AsphaltProfessional

JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY

No 79 • FEBRUARY 2019

The ever changing

role of the emulsion
Asphalt Professional speaks
to Tarmac’s Peter Hyde
Plus all your regular features

www.instituteofasphalt.org
 A TRUSTED
& RELIABLE PARTNER

• PLANING • LABOUR HIRE

• MACHINE HIRE • PLANING SALES
• PAVER HIRE • ROAD SURFACING
• LOW LOADER HIRE

+44(0)1604 591 177 www.tripodcrest.co.uk

info@tripodcrest.co.uk @TripodCrest
 No 79 • FEBRUARY 2019

Contents
4 PRESIDENT’S VIEW
AsphaltProfessional

5 INSTITUTE UPDATE A belated Happy New Year to all our members and their nearest and dearest.
Who knows what the future will bring with regard to Brexit during the course
6 EVENTS of the next few months, but let’s all hope that it can be resolved relatively

soon, to give us all a degree of certainty for the future.
7 INSTITUTE NEWS
Branch Reports We are fortunate in this edition to have two excellent technical papers, which I
would urge you to read and digest. Dr Nassar’s paper researching the possibility
14 TECHNICAL PAPER
Influence of Bitumen Emulsion Spray of developing and enhancing Cold Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures for use as surface
on Pavement Performance course is to be applauded and hopefully the research into this topic will continue
in the near future. The paper prepared by John Richardson and Connor Campbell is
18 TECHNICAL PAPER
Developing Cold Bitumen Emulsion a reminder of the importance of bond and tack coats at pavement layer interfaces
Mixtures for Surface Courses using Different in order for the pavement structure to function effectively over the course of its
Types of Filler serviceable life. How many times have those of us in our earlier careers struggled
26 EDUCATION AND TRAINING to recover core samples from lower pavement layers due to a complete failure of
NVQ Level 3 offers Technicians appropriate the layer bond (most notably between the bituminous and underlying cementitious
CSCS Smart Card material)? It must have been a comical sight for passing pedestrians.
28 INTERVIEW
This leads on to a personal request to all members of the institute. Please can you
Laying the ground for new horizons
share your project experiences with us, either from the distant or more recent past.
30 NEW PROJECT DEVELOPMENT We would love to learn from your successes (and less successful episodes), as it
Aggregate Industries takes on new
is all about making AsPro a publication which the members can all contribute,
tandem roller
but also learn from each other. Let’s capture that collective knowledge and
32 TECHNICALLY SPEAKING make sure it is available for asphalt professionals of the future.

34 ASPHALT PEOPLE Here endeth the lesson for the February edition of AsPro. Please read on…
Jon Taylor

Our next publication is the April issue.

We always welcome new ideas for articles and technical papers. If you have
a suggestion you would like to share please get it contact with our Editor,
Front Cover: Adrian Tatum at a.tatum@hgluk.com or 01935 374013.
Shutterstock
Copy date is 8th March 2019
Advertisers – please email Gavin Harrison on g.harrisons@hgluk.com for a media
file or to discuss how we can help promote your products and services.
Alternatively, you can call him on 01732 448698

© 2018 Institute of Asphalt Technology

No material in this issue may be reproduced in any form
except by permission in writing from the Institute Secretary. Jon Taylor Managing Editor
Contributors express their personal and professional
opinions in this publication and their views are not
necessarily those of the Institute of Asphalt Technology.

Designed by Sharon Levett • sharonlevett@hotmail.co.uk
Published under licence by Hemming Group:
Adrian Tatum • 01935 374013 • a.tatum@hgluk.com
Gavin Harrison • 01732 448698 • g.harrisons@hgluk.com
Please contact us if you would like to contribute your
thoughts, images, reports, technical papers or have
a product you would like to advertise – email address,
as always, is publications@instituteofasphalt.org

www.instituteofasphalt.org

The Institute of Asphalt Technology
PO BOX 15690 • Bathgate • EH48 9BT
tel 01360 440 682
email info@instituteofasphalt.org
website www.instituteofasphalt.org
ISSN 1479-6341
President Alan Ferguson FIAT Published under licence
Vice President Tony Sewell FIAT by Hemming Group
Editor Adrian Tatum
Managing Editor Jon Taylor
Business Manager Russell Hunter
Hon Treasurer Andrew Bird MIAT HEMMING
GR O U P
Secretary Michael Atkinson FIAT
PRESIDENT’S VIEW
President’s View
Alan Ferguson FIAT
President IAT
Welcome to the first edition of Asphalt
Professional in 2019
One of the important parts of being a
good asphalt technologist is having and
understanding of the glue we use. Different
asphalt products are made with different
forms of bitumen. A good example is
where bitumen emulsion is used in many
products including surface dressing, slurries
and patching sprays as well as for bonding
construction layers. It is the implementation
of new technology that is allowing us to
do things that we could not do with hot
bitumen that we were not able to do in
the past, or at a reduced temperature
from hot bitumen.
An emulsion is defined as a fine dispersion
of minute droplets of one liquid (in our case
bitumen) in another in which it is not soluble
or miscible (water). An emulsion paint works
the same as a bitumen emulsion but instead
of bitumen droplets being held in the water
you have droplets of pigment bound in a
synthetic resin held in water.
Emulsions are used for many things and big
conferences are held every year to discuss
and develop emulsions. In our industry
4 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
the bitumen suppliers do all sorts of clever
chemistry when making emulsions to give
us the performance we want. Like when we
splash magnolia on bedroom walls we have
no idea about all the interesting chemical
reactions that are happening to make the
water separate from the bitumen so that
all the droplets stick together allowing it
to become sticky and waterproof.
This edition of the journal looks at two
different applications of bitumen emulsion,
firstly its use as a bonding layer between
asphalt surfacing. When I first entered the
industry emulsion was used in a basic way on
old or planed surfaces prior to them receiving
a new layer of asphalt. A man would wander
down the lane with a small bitumen tank
in tow, waving a hand lance spreading the
emulsion. It must have had some beneficial
effect but I have no idea how much. It was
probably around the turn of the century
that sprayer tankers, often borrowed from
the surface dressing departments, started
being used for uniformly spreading emulsion
between layers of new asphalt. This was
partly because extra dry high stiffness poor
fatigue ‘High Modulus Base’ mixes were
briefly adopted country wide at the end
of the 1990’s ~ 2005 and these were very
susceptible to poor interlayer bond and
unhindered water movement through the
mix. Many costly failures followed and these
products were dropped in HD26/06. However
the importance of interlayer bond was now
clearly appreciated and specification of
properly applied bonding layers was
brought in.
Nowadays every self-respecting asphalt
contracting company will have a proper
bespoken sprayer or two.
Tack coats and bond coats have been the
subject of an awful lot of debate, specifically
which should be used where and what the
appropriate spray rate should be between
layers. BS 594987, The British Standard for
laying asphalt, has swung back and forth in
terms of the level of residual binder required
for all the different situations. What is
important when such debates happen is that
people on the different sides of the tablet are
aware of the facts. This is where the technical
papers about performance become very
important. The technical paper in this edition
of Asphalt Professional by John Richardson
and Connor Campbell is a case in point. Facts
are presented for our consideration and
interpretation, conclusions are drawn based
on these facts. So the next time BS 594987 is
being reviewed and spray rates for bond and
tack coats inevitably come up for discussion
all the people sitting round the table will
have a better understanding thanks to this
paper and this can only be a good thing.
Our second technical paper by Dr Ahmed
Nassar looks at using emulsion in the whole
mix to make Cold Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures
or CBEM. The challenge with these mixtures
in the UK relates to, and I quote, the ‘wet/
cold climate’. Again facts are presented for
our consideration. There is a lot of technical
information in this work representing many
weeks work. I can look between the results
and the conclusions of the author and confirm
there are facts behind all the conclusions.
It is a very interesting set of results, the
pecking order of performance is not always
as you would expect. I congratulate the
author on adding to our knowledge of how
these mixtures perform and therefore what
their potential is.
So in conclusion please take the time to read
the excellent technical articles in this edition,
they are very pertinent to what we do.
Consider the values in the graphs and tables,
how the different results compare and what
that means in the real work. This will make
you a more knowledgeable person, exercise
your brain and of course be part of your
Continuing Professional Development.
 INSTITUTE UPDATE

Institute Update – February 2019

2018 IAT Awards Ceremony The prizes awarded were as follows.
Last year I had the privilege of attending The list of most recent prize winners
the inaugural IAT awards ceremony. Prior can now be found on the website under
to this event these awards had been Education > IAT Awards and Winners.
presented at the Annual Conference,
Shell Prize Best 3rd Year:
however our experience was that students
1st Place – Greg Reeder
found it difficult to attend with it moving
around each year. As a result we looked 2nd Place – Kyle Barnard
at better ways to present these awards, 3rd Place – Hayley Abel
the outcome of which was this new event,
Cemex Best 2nd Year:
held at the University of Derby Enterprise
James Weeks
Centre on 16 November 2018. We intend
to build on this each year.
Russell Hunter
IAT Best 1st Year:
Business Manager
Arran O’Donnel

FM Conway Best One-year

Diploma Student: Please contact me with any
James Cliffe Institute-related query.
My contact details:
2017 Akeroyd Award
russell.hunter@instituteofasphalt.org
Winner:
01360 440 682
Accelerated durability
testing using the immersion
ageing test for thin asphalt
surfacings, by Dr Chibuzor
Ojum, Dr Iswandaru
Widyatmoko, Martin Heslop
and Arash Khojinian.
Dr Helen Bailey presents FM Conway Best One-year Diploma
Student to James Cliffe

IAT President Alan Ferguson presents the Akeroyd Award to Chibuzor Ojum and
Prof. John Read presents Shell Best Prize to Hayley Abel Daru Widyatmoko.

