Bituminous Materials

Bitumen, also known as asphalt in the United States, is a substance produced through the distillation of
crude oil that is known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties. Bitumen production through
distillation removes lighter crude oil components, such as gasoline and diesel, leaving the “heavier”
bitumen behind. The producer often refines it several times to improve its grade.

Bitumen can also occur in nature: Deposits of naturally occurring bitumen form at the bottom of ancient
lakes, where prehistoric organisms have since decayed and have been subjected to heat and pressure.

 Bitumen, a substance known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties, can occur naturally
or be formed through the distillation of crude oil.

 It is composed of complex hydrocarbons and contains elements such as calcium, iron, sulfur, and
hydrogen.

 Bitumen prices are determined by the state of the global economy and supply and demand for
crude oil.

Importance of Bituminous Material:

The main purpose of bitumen in flexible pavements is to strongly bind and hold the other pavement
components together and provide a smooth and leveled surface for the moving vehicles. Bitumen is a
naturally occurring material and is found in large quantities in the solid or semi solid forms of petroleum.
It is also manufactured artificially in vast amounts globally.

Sources of Bitumen

Bitumen is generally obtained from the following three sources:

 Naturally occurring

 Extracted from Limestone and Sandstone

  From Oil Refineries

The manufacture of bitumen is a lengthy process which is represented briefly in the below flowchart.
The bitumen is a residual material. The final bitumen property will depend upon the extent of
extraction, the viscosity, and the distillation process.

The present refinery plant has the capability to extract bitumen more precisely as the required viscosity
and consistency.

Bitumen Application

For civil engineering works

 Constructions of roads, runways, and platforms.

 Waterproofing to prevent water seepage.

 Mastic floorings for factories.

 Canal lining to prevent erosion.

 Dump-proof courses for masonry.

 Tank foundation.

 Joint filling material

Why is Bitumen Used in Road Construction?

Bitumen is used in road construction due to various properties and advantages it has over other
pavement construction materials. Bitumen gain certain unique properties that are inbuilt in it during its
manufacture. The bitumen as a raw material in flexible road construction and bitumen as a mix
(composing other materials i.e. aggregates/ pozzolans) serves certain advantages, that prompt to use
bitumen widely in road construction.

Use of Bitumen in Flexible Road Construction

The reason behind the significant application of bitumen in flexible pavements are explained below:

1. Production of Bitumen is economical

Bitumen is a by-product of crude oil distillation process. Crude oil itself is a composition of
hydrocarbons. The primary products that are available are the petrol, diesel, high octane fuels and
gasoline. When these fuels are refined from the crude oil, the bitumen is left behind. Further treatment
of by-product, to make it free from impurities give pure bitumen. As the primary product demand is of
utmost importance to the society, the bitumen as a by product has survival for long. This by product is
utilized as a new construction material, without going for any other new resource.

2. Physical and Rheological Properties of Bitumen bring Versatility

The physical and the chemical properties of Bitumen are found to be a function of load level,
temperature and the duration of loading. It is a thermoplastic and viscoelastic material. These
dependencies make us to truly access the traffic on the road so that a bitumen mix properties can be
varied based on the stress levels calculated. This versatility of bitumen results in a large variety of
bitumen mix, based on the road application.

3. The Melting Point of Bitumen is low

It is highly appreciable about the fact that bitumen has a favorable melting point, that helps in both
surface dressing and wearing resistance with ease. The melting point of the bitumen should not be too
high, that it can be melted easily during laying the pavement. At the same time, bitumen has a melting
point, which would not let the already casted road pave to melt and deform under high temperatures. In
areas of high temperatures, along with this quality of bitumen, the aggregate composition helps to cover
up the effect of large temperature.

4. Bitumen can undergo Recycling

As the melting point of bitumen is favorable, it can be melted back to its original state. This is called as
asphalt recycling process. The torn-up asphalt pieces are taken up to the recycling plant, instead of
sending them to landfills. This recycled mix can be reused. If necessary, the old bitumen is mixed with
new bitumen and new aggregates to make the mix live again.

5. Adhesive Nature

The traditional bitumen is black in color. This is because the dense organic material within bitumen is
black in color. Now, when certain pigments are added to bitumen, the color of our choice can be
obtained. These are colored bitumen. It is costly than the normal colored bitumen. The disadvantage of
colored bitumen is that it requires more chemical additives and materials.

