Several distresses are observed in road structures.

It appears that a good

knowledge of the composition of asphalt and asphalt aggregate interaction
must be considered for a good description of these distresses. For example,
cracking is one of the serious failure modes in pavement. If the molecular
network becomes too stiff (rigid), the stability of an asphalt to deform
elastically will be lost. Instead, the asphalt will fracture and likely will be
separated sufficiently so that healing cannot occur.

Asphalts in pavements that exist as thin films exposed to aggregates, fillers,

water, oxygen, and traffic are the real service conditions in which they
should have predictable performance.

However, the different classification systems, such as the current

performance grade (PG) system, provide no assurance to the asphalts that
like grades will have the same stiffness when water is present in pavement,
nor are there any criteria to differentiate the oxidation effect.

Oxidation very well may cause different embrittlement after a few years of
pavement service.

Oxidation imparts permanent hardening either in asphalt or in a mixture.

When asphalt oxidizes, it stays stiffer at any given set of conditions of
storage time, temperature, and shear.

Asphalt suffers oxidative hardening continuously during its lifetime, and this
type of hardening cannot be removed by heat alone.

The intent of developing a new specification was to classify asphalts by their

expected pavement performance, but the real-world environments are largely
ignored in the current design methods. Even the current global aging system

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does not address photooxidation, nor does the current aging model include
“fundamental” binder properties.

Healing is another important phenomenon in which asphalt concrete is

observed to regain strength during a rest period after loss of strength during
heavy traffic use

They envision a process wherein microcracks formed in asphalt concrete

during heavy traffic loads fuse back together when allowed to rest. Clearly,
this would require the asphalt to flow to refill the microcracks, and certainly
would be accelerated by confining pressure.

A critically important observation is that not all asphalt concretes heal at the
same rate, nor to the same extent.

Variations in asphalt composition cause major differences in healing

propensity.

Clearly, fast and complete healing are performance advantages, but currently
there is no binder specification for healing rate or efficiency

Moisture damage is another common problem in asphalt pavement.

Moisture may invade pavement from rain, subgrade water, drainage,
humidity, and so on.

Water is a highly polar material that can be transported into the asphalt by
virtue of attraction of polar water molecules to polar asphalt components.
When water penetrates the asphalt concrete, the mechanical strength will be
reduced.

However, current methods, such as the Superpave system, do not provide

guidelines on how water influences the strength of asphalt concrete.

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Permanent deformation (which induces rutting) and fatigue damage have
been well recognized as two of the most important distresses, and they have
been studied extensively over the years.

However, these phenomena are not always modeled correctly. In addition,

past research has always focused on these two phenomena separately. In a
real pavement situation, these two phenomena occur simultaneously.

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has become relatively

common

practice in most countries, as it is both an environmentally and economically

attractive proposition.

A survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration’s RAP

expert task group shows that the average RAP content in hot mix is only 10–
20%

as used in the United States, even though specifications allow up to 30%.

The primary reason for this limited use is the uncertainty of the long-term
performance of RAP materials. Research is still needed for characterizing
asphalt binders extracted from RAP and recycled hot-mix asphalts.

Furthermore, the interaction between new and old asphalt binders in the
mixtures containing RAP has not been studied extensively, and the
physicochemical interaction is still not well understood.

It is essential to understand the fundamental properties of recycled asphalt

binder as well as the interaction between the old binder in the recycled
asphalt and the fresh binder in the new mix.

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The strong demand for natural petroleum and the high cost of asphalt cement
has

encouraged the development of alternative binders to replace asphalt

binders. The benefits of using alternative binders are that they can help save
natural resources and reduce energy consumption, all while maintaining and
in some cases improving pavement performance.

Common alternative binders include fossil fuel, biobinder, soybean oil,

palm oil, vegetable oil, engine oil residue, grape residue, swine waste, and
pyrolized materials, among others.

It has been observed that most, if not all, of these alternative binders contain
chemical compositions somewhat similar to those

of conventional asphalt binders (hydrocarbons, aromatics, saturates,

sphaltenes,

etc.).

However, research results indicate significant variability in the properties of

alternative binders. In addition, the modification mechanism (chemical) for

asphalt

with alternative binders depends on the base asphalt, and is therefore not
well

understood.

The strong demand for natural petroleum and the high cost of asphalt cement
has

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encouraged the development of alternative binders to replace asphalt
binders. The benefits of using alternative binders are that they can help save
natural resources and reduce energy consumption, all while maintaining and
in some cases improving pavement performance.

Achievement of consistent performance with asphalts requires accurate

classification and better understanding of the causes of pavement distresses.

The main characteristics of bitumen that make it suitable as a binder for

asphalt are that it is adhesive, waterproof, thermoplastic, durable,
inexpensive, modifiable, and recyclable.