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 5

EVENTS

Events www.instituteofasphalt.org/events
NATIONAL EVENTS IAT ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2019
Wednesday 5 June - Hosted by President Alan Ferguson and the Scottish Branch
Thursday 6 June 2018 at the Dalmahoy just outside Edinburgh
BRANCH TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS
Tuesday 12 February 2019 Scottish Branch with Institute of Highway Engineers –
AGM followed by The New Format of the DMRB
Michael McHale TRL. Westerwood Hotel, St Andrews Drive, Cumbernauld

Wednesday 13 February 2019 Western Branch – Automated Quality Assurance-Delivering Cost, Safety & Productivity Wins
The Somerset Earth Science Centre, Moons Hill Quarry, Mendip Road, Stoke St Michael

Tuesday 26 February 2019 West Midland Branch – Smart Paving Technologies

Neil Leake Aggregate Industries. The Village Hotel, Tempus Drive, Walsall

Friday 8 March 2019 Scottish Branch with Institute of Civil Engineers Dundee Area Branch –
IAT Scottish Branch 38th Annual Dinner
Westerwood Hotel, St Andrews Drive, Cumbernauld

Thursday 21 March 2019 Scottish Branch – Detecting and Dealing with Tar Bound Arisings
Steve Betteridge Lincolnshire County Council. Abertay University, Bell Street, Dundee

Saturday 13 April 2019 East Midlands Branch – East/West Midlands Annual Dinner Dance
The Vox, Resorts World, NEC, Birmingham

Tuesday 16 April 2019 Scottish Branch – How to Ruin Perfectly Good Asphalt
Jeff Farrington. Westerwood Hotel, St Andrews Drive, Cumbernauld

Friday 14 June 2019 Pennines Branch with Institute of Quarrying – Joint Annual Charity Summer Ball
Ramada Plaza Southport, Promenade, Southport

BRANCH TRAINING DAYS

Tuesday 26 March 2019 Irish Branch – Connecting Ireland - Managing Our Road Network
Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

FORTHCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

April 2nd-4th 2019 Traffex 2019
NEC, Birmingham. www.traffex.com

Wednesday 12 June 2019 7th International Conference ‘Bituminous Mixtures & Pavements’
Thessaloniki, Greece

Scottish Branch We look forward to our next meeting in

Report by Stuart Guthrie
The Scottish Branch Technical Papers
season kicked off with the first meeting
of the season on 16th September with a
presentation from Dr Michael Gordon from
WSP talking about advances in failure
detection in roads and bridges using 3D
Radar. This was followed by three further
meetings attracting an average attendance
of 36 members and guests, one of which
was our annual January joint event with
the Institute of Quarrying at Stirling on the
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
January followed by our AGM in February.
During this season we have seen the
resignation of one committee member
reducing our active committee total to 12
in number so if you would like to join a
successful team and fancy participating in
running the Scottish Branch please come
forward on or before the AGM on the
12th February at the Westerwood Hotel,
Cumbernauld.
Our ever-popular Annual Dinner will be held
on Friday 8th March featuring two after
dinner speakers. Please contact John Scott if
you would like to attend or take a table.
We are looking
forward to a
very interesting
paper from Steve
Betteridge of
Lincolnshire CC in
our now annual joint meeting with the
ICE in Dundee on the 21st March 2019
The finale of the season before the summer
recess will be from a well know prominent
speaker Jeff Farrington titled How to Ruin
Perfectly Good Asphalt.
As always, we will be delighted to see you,
and your guests at any of our events, please
feel free to book and come along.

6 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org

 INSTITUTE NEWS

Pennine Branch
Report by Rick Ashton

The Pennine Branch held Technical Evening
on 13 November at Statham Lodge Hotel,
Lymm, Cheshire. Our guest Speaker was
Dr Paul Edwards, AECOM’s Technical
Director.
The evenings presentation titled:
Innovations in Pavement Design and
Materials.
This was a well attended (for a winter’s
evening) event including a branch
committee meeting pre-presentation. The
ideas for 2019 events were discussed and
our accounts reviewed by Treasurer, A Dean.
Dr Edwards presented a lively informative
presentation on Highways England’s road
map of innovations predicted for the
strategic highways network between now
and 2050. These included advances in
surface technology, quite smoother surfaces,
autonomous vehicles and what their affects
may be on road design and infrastructure.
Digital road network condition surveys
and asset management implications are
at the forefront of all local authorities and
Highways England’s agendas.
Paul also described new revisions to HD36
and HD37 of the Design Manual for Roads
and Bridges and emerging foundation
categories such as foamed asphalt and
RCC. A lively question and answer session
followed showing how engaged the
audience were and we hope Paul can
join us for more fascinating future events.
Thanks to the committee and all attendees
for coming and supporting the branch.
For 2019 it was agreed that the Branch will
hold another Training Day at the end of April
2019. This would be a chargeable event
but payment would include membership
subscription for non members in order to
attract new membership. We will circulate
our events program to local authorities this
year for Training Days as CPD can often
allow public employees’ attendance. Local
authorities may pay for training, but will not
pay for memberships of professional bodies
so this could be a good future strategy for
IAT branches.
Digital road network
condition surveys and asset
Branch Quiz
The Branch will arrange a New Year Quiz in
quarter one of 2019, possibly in Manchester.
Tina McHugh and Rick Ashton are looking
to find a venue and will post the details on
the website as agreed. Committee Secretary
Rory O’Connor is to compose the questions,
so keep an eye out for this returning annual
event. The evening will also include a
short presentation outlining the Branch’s
activities/events for 2019 including our
Joint IOQ / IAT Dinner Dance Southport
14th June 2019. This is already advertised
on the IAT Website and notification of the
event has been emailed to IAT members.
Last year’s event raised over £2000 for The
North West Air Ambulance and Rosemere
Cancer Charity. Individual places or full
tables are available to supporting members
and companies.

Paul described the potential of new road management implications Technical Evenings
network operators coming into the highways are at the forefront of Technical Evenings are provisionally
sector such as UBER, Google and Tesla.
all local authorities and scheduled for March and September 2019.
These companies have vested interests
in road condition when operating large
Highways England’s agendas. For Branch Updates check the IAT Website.

digitally controlled fleets of EV’s (electric

vehicles). In the next 30 years this scenario
could alter how roads are funded, with
new opportunities for data harvesting by
measuring user behaviour via journey times,
routes and algorithmic patterns. Big Brother
could be watching! The autonomous nature
of vehicles could impact traffic management
around road works and even negate the
need for cones with satellite guided vehicles
simply not needing these. Drone delivery
and automated repair plant could all change
the way we see pavement maintenance
performed thirty years from now!

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 7

INSTITUTE NEWS

Irish Branch
Report by Cathal Fahy

First of all On behalf of the branch and our
committee I would like to wish you all a
happy new year.
Since the last report in the November issue
the Irish Branch has been very active as
usual. On Wednesday the 14th November
we had a talk entitled the Compaction of
Asphaltic Materials. Guest speakers on the
day were Seamus O’Reilly from Milestone
Pavement Technologies and Winfried
Schramm from Bomag. We held this in the
Maldron Hotel in PortLaois. It is a very smart
venue with good food which provides the
Irish branch with an invaluable service in the
middle of the country. However it proved to
be a small and a bit cramped but this was
mainly due to the attendance being one
of our larger ones principally because both
Seamus and Winfried are very popular as
speakers. We have will have to go bigger
next time…
The IAT Annual Seminar 2019 will be held
on Tuesday 26th March 2019 in The Hodson
Bay Hotel, Athlone. The seminar is titled:
Connecting Ireland - Managing Our Road
Network and will address issues relevant to
Road Asset Management, Road Construction
& Maintenance. The Seminar will be of
benefit to all technical staff in the sector.
As always we will be delighted to see you
at any of our events, please feel free to
book and come along.
We have also renewed our pocket diary
of events for the Irish branch 2019 which
proved to be very popular in 2018. This will
be circulated at technical meetings and the
upcoming one-day seminar.
For all updates and information please
keep an eye on the Irish Branch website at
Cathal Fahy- PRO
www.instituteofasphalt.org/branch/index

In December (even right up to the

festivities) and January the various sub
committees has continued to meet and
is continuing to plan technical events and
provide training with a full 2019 schedule
soon to be announced. However I can
confirm we have training course on road
engineering on the dates below:

27th & 28th February Castlebar, Mayo,

Tom Walsh Chairman IAT Irish Branch
9th & 10th April Stranorlar, Donegal, welcomes Speaker Winfried Schramm Tom Walsh Chairman IAT Irish Branch
from Bomag welcomes Seamus O Reilly Milestone
22 & 23 May Roscrea, Tipperary,
nd rd

18th & 19th September Ballincollig, Cork,

16th & 17th October Ballycoolin, Dublin.

Again as you can see we have a good

spread of locations throughout the country
which means there will be a course within
touching distance of most members. Also
we have a number of Technical meetings in
2019 with the first one on the 6th February
In Tullamore by the TII’s very own Tom
Casey on Skid Resistance and Friction
after polishing.