Advantages of Bituminous Road Construction Over Concrete Pavements

1. A smooth Ride Surface

It does not make use of any joints; Hence provide a smooth surface to ride. It also gives less sound
emission when compared with concrete pavements. The wear and tear are less in the bituminous
pavement, thus maintaining the smoothness.

2. Gradual Failure

The deformation and the failure in the bituminous pavement is a gradual process. The concrete
pavement shows brittle failures.

3. Quick Repair

They have an option to be repaired to be quick. They don't consume time in reverting the path for
traffic; as they set fast.

4. Staged Construction

This helps in carrying out staged construction in a situation when problems of fund constraint or traffic
estimation problems are faced.

5. Life Cost is Less

The initial cost and overall maintenance cost of bituminous pavement are less compared to concrete
pavement.

6. Temperature Resistant

They act resistant against high temperature from melting and are not affected by de-icing materials.

Type of bituminous material

Penetration Grade bitumen

The penetration grades bitumen is refinery bitumen which is produced by different viscosity. In fact,
Penetration bitumen is semi hard black material known as petroleum grade bitumen. The penetration
test is carried out to characterize the bitumen, based on the hardness.

Therefore, it has the name penetration bitumen. Penetration Grade Bitumen is a standard bitumen
usually used as a Paving Grade Bitumen essential for road construction and for the production of asphalt
pavements with superior properties, and it’s very important once it bounds the aggregates and creates a
unique cohesion and stability to the bituminous mix.
This grade of Bitumen is mainly used in the manufacture of hot mix asphalt for bases and wearing
courses.

Cutback Bitumen

Cutback Bituman is made by reducing the viscosity of and ordinary bitumen by adding mostly petroleum
type solvent. Cutback Bitumen are used because their viscosity is lower than that of neat asphalt and
can thus be used in low temperature applications. After a cutback is applied the solvent evaporates
away and only the Bitumen is left. A cutback bitumen is said to cure as the petroleum solvent
evaporates. Cutback bitumen are typically used as prime coats and tack coats. Generally are divided into
three groups depending on their volatility of the solvent added:

 Slow Curing - often called "road oils," are usually a residual material produced from the
fractional distillation of certain crude petroleums. Traditionally any kind of aromatic, naphthenic
and paraffinic oils are used. Slow Curing liquid bitumen materials can be prepared by blending
bitumen with an oily petroleum fraction.

 Medium Curing are a blend of Bitumen with lighter hydrocarbons such as kerosene.

 Rapid Curing products are prepared with a light, rapidly evaporating diluent such as a naphtha
or gasoline.

As a solvent required to produce a cutback asphalt, it is possible to use not only the above described
petroleum type solvent but also a coal type solvent or may be a mixture of various solvents and an
additive in order to further improve the performance of final products (e.g. antistripping effect).
 WHAT IS CUTBACK BITUMEN.mp4

Applications of Cutback Bitumen

Prime and Tack Coating

The process of priming involves applying a low viscosity binder to a prepared but usually unbound
aggregate base. It is intended to be absorbed by the top layers of the base and provide a surface more
easily ‘wetted’ by a subsequent bituminous covering.

The primer will be able to carry traffic for a short time (although this practice is uncommon) and help
control dust. Generally, primers are applied at rates between 0.5 and 1.4 L/m2. Cutback bitumens
suitable for priming are also used for tack coats, which are applied to an underlying surface to help with
the adhesion of subsequent asphalt layer. A typical application rate is between 0.2 and 0.4 L/m2.

Prime Sealing

Where temperatures are too cool for an effective priming operation, or where traffic is likely to upset a
primed surface before the final seal can be sprayed, a primer seal can be used to give adequate
protection of the pavement for periods of up to 6 to 12 months. Cutback bitumens suitable for primer
sealing can also be used in the manufacture of pre-mix asphalt, which is used in patch repairs.

Spray Sealing

Cutback bitumen are used extensively in sprayed sealing applications, particularly in cooler weather
where they provide improved initial stone retention due to their lower viscosity. Typically, a single
application of the appropriate cutback bitumen is sprayed onto the primed pavement onto which
aggregate is laid.

Bitumen Emulsion

Bitumen emulsion is a liquefied type of bitumen with a low viscosity.

By dispersing bitumen in water and adding an emulsifier, ordinary bitumen turns into a low viscosity
liquid that can easily be used in a variety of applications, including repairing and maintaining roads,
waterproofing, spraying, etc.

