely used. Emulsions When mixed with water binders will generally settle out. An emulsifier must be added to give a stable solution. Bitumen paints are made this way. The water evaporates and the bitumen remains on the surface. The current types of cold rolled materials are based on emulsions.
Rubberised bitumens
The viscosity and softening point are increased and penetration is decreased. The elasticity is increased. The sensitivity to temperature changes is decreased. The beneficial properties are lost with prolonged heating. The increased elasticity and penetration resistance makes this material ideal for expansion joints and repairs in roads.
8.4 Applications
Marshall Test
Applications
Roads Tanking Roofing
Base course
Roadbase
Sub-base
(crack
Subgrade (limestone)
Subgrade (limestone)
Paving machine
Surfacing materials
Hot rolled asphalt: Coarse aggregate dispersed in a mortar composed of sand, filler and bitumen. This is gap graded. Asphaltic concrete: Asphalt in which the aggregate particles are continuously graded to form an interlocking structure. Surface dressing: Sprayed bitumen binder with stone chippings rolled on. This is used for repair work. Slurry surfacings and micro asphalts: Bitumen emulsions with selected aggregate combinations. Also used for repair. Stone mastic asphalt: gap graded asphalt composed of a coarse crushed aggregate skeleton with mastic mortar.
Surfacing materials
Hot rolled asphalt: Coarse aggregate dispersed in a mortar composed of sand, filler and bitumen. This is gap graded. Asphaltic concrete: Asphalt in which the aggregate particles are continuously graded to form an interlocking structure. Surface dressing: Sprayed bitumen binder with stone chippings rolled on. This is used for repair work. Slurry surfacings and micro asphalts: Bitumen emulsions with selected aggregate combinations. Also used for repair. Stone mastic asphalt: gap graded asphalt composed of a coarse crushed aggregate skeleton with mastic mortar.
Failure mechanisms.
Wearing course:
Rutting (shear failure) Potholes (bond failure) loss of skid resistance (viscous flow)
Lower courses
Cracking (Fatigue failure) Breakdown due to failure of lower courses (e.g. reflected cracking from dry-lean concrete)
Applications
Roads Tanking Roofing
Applications
Roads Tanking Roofing