8 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org


South East Branch
Report by Herbert Micallef
The South East Branch had a really
busy couple of months in the run up to
the Christmas festivities. We met once
again at the Counting House pub on the
29th October to discuss ‘Polymers for
Performance’ with our guest speaker
Dr. Ian Lancaster of Nynas Bitumen. Dr.
Lancaster, through the clever use of props
and an excellently delivered presentation,
showed the group how specification of
performance and ‘end-user’ requirements
allows bitumen and asphalt manufacturers
to assess what polymer blends and
products deliver best value through the
whole life of the asset.
As usual, following the presentation,
an interesting debate about balancing
capital cost and whole life value and how
highway contracts can enable the use
of polymer modified asphalts using the
European Frameworks ensued. There were
50 attendees for this event and the branch
is looking to maintain these healthy
numbers in 2019.
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
INSTITUTE NEWS
The Branch also met on the 29th of
November for its annual Christmas Event,
the ‘IAT South East Branch Annual Quiz’
hosted by our legendary quiz master Steve
Anstee and attended by close to 100 people.
It was a hard quiz with not a single mention
of asphalt, aggregates, bitumen, fillers,
geotextiles or pavers, which resulted in a Asphalt Reinforcement Services and Metis
tight scoring card from 2nd place onwards. Consultants. The branch would also like
The clear winners by 8 points; almost a to give huge thanks to Nynas Bitumen for
whole round; were Transport for London providing the prizes for the umpteenth
for a second year in a row. Guided by ex- year and for making the event a fun and
University Challenge contestant Chris Ducklin competitive event.
they stormed through the rounds and took
the coveted trophy once again with Metis
Consultants finishing far behind in 2nd
place. We would like to thank our sponsors
for the event. Their financial contribution
will ensure the South East branch continues
to not only attract and successfully deliver
the technical events but also provide
some ‘dinner’ to the attendees. These are
Eurovia Roadstone, Eurovia Contracting,
Tarmac, FM Conway, Aggregate Industries,
Our calendar of events for 2019 will be established
on the 30th of January 2019 at the next committee
meeting and we have already identified a range of
very interesting topics to keep our members enthused
and knowledgeable about the great subject of asphalt.
• February 2019 9
INSTITUTE NEWS
East Midlands Branch
Report by Andy Simms
Updates to Design Manual for Roads
and Bridges and Manual of Contract
Documents for Highway Works -
Arash Khojinian 21st November 2018
On Wednesday 21st November 2018, Arash
Khojinian, Pavements Team Manager,
Highways England (HE) provided almost
50 Branch members and Derby University
students with a presentation titled DMRB
and MCHW Update.
Arash reminded the audience that HE
manages the strategic road network in
England under licence from DfT. In the
Road Investment Strategy the government
specified a set of performance outcomes and
£11.4bn of capital investments that HE was
required to deliver between April 2015 to
March 2020.
In its Delivery Plan 2015-2020, HE set out a
programme of major improvements totalling
approximately £7.7bn of capital expenditure
comprising 112 individual schemes, and a
further 15 schemes for delivery during Road
Period 2.
This programme is underpinned by a focus on
safety, programme delivery and customers.
HE takes a long term and evidence-led
approach to future planning over further RIS
programmes, as far as RIS5 (2035 – 2040).
RIS 1 contains various performance outcomes,
including a 40% reduction in the number
of people killed or seriously injured on the
network, an overall level of user satisfaction
of at least 90%, and improvements in traffic
flow, with at least 97% network availability
and 85% of motorway incidents cleared
within an hour. There are also outcomes
related to environmental issues, cyclists and
pedestrians. The Department of Transport
expect delivery of the investment plan in
a timely and efficient way, with £1.2 bn
savings across the five year period, and 95%
of road surfaces on the strategic network
must be in good condition.
Highways England’s ongoing obligations
and responsibilities relating to DMRB require
that the review of the DMRB “must seek to
reduce the number of prescriptive standards
10 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
and increase the number of performance
standards, in line with industry best
practice, and thereby reduce the number
of departures from standards”. Arash noted
that the DMRB currently comprises around
300 documents, totalling more than 11,000
pages, with an average age increasing from
around 4 to 15 years over the last 35 years.
Many documents are very short, and contain
few pages of technical context. TD27 was
downloaded 2.41 million times in 2014,
with 20 documents having fewer than 1000
downloads in 2015. Approximately half of
the DMRB content is contained in Advice
Notes which account for 5,830 pages. Much
of the ‘advice’ contained in Volume 7 will be
removed, and documentation will focus on
requirements for motorways and trunk roads,
and will not necessarily be applicable to the
Local Authority network.
Arash went on to explain the new coding
system for documents in DMRB Volume
7, with Civil Engineering assigned a two
letter prefix, the initial ‘C’ relating to Civil
Engineering with examples of the second
letter being ‘C’ (Construction), ‘D’ (Design),
’M’ Maintenance and Operation) and so on.
Documents relating to Pavement topics are
in a series numbered 200 - 299. The final
two digits are identical to the superseded
document, hence CD236 Surface Course
Materials for Construction replaces the
old HD36/06 (and IAN 156/15).
Arash noted some changes in CD236, for
example HRA shall be permitted for bridge
deck surfacing without a departure even
if the site is ‘noise sensitive’. Arash noted
one aspect of DMRB revision is to reduce
the number of time consuming and costly
Departures from Standards. HE intend
to optimise the relationship between
Material Specification, Designs, Quality and
Environmental considerations, for example
seeking to optimise a mix of characteristics
including; safety, ride quality, durability
and noise. One of the key challenges is
to balance risk via procurement.
Arash summarised findings from a Transport
Focus and HE survey in 2017, that indicated
that road users’ top priority is improvement
in surface quality of England’s motorways
and major ‘A’ roads. Customers want a
surface without bumps, potholes, undulations
or deep ruts and they also want clearer white
lines and ‘cats eyes’. Users prefer asphalt
roads to concrete, partly because they are
quieter to drive on. The HE response to such
surveys is to ensure that RIS2 prioritises
surface quality, reduced journey time and
quieter surfacing. This will require a ‘surfacing
toolbox’ to promote new maintenance
practice, improved mixture and investment
to intervene earlier. Changes to SHW Clause
942 which now contains minimum binder
contents and maximum air void contents
as well as water sensitivity requirements
are intended to contribute to achieving
this. Arash also noted that Clause 936
(Geosynthetics), to be published in 2019
will reduce the need for Departures from
Standard.
Arash concluded his presentation by
commenting on the future, referencing HE’s
‘Connecting the Country – Planning for the
Long Term’ Document. This suggests key
trends over the next 30 years that can be
translated into HE’s ‘2050 vision themes’
for Design construction and maintenance,
Connected and autonomous vehicles,
Customer mobility, Energy and Environment
and Operations. Each of these areas will have
innovation and research priorities. Current
examples are Automated Quality Assurance
for laying and testing asphalt, and self-
healing asphalt.
Arash’s wide ranging talk provided a useful
insight into Highways England’s future
thinking as well as changes to the DMRB
and MCHW over the next year or two.
It was well received by all attending.

Western Branch
Report by John Booth
Autumn is always a fairly busy time for
Western Branch, with technical evenings
running, and the Dinner Dance to
finalise. This last takes a good deal of the
committee’s time, particular for those
having to organise the sponsors, collect
the cash etc.
In the end the dinner dance was a great
success, although numbers were down
from last year. We think this had more
to do with the economic climate than the
event itself. We had compliments about
the band, well done Shadow Monkeys, and
the magician, photo booth and casino were
all popular. We were very pleased to have
our President, and the new IAT Director for
Business Development, Lyle Andrew, as
honoured guests.
As well as being Branch Treasurer for many
years, Liz Halliwell is pivotal in making the
dinner dance the success it is, both for those
who attend, and for Western Branch itself.
It was really pleasing to be able to present
Liz with a Certificate of Merit to recognise
the work that Liz has put in for Western
Branch. The award was presented by our
President, Alan Ferguson.
Western Branch committee always donate
some of the proceeds of the dinner dance
charity. This year we are pleased to support
the Somerset Earth Sciences Centre at Stoke
St Michael. The Centre is an educational
charity concentrating on quarrying and
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
geology in the Mendip area, providing
free visits for schools and other interested
groups.(www.earthsciencecentre.org.uk/
education)
Our October technical evening was given by
Keith Smith of Chevron Traffic Management
on Working on the Highway - Work Zone &
Roadworks Safety. Keith gave an interesting
talk, raising some important issues about
designing, procuring, and setting out traffic
management.
All temporary traffic management (TM)
must have a competent designer and there
will be some hard questions to answer if a
problem occurs and it turns out that there
is no competent designer. For anyone who
uses a TM contractor registered to National
Highways Sector Scheme (NHSS) 12 this is
no problem, provided the contractor is not
overruled in some way, and is requested to
discharge all legal obligations with regard
to the TM design and implementation.
The code of practice for sign design and
layout are contained in the Traffic Signs
Manual Chapter 8. Chapter 8 consists of 3
volumes, the third volume contains updates
to volumes 1 and 2, and therefore all 3
volumes must be consulted.
Keith talked about common problems with
some signs, particularly black on yellow
information signs, variable message signs,
and white on red signs. All of these have
INSTITUTE NEWS
designated formats and requirements.
Information signs should be readable by
someone driving at normal speed for the
road, consequently too much information
is undesirable. There are also specific
requirements such as times in a.m./p.m.,
and months as abbreviations, not numbers,
e.q. Sep, not 9, as well as the size of the
letters and the correct use of upper and
lower case.
Keith explained that, if there were to be
an accident with an incorrectly designed
sign, then the sign could be deemed an
obstruction and all those involved in the
preparation and placement of the sign
could be at risk of prosecution. This might
be extreme but emphasises the importance
of correctly formatted signs at roadworks.
Keith also mentioned barriers, emphasising
that cones are delimiters, not barriers. Any
barrier, such as round an excavation, must
be secure and resistant to vandalism, and
must be robust enough to prevent people
accidentally falling in, even late on Saturday
night!
All in all an interesting and thought
provoking evening, thanks Keith.
• February 2019 11
INSTITUTE NEWS
Northern Ireland Branch
Report by Peter Collen
At the start of October, the Northern
Ireland Branch welcomed Bernd Abele
and Steve Joyce from JRS. They gave
a very interesting presentation on
‘Innovative Fibre Pellets for Modified
Asphalt Mixtures’. This illustrated how
using their Viatop Plus FEP product could
provide users with similar characteristics
to using Polymer Modified Bitumen
with the added benefit of not having to
dedicate a separate bitumen tank for it.
An engaging question and answer session
was held afterwards. The evening was well
attended and many existing and a few
new members were in attendance.
The first field trip of the year was held at the
end of November, with ten Northern Ireland
IAT members making a trip to Dublin. We
were welcomed by Dr Ciaran McNally for
a tour of his laboratory within University
College Dublin and to see their Friction
After Polishing (FAP) test equipment.
Ciaran talked our members through the
12 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
test, equipment and showed examples
of previous test results. The travelling IAT
members were very interested by this test
as many of those present have high Polish
Stone Value aggregate quarries. The FAP
test examines the friction coefficient of
either the asphalt mix or aggregate and not
members were introduced to the effects
just that of the individual aggregate, as is
of over and under compaction. It showed
the case with Polish Stone Value. There are
how the rolling temperature of the mix
many benefits to the FAP test as it provides
can have a major effect of the air voids
a reflection of how the mix will perform
and a look at how coarse and fine mixes
during service life. The laboratory visit was
behave when compacted. The mixes were
followed by a very enjoyable lunch and trip
compacted live in the laboratory using a
to the Aviva stadium to watch the Ireland vs
Gyratory Compactor. A demonstration of
USA rugby international, which was kindly
the Nottingham Asphalt Testing system was
sponsored by Atlantic Bitumen.
then provided illustrating how mix stiffness
The final meeting of 2018 was held is influenced by how the test specimen
at Ulster University, where past IAT was compacted. A discussion of both topics
NI chairman Dr David Woodward and then ensued. This laboratory visit was
committee member Jason Ferguson gave well attended by consultants, technicians,
members a tour of their laboratory and Infrastructure NI and industry. The branch
a very interesting talk on the Effect of hopes to carry out more of these hands-on
Compaction on Asphalt Surfaces. Attending technical visits in 2019.
 CLOSE TO OUR CUSTOMERS

Your one-stop supplier.

www.wirtgen-group.com/technologies

ROAD AND MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES. With leading technologies from the WIRTGEN GROUP, you can
handle all jobs in the road construction cycle optimally and economically: processing, mixing, paving, compact-
ing and then rehabilitation. Put your trust in the WIRTGEN GROUP team with the strong product brands
WIRTGEN, VÖGELE, HAMM, KLEEMANN and BENNINGHOVEN. www.wirtgen-group.com/gb

WIRTGEN LIMITED . Wirtgen Group House . Overfield Park . Godfrey Drive . Newark . NG24 2UA
T: 03452 412770 . Email: sales.gb@wirtgen-group.com

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 13

TECHNICAL PAPER

Influence of Bitumen Emulsion Spray

on Pavement Performance
Head of Technical Department, Colas Limited, Wallage Lane, Crawley, United Kingdom, RH10 4NF,
john.richardson@colas.co.uk

UK Technical Service Manager, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited, Rowlandsway House,
Manchester, United Kingdom, M22 5SB, Connor.Campbell@shell.com

Abstract: Bitumen emulsion sprays have an important part to play in the achievement of durable, efficient road
pavement construction. Clearly, spraying of bond coats or tack coats at the interface of the bound layers should
improve the likelihood of full bond and of resistance to the entry of water through the layers, both of which
are needed to meet the design objectives and for the pavement to continue to function properly. BS 594987
recommends bond coats, which are typically polymer modified bitumen emulsion, as best practice and their
use is prevalent for the whole range of paved areas in the UK. Recent work examines the effect of different
rates of spread of bitumen emulsion sprays on interlayer adhesion and permeability as well as attempting
to ascertain whether there are optimum quantities to obtain the desired effects.