Emulsions make it easy to handle, store, transport, and apply bitumen at a lower temperature.

Since this type of bitumen is liquid, there is no need to heat it before application.

Moreover, applying bitumen emulsions using cold techniques reduces the consumption of energy and
makes road construction environmentally friendlier.
Bitumen emulsion composition

Bitumen emulsion is a combination of water and bitumen.

As the mixture of water and oily products quickly separate, a third component, known as emulsifier, is
normally added to the mixture, in order to make it more stable.Generally speaking, the amount of
bitumen in the bitumen emulsion is 55 to 65%, the amount of water 35 to 45 % and the amount of
emulsifiers should be a maximum 0.5% of bitumen emulsion’s weight.Emulsifiers are used for making a
mixture of water and oil dispersed in each other.

In addition to their ability to reduce the tension between oil and water molecules, emulsifiers have an
electronic charge that affects the molecules of bitumen emulsion and lead to the categorization of it
into Cationic and Anionic.

Cationic emulsifiers, for example, form a layer of positive charge around the bitumen droplets that
prevent them from joining each other.

This makes bitumen dispersion in water more durable.The electronic charge of bitumen emulsion
decides on what kind of surface it should be used.

Some aggregates (such as marble aggregates) mix well with anionic bitumen emulsion and some others
are a better solution to cationic bitumen emulsion (such as granite aggregates).
Test on bitumen

The various tests for bitumen are as follows. These tests are common for straight-run bitumen and
cutbacks.

1. Penetration test.

2. viscosity test.

3. Float test.

4. Kinematic viscosity test.

5. Ductility test.

6. Softening point test.

7. Flash point and fire point test.

Bitumen Tests- Penetration Test

Procedure for Penetration Test of Bitumen

1. The bitumen is softened to a pouring consistency, stirred well, and poured into the test
containers. The depth of bitumen in the container is kept at least 15mm more than the expected
penetration. (I.S. 1203-1958)

2. Now the sample containers are placed in a temperature-controlled water bath at a temperature
of 25 c for one hour.

3. Then at the end of one hour, the sample is taken out of water bath and the needle is brought in
contact with the surface of bitumen sample at that time reading of dial is set at zero or the
reading of dial noted, when the needle is in contact with the surface of the sample.

4. After that, the needle is released and the needle is allowed to penetrate for 5 seconds and the
final reading is recorded. On that sample at least three penetration observations should be
taken at distances at least 10 mm apart. After each test, the needle should be disengaged,
wiped with benzene, and dried. The amount of penetration is recorded as shown in Fig. 1

5. The main value of the three measurements is reported is the penetration test.

6. The accuracy of the test depends upon pouring temperature, size of the needle, the weight
placed on the needle, and test temperature.

7. The grade of bitumen is specified in terms of penetration value. For example, 30/40 grade
bitumen indicates the penetration value of the bitumen in the range of 30 to 40 at standard
test conditions.
 8. Readings are taken as units of penetration

9. Where, 1 unit = (1/10) mm

Penetration test on bitumen is carried to determine:

 Consistency of bituminous material

 Suitability of bitumen for use under different climatic conditions and various types of
construction.
 Penetration Value of Bitumen.mp4

Importance of Penetration Testing

 The penetration test is used as a measure of consistency. Higher values of penetration indicate
softer consistency.

 The test is widely used all over the world for classifying bituminous materials into different
grades.

 Depending upon the climatic conditions and type of construction, bitumen of different
penetration grade are used. Commonly used grades are 30/40, 60/70 and 80/100.

 In warmer regions, lower penetration grades are preferred and in colder regions bitumen with
higher penetration values are used.

 The test is not intended to estimate consistency of softer materials like cut back which are
usually graded by viscosity test.
Penetration grade 40-50 is hardest grade and penetration grade 200-300 is softest grade used for cold
climates

Penetration Grading

Advantages

 Consistency at average service temperature

 Short testing time

 Adaptable to field applications (contamination)

 Relatively low equipment cost

Disadvantages

 Grade overlap (85-100 grade = AC-5, AC-10, or AC-20)

 Similitude at 77 °F deceptive to

 performance at higher and lower service temperatures

 Rates of test (shear rate) high and variable

 No viscosity available near mixing and compaction temperatures

In different regions and countries, different Standards and Grading systems are used for determining the
quality of petroleum bituminous Binders. The most recognized standards for petroleum bitumen are
published by

 European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

o Deutsche Industry Norm (DIN EN)

o Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR – NF EN)

o BSI Standards – the UK’s National Standards Body (NSB – BS EN)

 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

 South African Standard Organization (SABS)

 Standards Australia (AS)

Bitumen Tests - Ductility Test

Ductility is the property of bitumen that permits it to undergo great deformation or elongation. Ductility
is defined as the distance in cm, to which a standard sample or briquette of the material will be
elongated without breaking.
The Ductility Test of Bitumen is one of the important tests of bitumen which is essential before using it
in road construction. The Ductility Test of Bitumen used to measure the adhesive and elastic properties
of any bitumen sample.

