One day Workshop

On

Cold Mix Technology

Design of Cold Mix Asphalt

for Structural Layers
Presented by
Dr. Anush K. Chandrappa
Assistant Professor
School of Infrastructure
akc@[Link]
In association with

03 September 2022 1
 BACKGROUND
• Hot mix asphalt is used traditionally in flexible
pavements

• Production temperature > 150oC

• One tonne of HMA production requires 11.2 litres

of fossil fuel

• Carbon footprint of pavements has tremendously

increased

• In the long-run, HMA may not be sustainable

technology 2
 BACKGROUND
Pollutant (Source: EPA, USA) Annual Emission per 100,000
tons per year in kg/year
PM-10 4815
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) 675
Corbon monoxide 18450
Sulfur Di Oxide 3960
Nitrogen Oxide 5580
Poly aromatic hydrocarbons 5.85
Phenol 0.18
Volatile hazardous air pollutants 342

A typical 50 km – 4 lane road with bituminous layer of

thickness 150 mm requires: 50000 * 3.5 * 0.15 *
4*2400 / 1000 = 252000 tons
3
 BACKGROUND
• Immediate need for sustainable technologies

• Incorporating modified asphalt/RAP increases

production temperature

• Alternatives for HMA

• Warm-mix asphalt, half warm-mix asphalt, cold-

mix asphalt

• Reduction in mixing and compaction temperature

4
BACKGROUND

Cheraghian et al (2020)

5
 INTRODUCTION
• Cold mix technology (CMT) – sustainable technology for
bituminous pavements

• Does not require heat during production, transportation

and construction stage

• Produced in ambient conditions

• Offers several research challenges

• Potential to reduce carbon footprint significantly

• Currently used for patching, pot-hole filling and thin

surface layers
6
 INTRODUCTION

CMA

HMA

Source: Google
Images 7
 INTRODUCTION
• Using CMT in pothole and patching repairs underestimates
its potential

• Research required to explore as an alternative to HMA

• Concerns to be addressed
• Strength and stability
• Coating
• Moisture damage resistance
• Fatigue
• Durability
• Curing
• Early strength development
• Life cycle analysis
• Environmental impact assessment
8
Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
METHODOLOGY
Selection of the Mix design of Identifying ORBC
gradation (BC, CMA as per MS- of the mix
DBM, SMA) 14

Conducting rut- Determining

test at optimum strength
Addition of active
active filler characteristics
filler by weight
content in dry and selection of
of dry aggregates
and soaked optimum active
condition filler content

Cantabro loss Finalizing the mix

test for abrasion design
characteristics
9
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Selection of Gradation
100.0
BC-3 DBM-2 SMA-3
80.0

60.0
% Passing

40.0

20.0

0.0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100

IS Sieve Size, mm

• BC-3: Impermeable wearing course for thin layer applications

• DBM-2 and SMA: Structural layers 10
Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
MS-14 Mix Design Method
• Three types of fluid contents are determined in mix
design:
1. Optimum pre-wetting water content (OPWC)
2. Optimum water content for compaction (OWCC)
3. Optimum residual binder content (ORBC)

P = ((0.05*A + 0.1*B + 0.5*C) * 0.7

P = Percent by weight of emulsified asphalt
A = Percent aggregate retained on 2.36 mm sieve
B = Percent aggregate between 2.36 mm and 75 microns
sieve
C = Percent of aggregate passing 75 microns sieve

OPWC is added subsequently in all the steps 11

 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Optimum Premix Water Content
IS Sieve, mm
Percent a 52.5 P = ((0.05*A + 0.1*B + 0.5*C) * 0.7
Passing, % b 43.8 P = 8.85%
13.2 100.0 c 3.7
9.5 95.0 P = Percent of emulsified asphalt
4.75 65.0
2.36 47.5
1.18 36.5
0.6 27.0
0.3 19.5
0.15 11.0
0.075 3.7

12
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Optimum Water content for Compaction