Key words: Bond coat, bitumen emulsion, road pavement, permeability.

1. Introduction
A generally common aim in asphalt
pavement design and construction is
sufficient durability of the structure to
minimize subsequent maintenance,
without entailing undue expenditure in
the first instance. Various methods and
techniques are available to achieve this.
Best practice in the United Kingdom has
been described, following a collaborative
research project funded by Highways
Agency (now Highways England), Quarry
Products Association (now Mineral
Products Association) and Refined Bitumen
Association (now Eurobitume UK), as in
[1]. This highlights three aspects that
construction layers and to improve the
impermeability of the layer below.
Pavement design and evaluation involves an
analysis of the response to loading of a fully
bonded composite structure, i.e. acting as a
single layer. There are techniques that are
used in analytical design to assess the effect
of impaired layer adhesion on performance,
and predicted life can be reduced markedly,
as in [2]. Sealing between the layers against
water intrusion is desirable in order to avoid
deterioration due to weakening at the
binder to aggregate interface and to loss
of stiffness in the layer. Drainage systems
help to control the path of water. This
assists with the expulsion of water, but it is
2. Tack coats and bond coats
Traditionally, tack coats in road construction
provide a means of initiating the bond
between layers and are generally dilute,
simple emulsions that are fluid enough
to fill interstices in the surface. With the
introduction of thin surface course systems,
bond coats, that are more viscous with
cohesive binders, provide a thicker film to
ensure interlayer bond and impermeability.
They are typically polymer modified bitumen
emulsion, with a binder having a minimum
peak cohesion by pendulum of 1.0 J/cm2.
BS 594987 [3] recommends bond coats as
best practice and their use is prevalent for

have a significant impact on pavement
durability: control of water; limiting joints
and sealing joints that have to be there;
and compaction. Bitumen emulsion sprays
have a part to play, to some extent, in all
of these aspects.
The principal use of bitumen emulsion for
bond and tack coats in asphalt pavements
is to initiate or enhance adhesion between
important that the surfacing is essentially
impermeable. This may mean the binder
course, if the surface course accommodates
water by design, e.g. porous asphalt.
Spraying of bond coats or tack coats at the
interface of the bound layers in a pavement
construction improves the likelihood of full
bond to meet the design objectives and to
resist the entry of water through the layers.
the whole range of paved areas. However,
the fluid nature of tack coats makes them
particularly suitable for the treatment of
dusty surfaces that are difficult to clean,
and they remain useful for smaller and
more lightly trafficked areas.
BS 594987 specifies minimum target
rates of spread of residual binder with a
permitted deviation of 20%. This should

14 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org


ensure that residual binder from bond coat
is never less than about 0.15 kg/m . Higher
2 extracted from the pavement and tested in
rates are required for planed surfaces so
that it should not be less than about 0.3 kg/
m2, in this case.
It is reasonable to assume that greater
amounts of binder in the pavement will
provide better sealing and resistance to
water. Between layers, though, thicker films
of certain binders could lead to problems of
pick up on tyres at the time of construction,
especially under the time pressure of night
closure and subsequent opening to traffic, or
to possible slippage under traffic in service.
Most binders will benefit from having time
to stabilise in-situ before they are open to
construction traffic. Rapid breaking of an
emulsion may also impair their ability to
penetrate the surface properly.
Recent work examines the effect of different
rates of spread of bitumen emulsion on
interlayer adhesion and permeability as
well as attempting to ascertain whether
there are optimum quantities to obtain
the desired effects.
3. Interlayer adhesion
3.1 Adhesion tests
There are two main methods of test for
pavement interlayer adhesion, both of
which assess the resistance to a type of
horizontal shear stress, as in [4]. The shear
bond test is a laboratory test that subjects
cylindrical specimens to direct shear loading
at constant shear rate. The torque bond
Table 1. Results of interlayer bonding for concrete base and SMA surface course with bond coat
Test
Mean shear strength @ 20°C, MPa
Mean torque bond strength @ 20°C, kPa
Table 2. Results of interlayer bonding for concrete base and SMA surface course with different types of bitumen emulsion spray
Test
70% binder content,
unmodified
Mean shear strength @ 20°C,
MPa
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
test uses cores that are tested in-situ or
the laboratory. A steel plate is glued to the
surface of the core and rotational horizontal
force applied.
3.2 Asphalt to concrete
The first study examines the bond of
an asphalt layer of 10 mm SMA surface
course to a new C40 concrete base surface,
including different types of curing treatment.
Achievement of good bond of asphalt layers
to concrete is considered more difficult than
to another asphalt. Application of bond
coat between layers gave a residual binder
content of 0.35 kg/m2.
Table 1 gives the average results of test.
The conclusion from these values is that the
type of curing compound on the concrete
resulted in very similar bonding strength
for both types of test. Guidelines for thin
surfacing systems on highways suggest
that ≥ 400 kPa is acceptable for the torque
bond strength at 20°C, as in [5], and all
of the results are consistent with this
recommendation.
Further work considered the effect of
different types of bitumen emulsion sprayed
between layers on the bond strength. In this
case, there was no curing compound used
for the concrete (which was just covered
with polythene for curing).
Table 2 gives the average results of test.
The residual binder content of the spray
remained at 0.35 kg/m2. However, the type
Concrete curing type
No curing compound Bitumen emulsion tack coat Wax based curing compound
0.770 0.691
426 444
Type of bitumen emulsion spray
65% binder content, modified
0.96 1.16
TECHNICAL PAPER
of emulsion affected the bond strength, so
that bitumen modification improves the bond.
The use of the more fluid emulsion of 50%
binder content improves the bond further.
The study extended to examining the effect
of binder spread rate on interface bonding.
Figure 1 gives the plotted results for each of
the three emulsion sprays. This shows that
the bond strength of the modified binders
reduces at high rates of spread, possibly due
to slip of an excess amount. To achieve the
same bond strength, the unmodified binder
requires a significantly higher rate of spread,
over the practicable range of application.
3.2 Asphalt to asphalt
A second study examines the bond of an
asphalt layer of 10 mm SMA surface course
to 20 mm dense asphalt concrete binder
course, with different rates of spread of two
types of bitumen emulsion spray. Figure 2
gives the plotted results for each emulsion
spray. This also shows that the bond
strength of the modified binder reduces at
higher rates of spread, possibly due to slip
of an excess amount. The bond strength is
significantly higher, as expected, than that
obtained with a concrete substrate and it
appears that the optimum rate of spread
should be lower. Over the practicable
range of application, the unmodified binder
achieves generally lower bond strength.
The absolute values of the test will be interface
dependent, but the results here should help to
give a reasonable explanation of behaviour of
the types of systems examined.
0.704
433
50% binder content, modified
1.50
• February 2019 15
TECHNICAL PAPER

4. Permeability
Figure 3 shows the test device for
measuring water permeability. It allows
the test to be carried out under different
pressures (0 to 3 bars). This has the
advantage of reducing the test time,
which is useful in the case of very low
permeability asphalt.

The equation used for the calculation of

permeability (K) in m/s-1 is as follows:

Q.L
K=
A. (h2 - h1 ) Figure 1. Effect of rate of spread of residual binder of bitumen emulsion sprays on shear strength
of asphalt-concrete interface

Where:
Q is water flow (m3. s-1),
L is thickness of the specimen (m),
A is area of the sample (m2), and
(h2 - h1) is the change in height of the water
column (m)

150 mm diameter specimens of 20 mm

asphalt concrete are compacted by gyratory
device to provide sufficient air voids so that
they are interconnected (target 7-8%). The
specimen diameter is reduced by coring to
~ 124 mm. Weighing of the specimen with
an application of broken emulsion on the
surface provides a means of quantifying
the residual binder. Sealing of the space Figure 2. Effect of rate of spread of residual binder of bitumen emulsion sprays on shear strength
between the specimen and the test mould of asphalt-asphalt interface

is ensured by filling with bitumen around

its entire thickness.

This study examines the effect of rate of

spread of two different types of bitumen
emulsion spray on the permeability to water
of the asphalt specimen. Figure 4 gives the
plotted results for each emulsion spray.

As expected, the permeability of the asphalt

layer decreases with increasing amount of
residual binder. It appears that the more
fluid bituminous spray with modified binder
is more effective at the lower rates of
application than is the more viscous spray
with unmodified binder. At higher rates, it is
not possible to differentiate between them.
However, due to the scatter of results, more
data are needed to support the conclusions. Figure 4. Effect of rate of spread of residual binder of bitumen emulsion sprays on vertical permeability

16 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org


Figure 3. Test equipment for
measuring permeability of specimen
5. Conclusions
1. The right type of bituminous spray at the
interface can ensure sufficient bond of
asphalt to concrete, irrespective of the
type of curing compound.
2. The more fluid types of bituminous spray
with modified binder enhance interlayer
bond.
3. The bond strength between layers with
modified binder reduces at the higher
rates of application, possibly due to
slip of an excess amount.
4. Over the practicable range of
application, the bituminous spray with
unmodified binder achieves generally
lower bond strength.
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
5. The bond between asphalt layers is
significantly greater than that obtained
with a concrete substrate and it appears
that the optimum rate of spread of
bituminous spray for the former case
should be lower.
6. Permeability of an asphalt layer
decreases with increasing amount
of bituminous spray on its surface.
7. The data scatter is such that there is
a low level of confidence, but, at the
lower rates of application, it appears
that the more fluid bituminous spray
with modified binder is more effective
at resisting penetration of water into
an asphalt layer than is the more
viscous spray with unmodified binder.
TECHNICAL PAPER
As expected, the
permeability of the
asphalt layer decreases
with increasing amount
of residual binder. It
appears that the more
fluid bituminous spray with
modified binder is more
effective at the lower rates
of application than is the
more viscous spray with
unmodified binder.
Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to Bernard
Yvinec at the Colas Campus for Science
and Techniques for his assistance with
the permeability studies.
References
[1] Nicholls, JC, McHale, MJ, and Griffiths,
RD (2008), “Best practice guide for
durability of asphalt pavements”, Road
Note 42, Transport Research Laboratory,
Wokingham
[2] Richardson, J (2006), “The importance
of bond coats and tack coats”, Asphalt
Professional, No. 21, July 2006, Institute
of Asphalt Technology
[3] BS 594987: 2015+A1:2017, “Asphalt
for roads and other paved areas –
Specification for transport, laying,
compaction and product type testing
protocols”, British Standards Institution,
London
[4] prEN 12697-48: 2013, “Bituminous
mixtures — Test methods for hot mix
asphalt — Part 48: Inter-layer bond
strength”, (in preparation), CEN, Brussels
[5] BBA (2013), “Interim guideline
document for the assessment and
certification of thin surfacing systems
for highways”, June 2013, British Board
of Agrément
• February 2019 17
TECHNICAL PAPER

Developing Cold Bitumen Emulsion

Dr. Ahmed I. M. Nassar
Pavement Engineer,
Jean Lefebvre (UK) Ltd,
Station House, 191-195
Windmill Lane, Cheshunt,
Hertfordshire, UK
Mixtures for Surface Courses using Different
Types of Filler
1. Introduction
In recent years, the construction of roads using cold asphalt mixes (CAMs) has gained increasing interest
around the world. For example, the annual production of CAMs is 1.5 million tonnes in France and 2 million
tonnes in Turkey (Gómez-Meijide and Pérez 2014).
However, in the UK, the use of CAMs is limited to base and sub-base courses of structural layers (Needham
1996, Khalid and Monney 2009, Thanaya et al. 2009). There is a significant need to carry out an intensive
scientific research in order to develop CAMs, more precisely cold bitumen emulsion mixtures (CBEMs),
for use as a surface course (Eckmann et al. 2004).