Aim:

To determine the ductility of cutback bitumen, blown type bitumen, or any other bituminous products.

In this ductility test of bitumen, the amount by which the bitumen will stretch at a temperature below
the softening point is determined.

Significance of Ductility Test of Bitumen:

 The ductility test of bitumen sample is one of the important tests of bitumen to be conducted
before road construction.

 Ductility measures the adhesive property of the bitumen too along with its elasticity.

The bituminous binder used in the pavement should be ductile enough to take up the deformations
acting upon it without exceeding the deflection limit. Ductile bitumen can form a thin ductile film
around the aggregate particles. Thus, it does not crack at low temperatures. However, the films of brittle
bitumen are not ductile and crack may easily develop in lower temperatures.

Ductility of Bitumen:

The amount in centimeter by which the bitumen can stretch before breaking is called ductility of
bitumen.
Apparatus:

 Ductility apparatus: It is the testing machine for bitumen. The various parts of the testing
machine are described below:

 A rectangular tank with copper or steel lining which is filled with water so as the
specimen remains submerged in the water

 Built-in heater which is used in a cooler climate

 Pump to maintain a uniform temperature by circulating water

 Clutch for regulating and adjusting suitable speed while testing

  Briquette mould- 3 in no.: The material is brass and it is 8-shaped. Its parts are described below:

 Baseplate

 Two Clips- There are two holes in the clips. These holes are used to fix the mould in the
testing machine. One clip is attached to the fixed end while the other to the moving
end.

 Two Sides

Clips and Sides

Dimensions of the Briquette mould are mentioned below:

Total length = 75 mm ± 0.5 mm

Distance between the 2 clips = 30 mm ± 0.3 mm

Thickness of the clip = 10 mm ± 0.1 mm

Width of the clip = 20 mm ± 0.2 mm

Water bath: It should contain a minimum of 10 litres of water. Bitumen specimen should be immersed
to at least 100 mm depth. Moreover, the specimen should be supported over a perforated shelf which
should be above 50 mm from the bottom of the bath.

Thermometer or Temperature indicator– To measure the temperature of water in the ductility

apparatus. Its range should be from 0 to 44 °C.

Other accessory apparatus include:

 Knife

 Heating oven

 Beaker

Materials:

 Bitumen of known grade

 Glycerine
 Dextrin

The Procedure of Ductility Test of Bitumen:

The ductility test of bitumen is carried out in two steps:

 Sample Preparation: In this step, the bitumen sample is filled in the briquette mould after
melting it.

 Testing of the Specimen: In this step, the bitumen sample taken in the mould is tested for its
ductility in the ductility testing machine.

Sample Preparation:

 Take the bitumen sample in a beaker and heat it to a temperature of 75-100°C- above its
approximate softening point. Allow the bitumen to melt until it is converted completely into a
liquid state.

 Prepare a mixture of glycerine and dextrin in equal proportions. Mix it well. Then coat the
surface of the brass plate and the interior of the sides of the briquette mould. This prevents the
bitumen from sticking to the mould.

 Fix the sides, clip over the base plate, and tighten the screw of the clip with the help of a
screwdriver.

 Prepare all the three briquette moulds in a similar manner.

  Pour the melted bitumen in the briquette mould until they are full.

 Allow the mould to cool at room temperature in air for about 30 to 40 minutes.

 Place the whole assembly with brass plate and mould in a water bath, which is maintained at 27
°C for about 30 minutes.

 Cut the excess bitumen on the surface with the help of hot, straight-edged putty knife or spatula
and level the top surface. The dimension of the briquette thus formed is exactly 1 sq cm.

