PURPOSES : This study was performed to evaluate the short-term aging (SA) protocols of the normal hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixture, to explore problems, and to suggest proper procedures based on fundamental principles of SA in terms of the SA temperature (T) and length of time (Lt) in existing specifications in several countries including Korea.
METHODS : As the SA in our lab is a simulation of field SA, which is an inevitable procedure occurring naturally in the current field practice, major SA guidelines of foreign countries and Korea were reviewed to investigate problems that showed discrepancies with field practice. The aging quantity (Aq) model was introduced as a function of T and Lt, based on the correlation with absolute viscosity (AV) to estimate Aq by T and Lt. The normal SA (NSA) was suggested through an example procedure inducing binder aging level similar to the RTFOtreated binder AV or Aq. Based on the NSA Aq level, lower, proper, or higher SA conditions were discovered from the existing SA guidelines.
RESULTS : As Aq has excellent correlation with AV, the proper T and Lt for NSA as an example was suggested based on the AV of RTFOtreated binder to induce an Aq range of 19,000-25,000 min.℃. It was found that there were several problems in the existing guidelines in USA and Korea. These included lower T, shorter or longer Lt, and air blowing or stirring the mix during SA, which were not matched with the practical condition of loaded HMA mixtures that were short-term aged under hot temperatures in trucks.
CONCLUSIONS : It was concluded that there are several problems in the current SA guidelines, which do not provide proper HMA temperature to mixtures for proper (modal) length of time. Therefore, these guidelines should be reevaluated carefully and revised based on the fundamental field SA principle. The NSA condition should be suggested using proper HMA T and modal Lt for better simulation of field SA practice.
PURPOSES : Asphalt pavements are damaged by various causes, such as cracks, potholes due to climate, and traffic environment. Asphalt aging has a significant effect on cracks, which may also form potholes. The purposes of this study are to estimate the change in asphalt binder and mixture performance and to correlate the physicochemical changes of the asphalt binder and mixture performance with aging.
METHODS : The aging process of the asphalt was determined in the laboratory, based on the methods used in previous studies. In terms of consistency (stiffness), crack-resistance performance, moisture susceptibility, SK investigated the binder part, and Shoreki investigated the mixture part depending on the aging time.
RESULTS : The consistency (stiffness) and brittleness of both the asphalt binder and mixture tended to increase with aging. In particular, the crack-resistance performance of the asphalt binder (G*sinδ, ductility, and ΔTc) and mixture (flexural fatigue test and Cantabro test) deteriorated because of asphalt aging. Furthermore, the aging mechanisms (oxidation and polymerization) were identified based on the chemical structure analysis.
CONCLUSIONS : It is confirmed that the aging affected the chemical composition change and the physical properties of the asphalt. Asphalt pavements are significantly affected by the aging characteristics of the binder. It is concluded that the crack-resistance performance of the mixture decreases with aging due to these physical and chemical changes.
PURPOSES : The feasibilities of cohesive elastoplastic contact model and discrete element method (DEM) for asphalt concrete mixture compaction process were evaluated.
METHODS : The contact models that were used to simulate the dynamic behavior of construction materials were reviewed. The characteristics of cohesive elastoplastic models were discussed from the perspective of integration with existing contact models. Two asphalt mixtures that were fabricated with specific aggregate gradations and binder contents were compacted according to the Superpave gyratory compaction specification. The parameters for the model were determined via trial-and-error method. The heights of the specimens were plotted with respect to number of gyrations. The results of the laboratory tests were compared to those of numerical simulations. The displacement of particles in asphalt mixture specimen was also visualized to understand the effect of gyratory compaction on asphalt mixture specimen.
RESULTS : The DEM model exhibited a significant friction coefficient dependency on compaction degree and slop. The DEM model with parameters determined through trial and error demonstrated reasonable simulation results in terms of specimen height at a gyration number. CONCLUSIONS: Even though a little discrepancy was observed between the results of the experimental test and numerical simulation, a combination of DEM with cohesive elastoplastic contact model seems to be applicable for the simulation of asphalt mixture compaction in laboratory. However, the model needs to be enhanced to be used for more realistic compaction processes, including heat transfer, phase change, and vibratory loading.