This demands novel and sustainable CBEM
products. The properties of these novel
mixtures should be similar to conventional
hot mix asphalt (HMAs) in order to use them
as a surface course. CBEMs are known and
accepted products that save resources and
energy consumption, giving environmental
protection with low pollution (Nikolaides
1994). However, CBEMs have several
drawbacks that make their performance
inferior as compared to HMAs (Thanaya
2003, Liebenberg and Visser 2004).
The weather in UK (wet/cold climate)
adds another dimension to the problem
of the limited use CBEMs.
In the past, different attempts have been
made to investigate and to enhance the
performance of CAMs using hydraulic
binder such as cement and lime. The
most extensively used hydraulic binders
are ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and
hydrated lime (Niazi and Jalili 2009).
Needham (1996) claimed that the
incorporation of cement into CBEMs can
increase: stiffness modulus, resistance
to permanent deformation, resistance
to fatigue cracking and improve resistance
to moisture damage.
n To increase the early mixture strength Why these products in particular?
and stiffness by binding excessive These materials are proposed because a
water released by the emulsion. significant quantity is produced annually
in the UK with an estimated 2.2 and 6
n To reduce the negative influence
million tonnes of granulated blast-furnace
of the released water and improve
slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA), respectively.
the adhesion of the binder to the
Accordingly, it is hoped that wider
aggregate.
utilization of CBEMs in the construction
n To increase the pH value of the aqueous
of highway and pavement materials
phase of the emulsion, and thus,
(with both environmental and economic
accelerate its breaking.
impacts) can be derived from the current
However, the use of relatively high cement research. Consequently, it could be useful in
content for CBEMs increases their cost and protecting the environment by minimizing
would contribute to increasing cement the volume of waste disposed to landfill.
demand worldwide. The emission of CO2
What is the aim of this study?
to the atmosphere during the production
The aim of this study is to improve the
of cement is about (5-7%) of the total CO2
mechanical properties and the durability of
emission from different sources (Humphreys
CBEMs with low cement content and different
and Mahasenan 2002, Benhelal et al. 2013).
by-product materials, namely FA and
Therefore, it is worth reducing the amount
GGBS. To achieve this aim, the mechanical
of cement in CBEMs and for this reason a
properties have been assessed by:
relatively low cement content was adopted
n Indirect Tensile Stiffness Modulus Test
in this research (1.0%).
(ITSM)
What could be a potential/alternative
n Uniaxial Cyclic Compression Test (UCCT)
solution?
The most sensible way to achieve this is n Durability assessment using Moisture
to use by-product fillers (manufacturing Susceptibility Test.

wastes) as supplementary cementitious

The role of the hydraulic binder in
CBEMs could be summarised as follows:
n To control the breaking behaviour
of the bitumen emulsion.
materials. Examples include:
n Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBS)
n Fly ash (FA)

18 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org

 TECHNICAL PAPER

2. Material and Testing Programme These materials are

2.1. Material Characteristics proposed because a
2.1.1. Aggregate significant quantity is
The aggregate used in this study was crushed limestone, as shown in Figure 1. The
gradation of aggregate was within the limits of 0/14 mm size close graded surface course,
produced annually in the
according to PD 6691. The gradation of the aggregate is shown in Figure 2, and its physical UK with an estimated 2.2
properties are listed in Table 1. and 6 million tonnes of
Properties Value Standard granulated blast-furnace
Density- Oven Dried 2.68 Mg/m3 BS EN 1097-6 slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA),
Density- Saturated Surface Dried 2.69 Mg/m3 BS EN 1097-6 respectively. Accordingly,
Density- Apparent 2.70 Mg/m 3
BS EN 1097-6 it is hoped that wider
Water Absorption 0.4 % BS EN 1097-6 utilization of CBEMs in the
Table 1 Physical characteristics of limestone aggregate
construction of highway and
pavement materials (with
both environmental and
economic impacts) can be
derived from the current
research.

Figure 1 Limestone aggregate size fractions

Figure 2 Limestone aggregate gradation of 0/14 mm size close graded surface course according to
PD 6691

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 19

TECHNICAL PAPER

2.1.2. Bitumen emulsion

A cationic slow setting bituminous emulsion, C60B5, was used to manufacture the CBEMs.
40/60 penetration grade bitumen was used in emulsion production. The other relevant
properties of the selected bituminous emulsion are shown in Table 2.

Properties Value Standard

Black to dark brown
Appearance
liquid
Softening Point (°C) 52 BS EN 1427
Viscosity - Efflux time 2mm - 40°C (s) 15-70 BS EN 12846
Bitumen content (%) 60 BS EN 1428
Penetration (0.1 mm) 47 BS EN 1426

Table 2 Bitumen emulsion properties

For comparison purposes, a HMA has been included in the study. This mix contained the
same aggregate type, gradation and base binder (40/60) as used in the CBEM. The bitumen
content in the HMA was 4.9% as recommended by BS EN 12697:2005 .

2.1.3. Selected Fillers

Four types of filler material were used in the preparation of CBEMs, as shown in Figure 3:
n Natural limestone filler (LF) was used in the control CBEM
n The OPC used in this study was CEM I 52.5R
n FA type 450-S was provided by Cemex
n GGBS was supplied by Hanson Cement Group

Figure 3 Types of selected fillers in this study

2.2. Mix Proportions and Sample Preparation

All samples produced for this study were prepared using the optimum bitumen emulsion
content of 6.75% and the optimum pre-wetting water content of 2.12% of the total weight
of aggregate. Figure 4 illustrates the laboratory manufacturing process for CBEM.

Figure 4 Manufacturing process for CBEMs

20 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org


The total amount of fillers was fixed at
5% by total weight of the aggregate. In
this study, OPC, FA, and GGBS were used
to fully/partially replace the conventional
limestone filler in CBEMs. The same mixture
proportions were used to prepare four
alternative CBEMs with cement and other
selected fillers as shown below.
n LF-CBEM containing 100% of LF.
n Low OPC-CBEM containing 80%
of LF and 20% of OPC.
n FA-CBEM and GGBS-CBEM containing
80% of FA/GGBS and 20% of OPC.
n High OPC-CBEM containing 100%
of OPC.
Cylindrical specimens were prepared for
all CBEMs. Mixing was carried out using a
Sun and Planet mixer. Thereafter, impact
compaction was utilized to compact the
specimens with 75 blows being applied
to each face.
After compaction, the curing protocol
followed was such that the specimens
were left in the moulds (in a sealed
condition) after compaction for 24 h, after
which they were extruded. Specimens
were conditioned in a thermostatically
controlled air chamber at 20ºC. This curing
temperature was selected as the most
conservative approximation to simulate
actual performance of CBEM on site as well
as to avoid any early ageing of the binder
(Serfass et al. 2004, Khalid and Monney
2009, Ojum et al. 2014).
3. Experimental Programme
3.1. Indirect Tensile Stiffness Modulus
(ITSM)
The curing trends of CBEMs were developed
by monitoring weight loss and stiffness gain
over a period of time. The non-destructive
stiffness test, ITSM, was selected for
assessing the stiffness of these CBEMs over
a period of 3 months, as shown in Figure 5.
Following BS EN 12697-26 (European
Committee for Standarization 2012), an
impulsive load was applied with a rise-time
of 124 ms, to achieve a target horizontal
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
deformation of 7 ± 2 μm. Ten conditioning
pulses were applied to the specimens
followed by five test pulses. For HMA, the
specimens were conditioned and tested at
20ºC. The ITSM was performed at 3, 5, 7, 14,
28, 45 and 84 days. Four specimens per mix
were tested under the same conditions.
Figure 5 Configuration of ITSM test
3.2. Uniaxial Cyclic Compression Test
(UCCT)
The Uniaxial Cyclic Compression Test is the
most used standard mechanical test in the
UK for assessing the permanent deformation
characteristics of bituminous mixtures. The
protocol for the UCCT test was performed
based on BS EN 12697-25. During this
test, the repeated load is applied axially
and consists of a square wave form with
a frequency of 0.5 Hz, i.e. a pulse of one-
second duration followed by a rest period
of one-second duration. This simulates slow
moving traffic, which leads to the most
deformation in a real road. Figure 6 shows
the test configuration of the UCCT (European
Committee for Standarization 2005b). After
compaction, the specimens were cured at
20ºC for 28 days; thereafter they were cured
in a forced draft oven for a further of 7 days
at 40°C. This curing protocol was selected
to make sure that the fully curing condition
was achieved as recommended
by Needham (1996) and Oke (2011).
TECHNICAL PAPER
Figure 6 Configuration of UCCT test
3.3. Moisture Damage Test
Moisture damage test is a feature directly
related to the effect of environmental
condition on the performance of asphalt
mixtures during the service life. Moisture
damage modes are potentially serious
problems in a climate such as the UK.
Moisture damage was evaluated based on
BS EN 12697-23. The test was carried out
using three sets of specimens:
n The first set (unconditioned/dry) was
tested after curing for 7 days at 20ºC;
n The second set (first conditioned group/
wet) was cured at 20°C for 7 days, after
which the specimens were subjected to
vacuum saturation for 30mins (6.75kPa)
before being soaked in a water bath for
3 days at 40°C and finally soaked for
2hrs at 20°C.
Moisture damage of mixtures can be
defined as the loss of strength in a mixture
due to the effects of the exposure condition.
The evaluation of durability was measured
as indirect tensile strength ratio (ITSR) as
defined in equation (1).
ITSconditioned
ITSR = x 100
ITSunconditioned
• February 2019 21
TECHNICAL PAPER
The ITS test involved applying diametric
compression with a constant deformation
rate of (50 ± 2) mm/min to the samples
between two loading strips, which creates
tensile stresses along the vertical diametral
plane causing a splitting failure. The test
was conducted at 20°C using Instron test
equipment.
4. Result and Discussion
4.1. Indirect Stiffness Modulus
Figure 7 shows the stiffness gain over
time for different CBEMs. It is known that
the monitoring of CBEM properties over
the curing period is essential in order to
understand the performance properly.
Figure 7 The stiffness modulus of studied
mixtures over the curing period
A considerable increase in modulus was
found when all or part of the conventional
filler in LF-CBEM was replaced by other
active fillers. It has been already established
that the stiffness of CBEM is highly reliant on
the removal of moisture from the mixture
as well as the breaking of bitumen emulsion
(Needham 1996).
The rate of CBEM stiffness modulus increases
as the OPC percentage increases. Also, the
rate of increase in stiffness modulus of
GGBS-CBEM is slightly higher than those
for Low OPC-CBEM and FA-CBEM, which all
have the same OPC content (1%), indicating
22 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
the positive effect of GGBS. Although, it is
known that FA has higher reactivity than
GGBS (Megat Johari et al. 2011), it produced
much lower stiffness as well as a lower
rate of increase. This may be attributed to
the ability of GGBS mixtures to maintain a
higher amount of trapped water relative to
FA mixtures replacement as well as to the
similarity of the chemical oxides (Nassar
et al. 2016). Therefore, this might increase
the efficiency of GGBS in by enhancing the
hydration process significantly.
At the end, this increase in stiffness at the
early life would be able to reduce the time
for opening the site for traffic.
4.2. Temperature Influence on Stiffness
Figure 8 presents the CBEM stiffness
modulus at 28 days under different
testing temperatures, namely 5, 10, 20,
30 and 40ºC. Generally, the stiffness
modulus decreased with an increase of the
temperature; the trend is very clear in both
HMA 40/60 and LF-CBEM. However, the
variation of stiffness decreased with the
presence of active filler, especially GGBS
in GGBS-CBEM and High OPC CBEM. This
might be considered as an advantage in
terms of performance, potentially making
the material less prone to rutting at high
temperatures.
4.3. Uniaxial Cyclic Compression Test
The results of UCCT on the different
mixtures are plotted in Figure 9 as the
average of three specimens in each mix.
The incorporation of OPC and other active
fillers resulted in a significant decrease in
the permanent strains relative to the control
mix (LF- CBEM), implying that CBEMs with
OPC, FA and GGBS are much less susceptible
to rutting distress. The improvement shown
into FA-CBEM relative to low OPC-CBEM
is probably rather larger than would be
expected based on ITSM data.
Figure 8 Stiffness modulus of CBEMs at 28 days
under different testing temperatures
 TECHNICAL PAPER