Testing of the Specimen:

1. Place the brass plate along with mould containing the specimen again in the water bath at 27 °C
for 85-95 minutes.

2. Remove the briquette from the base plate, unscrew the clips, and remove the sides of the
briquette mould.

3. Attach the assembly of bitumen sample with a base plate with the help of rings of the clips to
the pins or hooks in the ductility machine. One clip of the mould is attached to the moving part
while the other clip is attached to the fixed part of the ductility machine.

4. Tighten the screw of the clips of the mould with the help of a screwdriver.

5. Check the pointer of the ductility machine is at zero. (Or note down the initial reading of the
ductility machine).

6. Switch on the ductility machine and adjust the gear so that the movable part moves at the
speed of 50 mm/minute. (The pull rate of the machine is to be maintained 50 mm/min).

7. Thus, the two clips are pulled apart horizontally at uniform speed until the briquette specimen
ruptures.

8. Measure the distance between the clips at the time of rupture of the specimen.

Observation:

As the ductility machine is allowed to run, one end of the machine remains fixed, while the other end is
pulled apart.

The distance at which the thread of the bitumen breaks is to be noted down for all the three samples.

If the specimen does not break even at 75 centimetres, the machine is stopped and the ductility value is
then mentioned as greater than 75 cm.

Observation Table for Ductility Test of Bitumen:

(A sample observation table is drawn below)

Result:

The average of the ductility values to the nearest whole value obtained from the three moulds is the
ductility value of the given bitumen specimen.

If the ductility value of the three samples does not lie within ±5 % of the mean value of the three, then
the average of the higher two values is calculated. If the higher two ductility values lie within ±5 % of
their mean value, then this means the value is recorded as ductility value.

If the bitumen specimen comes in contact with the bottom of the testing apparatus, then the test is not
considered normal. To prevent this, methyl alcohol or sodium chloride is added to the water bath to
increase the specific gravity of the water.

If on three consecutive results, a normal test is not obtained, then the ductility value is mentioned
as unobtainable in the report.

The ductility test of bitumen specimen is dependent on the grade of the bitumen. Hence, ductility
requirements vary with the grade of the bitumen.

Minimum ductility values standardised by Bureau of Indian Standard for Bitumen Type1 for different
grades are tabulated below:

Grade of Bitumen Type-I Ductility (in cm)

S – 35 50

S – 55 75

S – 65 75
 S – 90 75

S – 200 75

Ductility Test of Bitumen (1).mp4

Bitumen Tests- Softening Point Test

Softening point denotes the temperature at which the bitumen attains a particular degree of softening
under the specifications of test. The test is conducted by using Ring and Ball apparatus. A brass ring
containing test sample of bitumen is suspended in liquid like water or glycerin at a given temperature. A
steel ball is placed upon the bitumen sample and the liquid medium is heated at a rate of 5 C per
minute. Temperature is noted when the softened bitumen touches the metal plate which is at a
specified distance below. Generally, higher softening point indicates lower temperature susceptibility
and is preferred in hot climates. Figure 0.1 shows Softening Point test setup.

Softening Point of Bitumen.mp4

Bitumen Tests- Viscosity Test

Viscosity denotes the fluid property of the bituminous material and it is a measure of resistance to flow.
At the application temperature, this characteristic greatly influences the strength of resulting paving
mixes. Low or high viscosity during compaction or mixing has been observed to result in lower stability
values.

At high viscosity, it resists the compactive effort and thereby resulting mix is heterogeneous, hence low
stability values. And at low viscosity instead of providing a uniform film over aggregates, it will lubricate
the aggregate particles. Orifice type viscometers are used to indirectly find the viscosity of liquid binders
like cutbacks and emulsions.

The viscosity expressed in seconds is the time taken by the 50 ml bitumen material to pass through the
orifice of a cup, under standard test conditions and specified temperature. The viscosity of a cutback can
be measured with either 4.0 mm orifice at 25$^o$ C or 10 mm orifice at 25 or 40 C.

VISCOSITY TEST FOR BITUMEN.mp4

Bitumen Tests- Flash and Fire Point Test

At high temperatures depending upon the grades of bitumen, materials leave out volatiles. And these
volatiles catches fire which is very hazardous and therefore it is essential to qualify this temperature for
each bitumen grade.
BIS defined the flash point as the temperature at which the vapour of bitumen momentarily catches fire
in the form of flash under specified test conditions. The fire point is defined as the lowest temperature
under specified test conditions at which the bituminous material gets ignited and burns.