Characteristics, properties, test methods, and values

The starting point for development of a bituminous binder specification is

the identification of the characteristics required for performance.

The binder imbues certain characteristics important to the performance of

the asphalt.

For this reason, it is important that the role played by the binder in the
asphalt mixture is understood so that a binder specification focuses on the
relevant characteristics of the binder.

For asphalt mixtures, pertinent characteristics might include

Mechanical properties and stability

Durability

Safety in use

practical information relating to handling and application.

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After the important characteristics of the end product have been defined, the
properties of the binder that relate to these characteristics can be considered
for inclusion in the specification.

Once the properties have been defined, the properties can be measured using
a defined test method under identified test conditions, which will then
provide specific values that can be introduced to a product specification.

Bitumen Test Methods

1-Elevated service-temperature test methods

•Ring-and-ball softening point (EN 1427, ASTM D36, AASHTO T53)

•Dynamic viscosity using a capillary tube (EN 12596, ASTM D 2171, AS

2341.2)

•G*/sin d (inverse of the loss compliance) (ASTM D7175, AASHTO T315)

•Multiple stress creep recovery test (prEN 16659, ASTM D7405, AASHTO
TP70)

•Other test methods:include zero shear viscosity (CEN TS 15325) low shear
viscosity (CEN TS 15324), and coaxial cylinder viscosity test (EN 13702-2).

2-Low service-temperature properties

•Fraass breaking point (EN 12593)

•The bending beam rheometer test (EN 14771, ASTM D6816, AASHTO
T313)

•Fracture toughness (CEN TS 15963)

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3-Fatigue testing

Bitumen Test Methods

•The loss modulus; G*/sin d (ASTM D7175, AASHTO T315)

•RILEM binder fatigue method

•The linear amplitude sweep test (AASHTO TP101)

4-Intermediate service temperature

•Needle penetration (EN 1426, ASTM D5, AASHTO T049)

•Complex shear modulus (G*) (EN 14770, ASTM D7175, AASHTO T315)

5-Temperature sensitivity

•Penetration index (Pen/Pen, Pen/SPt)

6-Binder aging and conditioning regimes

•The rolling thin-film oven test (EN 12607-1, ASTM D 2872, AASHTO
T240)

•Thin-film oven test (EN 12607-2, ASTM D1754, AASHTO T179)

•Rotating cylinder aging test (EN 15323)

•The pressure aging vessel (EN 14769, ASTM D6521, AASHTO R28)

7-Adhesion testing

one of the more important aspects of adhesion is the presence of water

it is frequently referred to as a stripping phenomenon. This idea has already

been taken up in standards EN 12697-11and EN 13697-12

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A number of tests have been standardized that are capable of measuring
moisture sensitivity of binder/aggregate combinations, or mixtures. Some of
these are listed below:

•Rolling bottle test and boiling-water stripping method; EN 12697-11,

ituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot mix asphalt. Determination of the
affinity between aggregate and bitumen.

•Boiling-water stripping test; ASTM D3625, standard practice for effect of

water on bituminous coated aggregate using boiling water.

•Indirect tensile stiffness on saturated specimens; EN 12697-12, bituminous

mixtures. Test methods for hot mix asphalt. Determination of the water
sensitivity of bituminous specimens.

•Immersion–compression test; ASTM D1075, AASHTO T165, standard test

method for effect of water on compressive strength of compacted
bituminous mixtures.

•AASHTO T283, standard method of test for resistance of compacted

asphalt mixtures to moisture-induced damage.

Performance-related specifications

Defining relationships between binder properties and field pavement

performance is

technically challenging and, with our current understanding, cannot be

conclusively

established.

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However, certain properties of bituminous binders are known to be related to
mixture properties, and therefore, test methods that relate to those properties
can be considered as candidates for inclusion in a performance-related
specification.

Purchase specifications

Performance-related test methods and aging procedures may not necessarily

be suitable or practical to ensure the constancy of binder properties produced
or supplied on a dayto-day basis

Because of the long product life cycle, specifications should include

conditioning

regimes that address STA and/or LTA conditions when necessary, combined
with testing

of properties that are likely to be performance-limiting on the aged material.

Future specifications: fundamental or empirical binder testing

Roads are engineering structures, and therefore the components of asphalt

mixtures

used in roads and the pavement itself should be specified using engineering
units

and principles. There is an inevitability that future specifications will use test
methods

that provide results in engineering units.

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Empirical specifications have been developed over many decades to provide
some road materials with a track record of proven performance for
unmodified binders.

Empirical specifications still work well for conventional, unmodified

binders, and the relationship between properties and performance is well
understood, having been built up over a long period of time.

However, such specifications have limitations when used for binders that
have been modified or have different rheological performance to
conventional materials.

Therefore, specifications that are designed to be “blind” to the binder type

should measure properties that are directly related to their performance.

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