Normally, the standard UCCT test uses

a vertical stress of 100kPa and it is not
common to test at higher pressures.
However, tests at 200 and 300kPa have
been included in the present investigation
in order to give a broad picture of what
would happen if the CBEMs were used as a
surface layer under a high stress level due
to direct tyre content. Under these higher
stresses, the sensitivity of result to mixture
components became particularly apparent.

Figure 10 presents a comparison between

the accumulated permanent strains under
different stress levels, namely, 100, 200 and
300kPa. Untreated mixtures such as LF-CBEM
showed a quite high permanent strain of
Figure 9 The permanent strain in CBEMs under 100kPa stress
3.10% under 200kPa whilst the specimens
were completely damaged under 300kPa.
Also, it was found that incorporating
GGBS had a reasonably good resistance to
permanent deformation particularly under
100kPa relative to High OPC-CBEM.

In conclusion, the findings generally show

that treated CBEMs have an excellent
resistance to permanent deformation under
high stresses, since strain is less than 1%
(Thom 2008). Therefore, treated CBEMs
can potentially be successfully used in the
construction of surface layers for low to
medium traffic volume roads.

4.4. Moisture Susceptibility Test

The results in Figure 11 illustrate the
potential benefits gained from incorporating
Figure 10 Accumulated permanent strain of CBEMs under different stresses
OPC and by-product fillers into CBEMs. It is
clearly shown that ITSR of treated CBEMs
was higher than that for the control mix
(LF-CBEM) and the equivalent HMA (HMA
40/60). However, the equivalent HMA shows
exceptionally lower values than expected.

The higher values of ITSR may be related to

additional activation of cement hydration,
in addition to the high temperature which
would accelerate the hydration process of
active fillers. The results are consistent with
trends noticed in concrete (Lothenbach et
al. 2008) and lead to the conclusion that
CBEMs with FA and GGBS are less susceptible
to moisture damage, and this behaviour
corresponds to the results obtained for
temperature susceptibility (section 4.2). Figure 11 The results of moisture damage for CBEMs

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 23

TECHNICAL PAPER
Figure 12 Fracture surface after moisture conditioning (a) without active filler (LF-CBEM) (b) with
active filler (High OPC-CBEM)
Figure 12 (a) and (b) show the fracture
surfaces of damaged specimens after ITS
testing moisture susceptibility test for
CBEMs. Differences between the CBEMs
are found by visual inspection of the
fracture surface after testing. The fracture
surfaces of LF-CBEM (without active filler)
occurred either in the asphalt mastic,
or at the interface between the asphalt
mastic; no aggregate fractured (Figure
12 (a)). However, for treated CBEM (with
active filler) such as High OPC-CBEM, visual
observations indicate that a significant
portion of the fracture passed through the
aggregate particles in the mixture (Figure
12 (b)). This might be related to the
improved adhesion between the aggregate
and bitumen due to active fillers in treated
CBEMs relative to untreated CBEM.
The results also showed that the use of
GGBS and FA improved the resistance
of moisture damage by maintaining
approximately the same values as for High
OPC CBEM and HMA 40/60. Therefore, it
is recommended to use these materials
(especially GGBS) to increase the
opportunity to use CBEM as a pavement
surface layer. This requires a relatively low
OPC value (1%) but produces durable and
sustainable CBEMs.
5. Acknowledgments
The author of this research would like to
acknowledge the University of Nottingham
which has funded this research during,
his PhD study, between October 2013 and
September 2016. Furthermore, the authors
24 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
would like to express his sincere gratitude
to Dr. Nick Thom and Dr. Tony Parry at the
Nottingham Transportation Engineering
Centre for their support and supervision.
6. Conclusions
The research work aimed at studying the
effect of incorporating by-product fillers with
low cement content within CBEMs in order
to investigate the production of a durable
surface course. The investigation was carried
out by evaluating both mechanical and
durability performance of CBEMs.
The conclusions of the study can be
summarized as the following:
n A considerable improvement was
achieved in both mechanical properties
and durability due to incorporation of low
cement content with by-product fillers
such as GGBS and FA.
n Although FA has higher reactivity
compared to GGBS in the presence
of an activator such as cement, the
replacement of OPC by GGBS exhibited
better performance than the replacement
of OPC by FA in CBEMs. This may be
seen in the fact that GGBS mixtures
maintained a higher amount of trapped
water inside the mixture relative to
FA replacement which also may be
due to similarity of chemical oxides in
GGBS relative to OPC. Therefore, this
might enhance the hydration process
considerably.
n The replacement of GGBS showed a
good performance comparable to High
OPC-CBEM by means of ITSM, UCCT and
resistance to water damage.
n Treated CBEMs were also found to be less
temperature susceptible as the slopes
of stiffness modulus variation were
less than those of equivalent HMA and
untreated CBEM (control mix).
n FA and GGBS treated CBEMs showed less
susceptibility to severe environmental
conditions such as moisture damage.
n Although the new sustainable CBEMs
have shown superior performance in
terms of stiffness modulus, resistance to
permanent deformation and durability
properties, fatigue characteristics and
skid resistance, a full evaluation needs
to be carried out in order to get the full
characterisation in the structural design
of pavements.
7. References
Benhelal, E., Zahedi, G., Shamsaei, E. &
Bahadori, A., 2013. Global strategies
and potentials to curb CO2 emissions
in cement industry. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 51 (0), 142-161.
Eckmann, B., Delfosse, F. & Conan, J.,
2004. Cold bituminous mixtures for
surface courses. Proceedings of the 3rd
Eurasphalt and Eurobitume Congress.
Vienna.
European Committee for Standarization,
2005. BS EN 12697-25 bituminous
mixtures. Test methods for hot mix
asphalt. Part 25: Cyclic compression test.
London, UK: British Standards Institution.
European Committee for Standarization,
2006. BS EN 13108-1 bituminous
mixtures- material specifications Part
1: Asphalt Concrete London, UK: British
Standards Institution.
European Committee for Standarization,
2012. BS EN 12697-26: Bituminous
mixtures: Test methods for hot mix
asphalt. Part 26: Stiffness. London, UK:
British Standards Institution.
Gómez-Meijide, B. & Pérez, I., 2014.
Effects of the use of construction and
demolition waste aggregates in cold
 TECHNICAL PAPER

MEET THE
AMMANN
FAMILY OF
PRODUCTS
MAXIMISING YOUR INVESTMENT
What do the smallest Ammann plate compactor, the largest asphalt plant
and every product in-between have in common ?

• Innovation that boosts productivity and efficiency, ultimately improving your bottom line
• Parts and components that ensure long life to maximise your investment
• The commitment of a family business that has thrived in the construction industry
for nearly 150 years by keeping promises today – and knowing what customers
will need tomorrow

Heavy & Light Compaction Asphalt Pavers Mixing Plants

A & Y Equipment Ltd, Bearley, Stratford Upon Avon, Pavemac Ltd, Eastwood End, Wimblington Ammann UK Limited, Wavensmere Farm Barns,
Warwickshire CV37 OTY, United Kingdom Cambridgeshire PE15 0QH, United Kingdom Wawensmere Road, Wootton Wawen, Henley-In-Arden,
Phone: + 44 1789 414 525 Phone: + 44 1354 740 170, Warwickshire, B95 6BP, United Kingdom
sales@aandygroup.com, www.aandygroup.com johnfinn@pavemac.com, www.pavemac.com Phone + 44 1789 292210, info.auk@ammann-group.com