PURPOSES : It is well known that low temperature cracking is one of the most serious distresses on asphalt pavement, especially for northern U.S. (including Alaska), Canada and the northern part of south Korea. The risk of thermal cracking can be numerically measured by estimating thermal stress of a given asphalt mixture. This thermal stress can be computed by low temperature creep testing. Currently, in-direct tensile (IDT) mixture creep test mentioned in AASHTO specification is used for measuring low temperature creep properties of a given asphalt mixture. However, IDT requires the use of expensive testing equipment for performing the sophisticated analysis process, however, very few laboratories utilize this equipment. In this paper, a new and simple performance test (SPT) method: bending beam rheometer (BBR) mixture creep testing equipment is introduced, and the estimated experimental results were compared with those of conventional IDT tests.
METHODS: Three different asphalt mixtures containing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and roofing shingles were prepared in the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) research laboratory. Using the BBR and IDT, the low temperature creep stiffness data were measured and subsequently computed. Using a simple power-law function, the creep stiffness data were converted into relaxation modulus, and subsequently compared. Finally, thermal stress results were computed from relaxation modulus master curve using Gaussian quadrature approach with condierations of 24 Gauss number.
RESULTS: In the case of the conventional asphalt mixture, similar trends were observed when the relaxation modulus and thermal stress results were compared. In the case of RAP and Shingle added mixtures, relatively different computation results were obtained. It can be estimated that different experimental surroundings and specimen sizes affected the results.
CONCLUSIONS: It can be said that the BBR mixture creep test can be a more viable approach for measuring low temperature properties of asphalt mixture compared to expensive and complex IDT testing methods. However, more extensive research and analysis are required to further verify the feasibility of the BBR mixture creep test.
PURPOSES : The use of reclaimed aggregate has been recently increasing with the increase in the amount of waste asphalt concrete. The application of these materials can reduce the properties of the asphalt pavement when compared with the case when recycled aggregate is not used. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the asphalt mixtures with various mix ratios of reclaimed aggregate.
METHODS : To measure the performance, the following tests using the mixtures prepared in accordance with the Korea Standards were conducted: Hamburg wheel-tracking test, third-scale model mobile loading simulator test, and dynamic modulus test.
RESULTS : The test results of the Hamburg wheel-tracking test indicate that the water resistance was similar in each mixture and the plastic deformation resistance was good in the high-ratio reclaimed aggregate mixture. In the case of the third-scale model mobile loading simulator test, the plastic deformation demonstrated a high resistance in the high-ratio reclaimed aggregate mixture. The results were similar to those of the Hamburg wheel-tracking test; however, the cracking resistance was poor with a high recycled aggregate incorporation ratio. The dynamic modulus test results demonstrated excellent resistance to plastic deformation at a relatively high ratio of reclaimed aggregate admixture. The crack resistance was weakened when a high ratio of reclaimed aggregate mixture was used.
CONCLUSIONS: As the reclaimed aggregate content increased, the plastic deformation resistance increased and the crack resistance decreased.
PURPOSES: The object of this study is to select appropriate inorganic materials, and find the best mixing formula to secure fast curing time and enough initial strength, and then to evaluate the durability of the asphalt mixtures according to the degree of addition of the compound manufactured by the determined blending ratio.
METHODS : The breaking time and reactivity between seven kinds of inorganic minerals, and the selected recycled aggregate and emulsified asphalt were compared to determine the best initial curing strength for the mixtures. Then, three inorganic materials were chosen as the materials that provide good breaking time and reactivity, and the best mixing formula for the three materials was determined. The chemical composition of the compound manufactured using the mixing formula was analyzed by energy dispersive x-ray system method. Finally, indirect tensile strength (ITS) test was performed (for two days) at room temperature to determine the proper amount of additives that will provide the best initial strength.
RESULTS: From the results of the reactivity test, the best mixing formula (A:C:G = 60:30:10) for the three selected inorganic materials with short braking time and high reactivity was determined. The four types of cold reclaimed asphalt mixtures for ITS testing were manufactured by adding the inorganic material compounds at 0%, 3%, 5%, and 7%, and the ITS values were measured after two curing days. The ITS values at 5% and 7% were 0.308 MPa and 0.415 MPa, respectively. The results of quality control tests (Marshall stability, porosity, flow value, etc.) at 5% and 7% satisfied the specification criterion for the cold recycled asphalt mixtures.
