CIV3703 Transport Engineering

Module 7 – Part 2
Road Materials

Dr. Andreas Nataatmadja

Construction of Sprayed
Seal
Construction of Asphalt
Surface
7.11 Bituminous Materials
Composition: mainly hydrocarbons
Physical state: black or brown viscous liquid or solid

Chemical properties: - soluble in carbon disulphide

- largely non-volatile
- resistant to most acids and salts
A thermoplastic, viscoelastic adhesive
(i.e. deformation and flow depend on temperature and rate of
loading)
Desirable properties:
- workable, strong, durable, impermeable, adhesive
Durability: prone to slow deterioration when exposed to heat, light
and air; leads to brittleness and hardness
7.12 Production of Bitumen

Produced from suitable crude petroleum oils.

Middle East, North and South American, and Central
African crudes suitable.
Residue from the distillation of crude.
7.13 Testing of Bitumen

Classification of bitumen
Based on viscosity at 60 degrees C.
Class 50
Class 170
Class 320
Class 600
7.13.1 Viscosity

Measure of shear resistance at a particular temperature.

More viscous → thicker, more difficult to mix
Less viscous → thinner, easier to mix
Example: Class 170 bitumen
60°C viscosity 170 Pa.s.
135°C viscosity 0.4 Pa.s.
Hence, needs heating to mix with aggregates
Viscosity is measured with a viscometer.
Viscometer
7.13.2 Penetration

Measures indentation of needle (specific

dimensions) falling into the bitumen over a
specified time period, at 15 and 25 deg. C.
Penetration gives an indication of bitumen
hardness.
Penetration Test

AS 2341.12
100g; 5 sec; 25°C and
200g; 60 sec; 15 °C
Penetration is expressed in
0.1 mm unit
7.13.3 Density

Determined by density bottle: a small sample is weighed into

a density bottle and the bottle is filled with water. The bottle
is weighed at 15°C and bitumen density calculated.
Hydrometers cannot be used because of the inaccuracies
caused by bitumen on the stem and also because
temperature corrections at high temperatures are not valid.
Can also be measured using an electronic density meter.
Gives an indication of source of crude.
Typical figure: 1.02 to 1.04 at 15°C
7.13.4 Flashpoint Test
To indicate safety limit to
which bitumen may be
heated.

For straight bitumen,

minimum flashpoint of 250°C
usually specified.

Flashpoint above 250 means

material not classified as
flammable.
7.13.5 Matter Soluble in
Toluene

Indicates purity of bitumen.

The Australian test measures the
percentage of matter insoluble in toluene.
Most bitumens exceed 99.8 % solubility.
Specifications usually > 99.0% solubility.
7.13.6 Effect of Heat and Air
• Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) test

In this test, a thin film of bitumen is continuously rotated

around the inner surface of a glass jar at 163°C for 60
minutes. A jet of air is positioned to blow air, preheated to
the oven temperature, into the mouth of each jar as it passes
through the bottom of each rotation of the carriage that is
being rotated at 15 revs/min.
Effect of heat and air

Source: RMS-NSW (2011)

7.14 Flux and Cutter

Fluxing: addition of an oil which has long

term effect on viscosity of binder.
Diesel fuel oil often used.

Cutting: addition of an oil which has short

term effect on viscosity of binder.
Power kerosene and aviation jet fuel (Avtur) used.
Fluxing

Fluxed bitumens used for:

pothole patching mixes (have to be stored for
weeks or months)
sealing in cold climates during cooler months -
keeps bitumen fluid and prevents hardening in
cold temperature; prevent loss of aggregate
through bitumen brittleness at low
temperature.
Cutting

Cutback bitumens used:

for temporary reduction of viscosity

in sealing, keeps bitumen fluid for longer
after it is sprayed, which allows slightly
more time to incorporate aggregate
particles.

Fluxing and cutting can be done on site, or

cutback bitumen can be refinery supplied.
IMPORTANT SAFETY POINT

Flashpoints of cutters and fluxes are low -

• Diesel fuel oil 75°C
• Power kerosene 38°C

STRICT SAFETY PROCEDURES NEED TO BE

ADOPTED WHEN WORKING WITH THESE
MATERIALS.
7.15 Cutback Bitumen

Refinery cutbacks available (AS 2157).

3 categories:
Slow curing (SC) – with fuel oil cutter
Medium curing (MC) – with kerosene cutter
Rapid curing RC - white spirit cutter
(curing = time to return to original bitumen)
Medium Curing Cutbacks

Typical Uses:
AMC00, AMC0, AMC1 - Precoat, prime
(Equiv. % kero: 56, 44, 34)
AMC2, AMC3, AMC4 - Primersealing
(Equiv. % kero: 27, 21, 16)
AMC5, AMC6, AMC7 - Sealing
(Equiv. % kero: 11, 7, 3)
7.16 Bitumen Emulsions

Very fine droplets of bitumen suspended in

a water base.
Need an emulsifying agent to break bitumen
into droplets.
Need a stabilising agent to keep bitumen as
droplets in drum.
Emulsions are very fluid - can be applied
without heating.
Use of Bitumen Emulsion

Used for cold application work:

tack coats before asphalt
manufacture of patching mixes
stabilisation of crushed rock and sands
slurry seals
limited use for spray sealing (thin coats)

When used, emulsion “breaks” - droplets join together,

water evaporates -> bitumen
Emulsion Droplet 5 - 10µm
Types of Bitumen Emulsion

Anionic
Contains emulsion and stabilising agents of an alkaline
nature, and has a bitumen content in excess of 60%
classified according to setting (or breaking) time -
rapid (ARS) or slow (ASS)
Cationic
emulsion and stabilising agents of an acidic nature
classified by setting time - CRS, CSS.
also aggregate mixing, CAM, which contains oil.
Bitumen Emulsion
- -
Anionic - -

• Rapid setting ARS - -

• Medium setting AMS - -

-
• Slow setting ASS
-
-
-
Cationic + +
• Rapid setting CRS + +

•
•
Medium setting
Slow setting
CMS
CSS
+ + +

+
+
• Aggregate mixing CAM
+
+
+
Non-ionic
Break due to evaporation of
• Medium setting NMS water + Electrochemical
attraction between soil, gravel
or aggregate
7.17 Adhesion Agents

Assist adhesion between pavement, binder and

aggregate.
Surface active adhesion agents are generally
amine compounds.
Performance of a particular adhesion agent
depends on the aggregate, so testing is necessary.
Applied to aggregate, or mixed in binder.
Adhesion agent is not a substitute for precoating
agent.
7.18 Precoating Materials

Aggregate precoated to improve adhesion

with binder.
Materials used:
AMC00 cutback
special refinery cutbacks
oil based materials
some petroleum oil
Application: 4 to 12 litres per cubic metre
7.19 Polymer Modified
Binder (PMB)

Used in Australia since 1970s - usually

natural or synthetic rubber (4 to 6% mass).
PMBs now widely used.
Usually used for a specific objective:
rutting resistance, fatigue resistance and crack
control in asphalt;
crack control and aggregate retention in
sprayed seals.
C170 vs. PMB
Comparison of Bitumen

Source: RMS-NSW
End Module 4, Part 2