[EXPERIMENT] FLASH AND FIRE POINT OF Bitumen.mp4

Bitumen Tests- Float Test

Normally the consistency of bituminous material can be measured either by penetration test or viscosity
test. But for certain range of consistencies, these tests are not applicable and Float test is used. The
apparatus consists of an aluminum float and a brass collar filled with bitumen to be tested. The
specimen in the mould is cooled to a temperature of 5 C and screwed in to float. The total test assembly
is floated in the water bath at 50 C and the time required for water to pass its way through the specimen
plug is noted in seconds and is expressed as the float value.

FLOAT TEST FOR BITUMEN.mp4

Bitumen Tests- Water Content Test

It is desirable that the bitumen contains minimum water content to prevent foaming of the bitumen
when it is heated above the boiling point of water.

The water in a bitumen is determined by mixing known weight of specimen in a pure petroleum
distillate free from water, heating, and distilling of the water. The weight of the water condensed and
collected is expressed as the percentage by weight of the original sample. The allowable maximum
water content should not be more than 0.2% by weight.

WATER CONTENT TEST FOR BITUMEN.mp4

Bitumen Tests- Loss on heating Test

When the bitumen is heated it loses the volatility and gets hardened. About 50gm of the sample is
weighed and heated to a temperature of 163 C for 5hours in a specified oven designed for this test. The
sample specimen is weighed again after the heating period and loss in weight is expressed as the
percentage by weight of the original sample. Bitumen used in pavement mixes should not indicate more
than 1% loss in weight, but for bitumen having penetration values 150-200 up to 2% loss in weight is
allowed.

LOSS ON HEATING TEST FOR BITUMEN.mp4

Asphalt

Asphalt is a mixture of aggregates, binder and filler, used for constructing and maintaining roads,
parking areas, railway tracks, ports, airport runways, bicycle lanes, sidewalks and also play- and sport
areas.

Aggregates used for asphalt mixtures could be crushed rock, sand, gravel or slags. Nowadays, certain
waste and by-products, such as construction and demolition debris, are being used as aggregates, which
increases the sustainability of asphalt.

In order to bind the aggregates into a cohesive mixture a binder is used. Most commonly, bitumen is
used as a binder, although nowadays, a series of bio-based binders are also under development with the
aim of minimizing the environmental impact of the roads.

An average asphalt pavement consists of the road structure above the formation level which includes
unbound and bituminous-bound materials. This gives the pavement the ability to distribute the loads of
the traffic before it arrives at the formation level. Normally, pavements are made of different layers:
How is asphalt produced?

Asphalt is produced in an asphalt plant. This can be a fixed plant or even in a mobile mixing plant. It is
possible to produce in an asphalt plant up to 800 tons per hour. The average production temperature of
hot mix asphalt is between 150 and 180°C, but nowadays new techniques are available to produce
asphalt at lower temperatures. (See below).

Asphalt plant

Different kinds of asphalt

To be able to provide the best performance to different applications, a large variety of asphalt mixes can
be used. Due to the different requirements (amount of traffic, amount of heavy vehicles, temperature,
weather conditions, noise reduction requirements, etc.) the respective mix used needs to have an
sufficient stiffness and resistance to deformation in order to cope with the applied pressure from vehicle
wheels on the one hand, yet on the other hand, they need to have an adequate flexural strength to
resist cracking caused by the varying pressures exerted on them. Moreover, good workability during
application is essential in order to ensure that they can be fully compacted to achieve optimum
durability.

Asphalt mixtures can be produced at different temperatures

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)

Hot asphalt mixes are generally produced at a temperature between 150 and 180 °C. Depending on the
usage, a different asphalt mixture can be used. For more details of the different asphalt mixtures, go
to “Asphalt products”

Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)

A typical WMA is produced at a temperature around 20 – 40 °C lower than an equivalent Hot Mix
Asphalt. Significantly less energy is involved and, consequently, less fumes are produced (as rule of
thumb, a reduction of 25ºC produces a reduction of 75% of fumes emission). In addition, during the
paving operations, the temperature of the material is lower, resulting in improved working conditions
for the crew and an earlier opening of the road.

Cold Mix Asphalt

Cold mixes are produced without heating the aggregate. This is only possible, due to the use of bitumen
emulsified in water, which breaks either during compaction or during mixing. Producing the coating of
the aggregate. Over the curing time, water evaporates and strength increases. Cold mixes are
particularly recommendable for lightly trafficked roads.

Cold Mix Asphalt layer

CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD BED WITH PAVER MACHINE, PTR.mp4