For additional product information and services please visit :

www.ammann - group.com
GMP-1187-00-EN | © Ammann Group
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 25
TECHNICAL PAPERS
asphalt mixtures. Construction and
Building Materials, 51 (0), 267-277.
Humphreys, K. & Mahasenan, M., 2002.
Toward a sustainable cement industry.
Substudy 8: Climate change (Geneva:
World business council for sustainable
development) [online].
www.wbcsdcement.org/
[Accessed Access Date 01/06/2015].
Khalid, H.A. & Monney, O.K., 2009.
Moisture damage potential of cold
asphalt. International Journal of
Pavement Engineering, 10 (5), 311-318.
Liebenberg, J. & Visser, A., 2004. Towards
a mechanistic structural design procedure
for emulsion-treated base layers:
Technical paper. Journal of the South
African Institution of Civil Engineering,
46 (3), p. 2-9.
NVQ Level 3 offers Technicians
appropriate CSCS Smart Card
Increasingly, technicians testing asphalt on
site are being asked to confirm that they
hold the appropriate level of training and
experience i.e. that they hold a relevant
CSCS card.
All CSCS cards are Smart – They contain
a chip which stores information on the
cardholders identity, qualifications and
training. Site managers can read this
information using a smartphone, tablet
or PC with the Gosmart app installed,
allowing them to instantly record the
cardholder’s information, and be secure
in the knowledge that the cardholder
is qualified for the job they do on site.
Our NVQ Level 3 in Laboratory and
Associated Technical Activities offers
candidates a qualification that is included
26 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Needham, D., 1996. Developments in
bitumen emulsion mixtures for roads.
PhD thesis. University of Nottingham.
Niazi, Y. & Jalili, M., 2009. Effect of
portland cement and lime additives
on properties of cold in-place recycled
mixtures with asphalt emulsion.
Construction and Building Materials,
23 (3), 1338-1343.
Nikolaides, A., 1994. A new design method
for dense cold mixturesed. The First
European Symposium on Performance
and Durability of Bituminous Materials,
University of Leeds, UK, 259.
Nassar AI, Mohammed MK, Thom N,
Parry T, 2016. Characterization of High
Performance Cold Bitumen Emulsion
Mixtures for Surface Courses. International
Journal of Pavement Engineering.
Manuscript accepted for publication.
in the CSCS card system (gold supervisory
card) for experienced Laboratory Technicians
as required for site access to carry out lab
activities using the smart card process.
www.cscs.uk.com/card-type/supervisory/
The course has been designed in conjunction
with Pavement Testing Services (PTS) Ltd
and Preston College to match the mandatory
qualification stipulated in the competency
requirements of National Highway Sector
Scheme 16 for Technical Personnel involved
with the laying of asphalt mixes.
Candidates will gain the knowledge and
practical experience required to monitor
the quality of laid asphalt. It is held in a
functional asphalt-testing laboratory with
lectures given by experienced industry
professionals.
Ojum, C., Kuna, K., Thom, N.H. & Airey, G.,
2014. An investigation into the effects
of accelerated curing on cold recycled
bituminous mixesed. International
Conference on Asphalt Pavements, ISAP
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, 1177-1188.
Serfass, J.-P., Poirier, J.-E., Henrat, J.-P.
& Carbonneau, X., 2004. Influence
of curing on cold mix mechanical
performance. Materials and Structures, 37
(5), 365-368.
Thanaya, I.N.A., 2003. Improving the
performance of cold bituminous emulsion
mixtures (CBEMs): Incorporating waste.
PhD thesis. University of Leeds.
Thom, N., 2008. Principles of Pavement
Engineering London, UK: Thomas Telford
Publishing Ltd.
The NVQ qualification requires each
candidate to be assessed for competence
by an assessor on four occasions and
this will be completed during the week’s
attendance. Completion of the NVQ will take
between 6 weeks and 2 years, depending
on the candidate’s prior experience, skills
and time available.
Upon successful completion of the NVQ,
membership of the IAT at technician grade
(Tech.IAT) can be awarded. It is expected
the holders of this qualification will attend
IAT meetings to continue their CPD after
completion of the course.
The IAT will continuously monitor the
quality requirements required for the
laying of asphalt mixes and update the
qualification accordingly.
 TECHNICAL PAPER

PERFORMANCE FILLER
FOR ASPHALT

High-quality CE marked asphalt

filler. Available for national delivery
- from Lands End to John O’Groats -
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We guarantee our customers a continuous

supply of CE marked filler made from excess
filler from asphalt plants, virgin limestone
(produced in Cambridgeshire, Cumbria
and Somerset), or a carefully balanced
combination of both materials.

Our extensive silo network gives us the

capability to store 20,000 tonnes of filler,
and we strategically place storage silos on
customer sites to collect material from the
asphalt manufacturing process. Our silo
network is supported by a remote monitoring
system and we work closely with our haulage
partner, Turners of Soham, to ensure
collections and deliveries are always on
time and in full.
To talk to us about any of our
products or services, contact:
Francis Flower, The White House,
Gurney Slade, Somerset BA3 4UU
T: 01749 841146
E: ff@francisflower.co.uk
W: www.francisflower.co.uk
@FrancisFlowerUK

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 27

INTERVIEW
Laying the ground for new horizons
Peter Hyde, highways services
director at Tarmac, talks to Dominic
Browne about asset management,
materials and data in the new world
of the new code of practice
The risk-based approach is now upon us.
How can a materials supplier like Tarmac
help clients with asset management in
the new age?
The introduction in October of the Well-
managed Highway Infrastructure code of
practice firmly puts a risk-based approach
to asset management at the heart of
highway maintenance.
Essentially, local authorities now need
to ensure they have a clear and robust
understanding of their assets, which
has been informed by an assessment
of the likelihood of failures and what
the consequences of these would be.
Tarmac’s end-to-end proposition for asset
management goes beyond traditional
materials supply and is delivered in
collaboration with highways data specialist,
Gaist, and civil engineering consultancy
Metis, to cover a wide spectrum of services.
28 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
This includes highways condition reports,
data collection with advanced analysis
and management support in developing
a preventative maintenance model to
combat network decline.
It also provides guidance about the most
appropriate forms of bespoke surfacing
treatment and help navigating through
the types of financing options available.
You first teamed up with Gaist and Metis
last year. How has this partnership
developed?
This service has been going from strength
to strength. One area where we have
experienced significant success is helping
councils develop successful funding bids.
We help develop bids that are underpinned
by a clear understanding of the asset, which
provides greater clarity for local authorities
and funders of the cost of renewal.
A crucial part of the process is also helping
councils navigate through the types of
financing options available, from challenge
investment to prudential lending, as well as
providing assistance in unlocking additional
funding from the Department for Transport.
What are the most exciting developments
in materials at the moment?
Our work with Amey to optimise low
volume asphalt heater technology and
deliver advancements in bagged asphalt
materials is significant.
This partnership has delivered a new
commercially viable alternative approach
to using hot mix asphalt for minor
highways defects and utility reinstatements
to increase the quality, efficiency and
workability of bagged asphalt while
reducing costs and waste compared to
traditional methods.
The quantity of asphalt required for small
hot asphalt patching has traditionally
created both supply and quality issues.
Patching works are undertaken 24/7 and
the opportunity to collect small quantities
of asphalt can be restricted. With asphalt
collected on small trucks in up to three
tonne quantities, there is wastage
associated with cold material, and excess
material over and above that required for
the scheduled works is normally ordered. As
material temperatures fall, it becomes more
difficult to spread and compact hot asphalt.

Operatives must often take the difficult
decision whether to scrap the remaining
asphalt or attempt to lay the material,
which can result in inadequately compacted
material affecting long-term performance.
This new on-site heater technology, when
combined with our pre-packed Ultipatch
Sitemix, aims to eliminate any loss of
bitumen performance in the mixing and
storage process to deliver fresh asphalt at
the point of use, improving its compaction,
workability and durability. Investment in the
manufacturing process for the product has
also been critical in order to produce a free-
flowing material partly mixed that can be
easily bagged.
What are the most interesting
developments in data that have helped
companies like yourself, both in terms
of your research and in the laying and
maintenance of your products?
Developed by consulting and process
optimisation company Volz Consulting
GmbH, our new BPO ASPHALT software
allows our teams to plan highways schemes
and inner-city projects in meticulous detail
ahead of work starting on site.
Using GPS data to highlight the full project
area including site entrances and exits
for delivery vehicles, the software uses
inputted surface area values to produce fully
optimised planning documents and work
schedules for people, plant and resources,
enabling waiting times and delays to be
minimised to maintain efficient project
delivery.
Based on the site’s parameters and project
requirements, the software automatically
calculates the time needed for mixing and
loading asphalt at the plant and the number
of wagons required for transportation, as well
as the density of material and the maximum
volume of asphalt that can be laid per shift.
This level of data-led understanding drives
quality and safety improvements and boosts
productivity, which ultimately reduces the
impact on road users.
What is your take on whether there
should be more clear standards and
directions on what materials to use
and where?
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional
Inconsistent specification has been a long-
term issue in our industry, so a greater
standardisation of materials would be
a positive and welcome step forward.
At present we can often experience
challenging situations at the points where
two authorities’ assets meet.
The specification for the road and footpath
on one side of the road can be different from
the other. This results in clear inefficiencies
in the long-term, both financial and in terms
of resource, as we have to provide bespoke
materials which usually have very similar
performance.
Ultimately, a road in one county can be
the same as one in another, so it would be
beneficial for suppliers and councils alike
to promote more consistency.
However, this isn’t to say that some
specialist products are not required in
certain situations and necessary for some
applications. A more joined-up approach
would undoubtedly be advantageous for all.
Can you give us a breakdown of your
plant in the UK – what you have where,
and how much it produces?
Tarmac operates around 70 asphalt plants
across the UK as well as having a portfolio
of RAP hubs and significant recycling
capabilities.
INTERVIEW
As you will appreciate, production figures
are commercially sensitive.
What new ventures are you involved
in at the moment?
We are seeing a shifting trend towards
whole-life thinking across the industry,
and this includes the types of products and
solutions we are being asked to develop
and supply.
For example, we have seen an uplift in
demand for our bauxite-based skid-resistant
asphalt UltiGrip, which is able to unlock
whole-life cost savings.
The material lasts on average more than
three times longer than similar surfaces,
reducing the maintenance burden over
its surface lifetime.
We have seen that improved procurement
processes and early engagement between
clients, contractors and suppliers can help to
ensure that supply chain innovation can be
incorporated into projects at an early stage.
What areas (geographical and business)
would you like to expand into?
We provide national coverage. Tarmac’s
recent acquisitions of leading contractors JB
Riney and Griffiths have further enhanced our
highways maintenance and civil engineering
offers in both London and Wales respectively.
• February 2019 29
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Aggregate Industries takes on new tandem roller

Aggregate Industries’ Contracting division
has started its introduction of a fleet of
the market’s latest pivot-steered rollers,
ensuring operatives are ‘always facing
forward’ while working on the network
as part of its overall commitment to the
highest health and safety standards
across its sites.

After a trial of BOMAG’s new BW 154

pivot-steered tandem roller earlier in
2018, operators in the business’ Southern
division are now benefiting from the highest
operating comfort thanks to the machine’s
well-defined arrangement and its 270°
rotating seat, capable of manoeuvring
across the full width of the cab.