Residual Bitumen Content 4.5

Percent of Bitumen in
67
emulsion
Percent of water in emulsion 33
Percent pre-mixing water
4
content

Total mass of Mass of water

Mass of Mass of pre- Mass of
Water content for water in the mix to be lost
aggregate mixing water water during
compaction, % before before
,% content, g compaction, g
compaction, g compaction, g

3.0 1200 48.00 74.60 38.60 36.00

3.5 1200 48.00 74.60 32.60 42.00
4.0 1200 48.00 74.60 26.60 48.00
4.5 1200 48.00 74.60 20.60 54.00
5.0 1200 48.00 74.60 14.60 60.00
5.5 1200 48.00 74.60 8.60 66.00
13
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Optimum Water content for Compaction

Gmb = Over dry

weight /
Curing for
(Saturated
3 days at
surface dry
40oC
weight – Weight
in water)

DBM SMA
2.40 2.30
Dry density in gm/cc 2.25
Density in gm/cc

2.35
2.20
2.30 2.15
2.10
2.25
2.05
2.20 2.00
3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5
Moisture %
Moisture % 14
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Optimum Residual Bitumen Content
Optimum
compaction water 4
content, %
Percent pre-
mixing water 4
content

Mass of Mass of Mass of water for

Residual Bitumen Mass of Mass of Mass of pre-water to be
aggregate, Emulsion, optimum
Content bitumen, g water added, g
% g compaction

3.0 1200 36.00 53.73 48.00 17.73 30.27

3.5 1200 42.00 62.69 48.00 20.69 27.31

4.0 1200 48.00 71.64 48.00 23.64 24.36

4.5 1200 54.00 80.60 48.00 26.60 21.40

5.0 1200 60.00 89.55 48.00 29.55 18.45

15
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Optimum Residual Bitumen Content
Stability DBM
2000
1800 DRY
Load in kg

1600 SOAKED

1400
1200
1000
800
3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00
Binder %

Stability SMA
2500

2000
Load in kg

1500

1000

500
unsoaked soked
0
3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50 7.00 7.50

Binder % 16
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Comparison of Properties
with 75 blows DBM SMA
Standards
Hot Mix Cold Mix Cold Mix

Marshal stability value 60o C, kg

900 1540.60 2177.22

(CMA mixtures tested at room

temperature)
Marshall flow value, mm 2 to 4 4.0 6.5

Marshall Quotient (Stability/Flow) 2 to 5 3.85 3.34

Air voids in total mix, % 3 to 5 7.30 6.72

Voids filled with bitumen, VFB% 65 to 75 56.89 65.47

90% as per coating

Coating of aggregate particle 95% minimum 90% as per coating test
test

Tensile Strength ratio 80% minimum - -

Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA), 3% 4% 5% 7.30 6.72

17
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
Addition of Cement
Stability of DBM @ 60oC
1800 900 kg minimum
recommended stability
Load in kg

1200
for HMA @ 60oC
600

0
1 2 3 4

Cement %

Stability of SMA
1800
1500
1200
Load, kg

900
600
300
0
1 2 3 4

Cement % 18
 Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
WHEEL TRACKER RUT TESTING

DBM
10
9
8
7
Rutting, mm

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000

Cycles

DBM -DRY DBM-DRY-CEMENT DBM-SOAK DBM-SOAK-CEMENT

19
Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
WHEEL TRACKER RUT TESTING

SMA
12

10

8
Rutting, mm

0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000

Cycles

SMA-DRY SMA-DRY-CEMENT SMA-SOAKED SMA-SOAKED-CEMENT

20
Development of Cold Mix for Structural Bituminous layer
WHEEL TRACKER RUT TESTING

Before rutting

Tested at 60oC
without soaking

Soaked @ 60oC
for 24 hours
before testing

After rutting
21
References
• Asphalt Institute – MS 14 – Asphalt Cold Mix Manual

• IRC:SP:100-2014 – Use of Cold Mix Technology in

Construction and Maintenance of Roads using Bitumen
Emulsion

22