CONCLUSIONS : The selected inorganic materials (A, C, and G) and the best mixing formula (A:C:G = 60:30:10) accelerated the reaction with emulsified asphalt and shortened the curing time. Depending on the inorganic material used, the breaking time and reactivity can be directly related or unrelated. This is because of the chemical compositions of recycled aggregates, infiltrated foreign matter, and chemical reactions between the inorganic materials and other materials. Therefore, it is important to select the proper materials and the best mixing formula when evaluating the characteristics of the practically used materials such as recycled aggregates, inorganic materials, and emulsified asphalt.
PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to examine the manufacturing method for emulsified asphalt and its bond performance by analyzing the properties of the emulsifier used to produce cold recycled asphalt mixtures.
METHODS: In this study, four types of slow-setting cationic emulsifiers, a microsurfacing emulsifier, and six types of nonionic emulsifiers were used to manufacture emulsified asphalt. Because each emulsifier requires its own unique effective dose to provide the best performance, the optimum asphalt content for each effective dose was determined. Then, the optimum asphalt content for the emulsified asphalt mixture was determined by the tests to check its basic physical properties. By using the determined optimum content, asphalt mixtures were manufactured and dynamic immersion and tensile strength tests were conducted on the mixtures to analyze the influence of the emulsifier on the physical properties of the mixtures.
RESULTS : The dynamic immersion test results showed a coating ratio of 54-85%, which is considerably higher than that of using ordinary straight asphalt. The tensile strength test yielded noncompliant values less than 0.4 N/mm, which is the standard requirement for dry indirect tensile strength. The correlation analysis between the dynamic immersion and tensile strength ratio tests showed very high correlation of 0.78. The correlation between the emulsifier content and water resistance performance was low, between -0.55 and -0.24.
CONCLUSIONS : While the storage stability improves with increasing emulsifier, the effectiveness proportional to the increase is weaker as the emulsifier increases. The performance testing of asphalt residues before and after manufacturing the emulsified asphalt showed no significant change. It is proved that the emulsified asphalt maintains high coating resistance according to the dynamic immersion test results. In addition, according to the results of tensile strength ratio, cold recycled asphalt mixtures manufactured by the materials normally and commercially used are not compliant with the national standard specification; thus, additional effective materials will be needed for quality compliance. In conclusion, it is evident that the dynamic immersion and tensile strength ratio tests have good correlation, but the quantity of emulsifiers used is not related to the level of moisture resistance.
PURPOSES: Using recyclable materials in asphalt pavement industry is one of the essential tasks not only for saving construction budgets but also for mitigating environmental pollutions. Over the past decades, several efforts have been made by road maintenance agencies to incorporate various recyclable materials into virgin asphalt paving mixtures. As a result, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), which consists of old pavement material was selected as one of most widely used recyclable materials. In this paper, the effects of using different amounts of single-recycled RAP (SRRAP) and double-recycled RAP (DRRAP) on the low-temperature characteristics of asphalt mixtures were investigated.
METHODS: To evaluate the low-temperature characteristics of SRRAP and DRRAP mixtures, two experiments, the bending beam mixture creep test and semicircular bending fracture test were performed. The experimental parameters: creep stiffness, m-value, thermal stress, critical cracking temperature, fracture energy, and fracture toughness were computed then compared. RESULTS : RAP mixtures (SRRAP or DRRAP) showed lower mechanical performance compared with conventional asphalt mixtures. The differences became distinct with increased RAP addition. However, the performance differences between SRRAP and DRRAP mixtures were not significant in all cases, which indicate the possible application of re-recycling technology (DRRAP) in the asphalt pavement industry.
CONCLUSIONS : The addition of RAP to virgin asphalt can mitigate low-temperature performance despite the improvement in fracture performance observed in some cases. Therefore, using RAP (SRRAP or DRRAP) mixtures on inter or sublayer construction, but not on the surface layer, is recommended. Moreover, the possibility of applying double-recycling technology in asphalt pavement industry can be introduced in this study because not significant performance differences were found between SRRAP and DRRAP mixtures especially at low temperature.