With a split drum and the absence of an

enclosed front and rear cab, operators
have the ability to always face in the right
direction for compaction. This not only
facilitates a safer working environment
due to the improved visibility and reduction
in reversing manoeuvres associated with
operating a traditional roller but it should
lead to improved productivity levels as well.
Fitted with BOMAG’s intelligent compaction
system ‘Asphalt Manager’, the roller
monitors compaction and alerts the roller
operator when no further compaction is
required. This eliminates over-compaction,
optimising the whole-life performance of
the asphalt. It also reduces drum bounce
and vibration, lessening the risk of our
operators developing a repetitive strain
injury (RSI).
Shaun Hillier, Southern Area Director
for Contracting at Aggregate Industries,
comments: “We’re always actively seeking
improved technologies or new ways of
working to ensure that our workforce goes
home safely at the end of every day. Those
operators who have trialled the roller so far
have found its manoeuvrability to be second
to none and it has exceeded their comfort
expectations due to the vastly reduced
levels of vibration within the cab.”
Aggregate Industries is rolling out a
complete fleet of eight rollers across its
Southern division by the end of the year.
It is also working with Bomag to further
improve the health and safety credentials
of the BOMAG 154, and as such is currently
piloting SmartBrake – a collaborative
development of Vision Techniques’ Auto-
braking Radar System that’s linked to forward
and rear facing cameras – on the roller.
Mr Hillier adds: “Even though the standard
safety features on the BOMAG 154 are
excellent, that doesn’t mean we are resting
on our laurels. People, plant and vehicle
interface is still one of the biggest risks
in our industry, therefore the purchase
of pivot-steered tandem rollers and the
collaborative development of SmartBrake is
another step towards completely eradicating
the risk of reversing incidents on our sites,
and another way in which Aggregate
Industries is driving a positive change
in behavioural safety culture.”

30 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org

 TECHNICAL PAPER

Presents:
Europe’s largest dedicated parking event

2 - 4 April 2019
NEC Birmingham

• Your Association providing expertise, support and advice

• Network with peers and connect with new people
• Challenging perceptions about parking
• The return of the Local Authority Parking Summit
• The Hub Programme encouraging new ideas and knowledge sharing
• Explore the products and services which are driving the sector
forward on the Innovation Trail

Register free now at www.parkex.co.uk

Event Partners Official Publication Media Partners Co-Located with

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 31

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Technically Speaking
Highways England are on their way to
producing a full revision of the Design
Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).
UKPLG (United Kingdom Pavement Liaison
Group) is a liaison group between the
pavement team (this is not their full
title) at Highways England and the rest of
industry, including clients, producers and
contractors. UKPLG only cover the pavement
aspects of the DMRB (Volume 7), as well as
the relevant parts of the Manual of Contract
Documents for Highway Works (MCHW,
this also includes SHW).
The revision is quite comprehensive, and
HE will be removing a lot of the advice and
guidance currently available in the current
DMRB.
www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/ha/
standards/dmrb/vol7/index.htm
One of the areas currently being reviewed
is the much misunderstood pavement
foundation design. The current version is
IAN73/06 (rev 1). The document necessarily
crosses the boundary between geotechnics
and pavement engineering. The basic
principle of any foundation design is to
make sure that the structure above will be
supported without significant movement.
In roads in the UK this is achieved by a sub
base layer, and possibly a capping layer
underneath, that protects the natural ground
(the sub grade) from construction traffic and,
ultimately, normal traffic loads. The designs
used in the UK are independent of traffic
volume, so the same foundation design is
used on the M25 as is used on any other
road.
A major source of confusion is the difference
between stiffness modulus and strength.
Stiffness and strength can be defined as
follows:
n Stiffness Modulus is an indicator of the
tendency for a material to return to its
original form after being subjected to
a force.
n Strength measures how much load
can be applied to a material before
it deforms permanently or fractures.
32 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
IAN73 uses stiffness and strength, and
swaps between the two in a rather confusing
manner. It also introduces static stiffness
measurement in the form of the plate load
test, static and dynamic stiffness moduli are
rarely the same for road materials and should
never be used interchangeably.
The stiffness modulus of a material depends
on how it is measured. IAN73 uses dynamic
stiffness modulus, meaning that the
deformation of the material is measured
under a cyclic or impact load. In cyclic
loading the material is loaded and unloaded
repeatedly (the Nottingham Asphalt
Tester does this), impact loads are usually
from a dynamic plate or falling weight
deflectometer. The load applied must be
much smaller than the failure load of the
material, this makes the LWD a more difficult
test on soft soils, though not as unreliable
as an in situ CBR. It is important when
comparing dynamic moduli that the load
times are similar. In foundation design there
is no issue.
Another tricky part is the geotechnical
assessment. The idea of all UK design guides
since 1984 is to assess what the stiffness
modulus of the soil will be after completion
of the road construction, known as the
equilibrium stiffness modulus. In many cases
this will be different than the stiffness before
or during construction, particularly for fine
grained soils, like clays, silts, and fine sands
containing clay or silt. LR1132 probably
gives the best description of how to do this
assessment. For clays this means simply
measuring the liquid and plastic limits,
actually much easier than doing laboratory
strength tests. In the UK soils take on a
wide range of properties and I can’t, in this
short article give a full guide. LR1132 is still
available for download from TRL:
www.trl.co.uk/reports/LR1132
The strength of the soil at the time of
construction, the short term stiffness
modulus, also needs to be assessed as the
foundation design is done using the lowest
of the short term and equilibrium values.
This can cause much consternation on site,
John Booth
Chair of IAT Technical Committee
Chair of Western Branch
especially if, as often happens, the short
term stiffness is a lot higher. It would seem
a fabulous cost saving to use the higher
strength, which would reduce the amount of
foundation materials needed, but the whole
point of assessing the equilibrium stiffness is
that the soil may return to that strength after
construction meaning the foundation would
be under designed.
I’ve mentioned capping a couple of times
without really explaining what it is and
why it’s used. Capping is usually made of
fairly low grade crushed rock or gravel, it’s
meant to be cheap. It is used on very soft,
or potentially very soft, sub grades to protect
the sub grade during construction of the rest
of the road. It does make a contribution to
the pavement foundation, but this appears
quite small when doing an analysis of the
pavement construction using the required
computer software. Because of this it can be
tempting for the designer to leave out, or
reduce, the capping in favour of a bit more
sub base for example. This is a risky strategy
as it affects the buildability of the road.
IAN73 is not perfect, and it gives quite a
free rein to designers, a good thing in many
respects, but computer modelling does
not take into account the requirements of
practical construction. It’s too soon to entirely
predict what the new document will look
like, but I am sure it will build on the success
of IAN73.
 SMART TECHNOLOGY

JOIN US AT Co-located with

2019
2-4 APRIL 2019
THE NEC | BIRMINGHAM

New for Traffex 2019

• New conceptual road feature working with
leading consultants to take visitors on an
interactive journey while showcasing some of
the latest products, concepts and services
• A ‘Trading floor’ area – hear details on business
deals and new products and innovation
• Central themes of collaboration and how
technology is driving change on the road network
350+
• Live hackathon - the Data Discovery Centre -
Exhibitors
using real industry data to help create solutions
for challenges on the network
• Directors briefings - a series of briefings for local
authority and private sector directors
10,000+
Visitors
• Round tables - a series of invite-only round table
debates reflecting the latest thinking
• Two conference theatres delivering CPD
accredited high-level, thought leadership sessions
www.instituteofasphalt.org
Free registration at www.traffex.com
• 33
Asphalt Professional February 2019
ASPHALT PEOPLE
Jon Taylor
How did you get into the industry?
Completely by accident. Having finished
5 years in higher education, I was
struggling to find a job related to Industrial
Mineralogy and Herts County Council were
daft/desperate enough to take me on
as a Engineering Assistant in Pavement
Assessment. The great benefit of working
in one of the old County Labs was the
variety of work that one would be given,
so was fortunate enough to spend 3 years
in Geotechnics as well.
What do you do now?
I run a small business (OK, it’s just me)
essentially providing Asset Management,
Jon Taylor Geotechnics and Pavement Engineering
Consultancy services to the industry. My
main role is managing the O&M on Newport
Southern Distributor Road (SDR) DBFO
Born 1966 Contract for Morgan Vinci Ltd. This has been
Education
BSc (Hons) Geology, a superb experience as it has enabled me
MSc Industrial to diversify into a broader highways related
Mineralogy, role than previously.
MBA Construction
and Real Estate What does a typical day look like?
School run, catch up on e-mails, get the
Work for Vale Civils Ltd
work done, school run etc. Slightly less
Since 2011
whimsically, I appreciate still having the
Job Title General Dogsbody chance to visit site on a regular basis,
IAT Role Managing Editor make decisions and have a significant
Twitter Name: @jont_jon involvement in Health and Safety and
Quality Management.
What sort of person are you? What is the best thing about it?
I’d like to think versatile and straight talking The variety of jobs that I deal with in an
would be top of the list. Ask my wife and average week. Having been involved
you’ll probably get a different answer (or with the SDR more or less on a full time
answers)... basis since 2008, it has been excellent to
So you’ve reached the end of this issue of Asphalt Professional. What did you think?
Please contact us if you would like to contribute your thoughts, images, reports, technical papers or have a product
you would like to advertise – email us at publications@instituteofasphalt.org or via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn –
www.facebook.com/InstituteofAsphalt, @The_IAT or www.linkedin.com – look for The Institute of Asphalt Technology in Groups.
34 Asphalt Professional • February 2019 www.instituteofasphalt.org
gradually become more and more involved
with the project, which has led to other
opportunities in the meantime.
What is the worst thing about it?
The lack of time to do everything that needs
to be done. I’ve always wanted to have a go
at a PhD, but won’t be able to do this given
the time constraints with work and family
commitments. I can just hear my late father
saying “I told you to do this when you were
in your twenties”. Point taken, Dad.
What are your greatest
achievements? (both in and out
of the industry)
Setting up on my own, and after a difficult
first 2-3 years, am now really enjoying life
as an independent consultant, constantly
trying to improve my piano/organ playing
and I also enjoy being a Dad and family
man, if I’m honest.
Would you recommend your job
to anyone else?
I would always advise people to do what
they really want to do with regard to their
job. It was never my intention to work for
this length of time in the highways industry,
but if one puts their mind to it, they can be
successful in their chosen field. The industry
perhaps produces few billionaires, but
success is not all about money (says
he through gritted teeth).
If you could improve the IAT for
members, what would you do?
A message to all members – please get
involved. Tell us what you want, please
write some articles for inclusion in the
AsPro. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
 ASPHALT PEOPLE/ADVANTAGE

The power to drive landmark projects

At Thomas Bow, breaking new ground is the heart of what we do. Right across the UK, we’re
constructing highly advanced roads, runways, high streets and race tracks – harnessing the
latest technology to deliver specialist projects with outstanding long-term performance.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of our family business. Today we’re proud to be one of the
Midlands' most prominent civil engineering and surfacing companies, trusted with landmark
developments, critical infrastructure and, above all, the hard-earned reputations of our clients.

0115 924 4555

thomasbow.com
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional • February 2019 35