PROPERTIES OF ASPHALTIC

MATERIALS

Lecture- 6
 Properties of Asphaltic Materials

Properties of asphaltic material pertinent to pavement

construction can be classified into four main
categories:

▪ Consistency
▪ Durability
▪ Rate of curing
▪ Resistance to water action
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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Consistency

• Consistency- The degree of solidity or

fluidity of bituminous materials.
• The consistency properties of an
asphaltic material are usually considered
under two conditions:

❑ Effect of temperature on consistency and

❑ Consideration of consistency at some
specified temperature
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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials-Consistency
Two Examples:
Straight Run Bitumen-

❑ Bitumen which has been distilled to a definite viscosity without

further treatment is known as straight run bitumen.
❑ Before use, it is processed to reduce viscosity by heating or cut
or by emulsification.
❑ This bitumen is used for road construction.

Blown Bitumen-

❑ Special properties can be developed in semi solid bitumen by

blowing air through hot residue.
❑ This is the stiffest bitumen and has the property of retaining a
firm consistency at comparatively high temperature.
❑ This bitumen is very useful in roofing materials, water proofing
paints, joint filler in concrete pavements 4
 Properties of Asphaltic Materials-Consistency
At 250C, both ‘blown bitumen’ and ‘regular paving-grade
straight run bitumen’ have the same penetration.

At 460C, the consistency of ‘straight run bitumen’ is

much less than that of ‘blown bitumen’.

With further heat, ‘straight run bitumen’ will become a

liquid, whereas ‘blown bitumen’ is still in semi-plastic
condition.

At 1210C, ‘straight run bitumen’ will become thin liquid,

whereas ‘blown bitumen’ will not acquire the same
fluidity.
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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials-Consistency
➢ At nearly 1770C, both become equally thin fluids.

➢ Now if both the bitumens are allowed to cool to 00C,

paving bitumen will become much harder than blown
bitumen.
➢ Thus , the consistency of the paved bitumen , is affected
more by temperature changes than that in blown bitumen.

➢ This property of bitumen is known as temperature

susceptibility.

➢ This property of bitumen differs for the bitumens

obtained from different crude oils, but this change is
minor, compared with that exists between blown and
paving bitumens. 6
 Properties of Asphaltic Materials-Consistency

• The consistency of an asphaltic material will vary from

solid to liquid depending on the temperature of the
material.

• It is therefore essential that when the consistency of an

asphaltic material is given, the associate temperature is
also given.

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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Durability

❑When asphaltic materials are exposed to environmental

elements, natural deterioration gradually takes place and
eventually the materials lose their plasticity and become
brittle.

❑This change is caused primarily by chemical and

physical reactions that take place in the material. This
natural deterioration of the asphaltic material is known
as weathering.

❑ Progressive weathering may ultimately result in the

formation of fine cracks which go on widening with
time.
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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Durability

❑For paving asphalts to act successfully as a binder,

the weathering must be minimized as much as
possible. The ability of an asphaltic material to resist
weathering is described as the durability of the
material.

❑Some of the factors that influence weathering are

oxidation, volatilization, temperature, exposed
surface area, and age hardening.

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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials- Durability ( cont.)

❑Oxidation is the chemical reaction that takes place

when the asphaltic material is attacked by the oxygen
in the air. This chemical reaction causes considerable
loss of the plastic characteristics of the material.

❑Volatilization is the evaporation of the lighter

hydrocarbons from the asphaltic material. The loss of
these lighter hydrocarbons also causes loss of the
plastic characteristics of the material.

❑Temperature has a significant effect on the rate of

oxidation and volatilization. The higher the
temperature, the higher the rates of oxidation and
volatilization.
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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials- Durability ( cont.)

❑Surface Area ( exposed) of the material also

influences its rate of oxidation and volatilization.
There is a direct relationship between surface area
and rate of oxygen absorption and loss due to
evaporation.
❑Age Hardening is the process of hardening with time.
If a sample of asphalt is heated and then allowed to
cool, its molecules will be rearranged to form a gel-
like structure. This will cause continuous hardening
of the asphalt over time. The rate at which age
hardening occurs is relatively high during the first
few hours after cooling, but it generally decreases
and becomes almost negligible after about a year.

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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Rate of Curing

❑Curing is defined as the process through which an

asphaltic material increases its consistency as it loses
solvent by evaporation.
❑The rate of curing is affected by both inherent and
external factor.
❑The important inherent factors are:
❑Volatility of the solvent
❑Quantity of the solvent
❑Consistency of the base material
❑The important external factors that affect curing rate
are:
❑Temperature
❑Ratio of surface area to volume
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❑Wind velocity across exposed surface
 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Resistance to Water Action

❑When asphaltic materials are used in pavement

construction, it is important that the asphalt
continues to adhere to the aggregates even with the
presence of water.

❑If this bond between the asphalt and the aggregate is

lost, the asphalt will strip from the aggregates,
resulting in the deterioration of the pavement.

❑The asphalt, therefore, must sustain its ability to

adhere to the aggregate even in the presence of water.

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 Properties of Asphaltic Materials
Resistance to Water Action ( cont.)

❑In hot-mix, hot laid asphaltic concrete, where the

aggregates are thoroughly dried before mixing,
stripping does not normally occur and so no
preventive action is usually taken.

❑Stripping of bitumen from the aggregate is limited to

cold mixes only, using cut backs.
❑Commercial anti-strip additives are usually added to
improve the asphalt’s ability to adhere to the
aggregates.

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CONCLUSION