PURPOSES: Using recycled asphalt materials (called Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement: RAP) from existing asphalt pavement layers in newly constructed asphalt pavement is an essential option not only for lowering the construction budget but also for mitigating environmental pollution for society. For this reason, many pavement agencies in South Korea, the USA, and Canada have observed the effect of RAP on conventional asphalt pavement to evaluate and set proper material specifications and addable amounts. In this paper, effect of recyclable material on low-temperature performance of asphalt materials was investigated with two different mechanical tests. Among the recyclable material sources, RAP and Taconite Aggregate (TA), which is mainly produced in northern Minnesota (USA), were considered.
METHODS : To evaluate the low-temperature mechanical performance of a RAP mixture, two different experimental tests (In-Direct Tensile (IDT) low temperature creep test and Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test) were considered. The mechanical parameters creep-stiffness, relaxation modulus, fracture energy, and fracture toughness were computed then compared.
RESULTS: More brittle characteristics were observed with RAP-added asphalt mixtures compared to the conventional asphalt mixtures, as expected. However, the differences of computed mechanical performances were not significantly distinct for RAP mixtures compared to conventional mixtures when the RAP proportion was around 20%, and with the addition of TA up to 20%.
CONCLUSIONS : It can be concluded that up to 20% of RAP addition (along with TA up to 20%) in a virgin asphalt mixture does not provide significant performance reduction. This addable proportion can be viewed as a successful minimum level when considering the addition of RAP to hot-mix asphalt (HMA). Moreover, applying TA with RAP could offer a successful alternative for asphalt recycling and the materials industry.
PURPOSES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the physical properties of recycled asphalt mixtures reinforced with glass fiber.
METHODS: Firstly, mixing design was conducted on recycled asphalt mixture for use of 50% recycled aggregate. Various laboratory tests were performed on four types of recycled asphalt mixtures with different glass fiber content to evaluate the physical properties. The laboratory tests include indirect tensile strength test, dynamic modulus test, Hamburg wheel tracking test and tensile-strength ratio to evaluate cracks, rutting and moisture resistance of mixtures.
RESULTS: The indirect tensile strength of fiber reinforced glass increased about 139.4%. As a result of comparing the master curves obtained by the dynamic modulus test, the elasticity was low in the low temperature region and high in the high temperature region when the glass fiber was reinforced. The glass fiber contents of PEGS 0.3%, Micro PPGF 0.1% and Macro PPGF 0.3% showed the highest moisture resistance and rutting resistance.
CONCLUSIONS : The test results show that use of glass fiber reinforcement can increase the resistance to cracking, rutting, and moisture damage of asphalt mixtures. It is also necessary to validate the long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures with glass fiber using full scale pavement testing and field trial construction.
PURPOSES: In order to apply high-speed weigh-in-motion (HS WIM) systems to asphalt pavement, three high-durability asphalt concrete mixtures installed with a WIM epoxy are evaluated.
METHODS: In this study, dynamic stability, number of loading repetitions to reach the rut depth of 1 mm, and rut depth measurements of three asphalt mixtures at 60℃ were compared using an Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA). Laboratory-fabricated material and field core samples were prepared and tested according to KS F2374.
RESULTS : Through the laboratory tests, it was found that all three modified asphalt mixtures (stone-mastic, porous, and semi-rigid) with WIM epoxy showed favorable permanent deformation results and passed the dynamic stability criterion of 3000 loading repetitions per 1 mm. In addition, it was confirmed that the modified SMA mixtures cored from the field construction yields satisfactory rutting testing results using the APA. Finally, the epoxy used for the HS WIM installation shows good adhesion with the three asphalt mixtures and permanent deformation resistance.
PURPOSES : Asphalt concrete pavement is damaged by various causes such as traffic and environmental loads. The distressed pavement should be maintained by various methods to provide a comfortable and safe pavement for the driver. This study evaluates the effect of adding a mixing procedure to enhance the mixture quality in the hot in-placement recycled asphalt pavement method, which is an asphalt-pavement maintenance method.
METHODS: Various test methods such as Marshall stability and dynamic stability, were employed to estimate the recycled asphalt mixture with and without an additional mixing, using the hot in-placement recycled asphalt pavement method.
RESULTS : The mixture samples used in this study were taken before and after the addition of the mixer in the hot in-placement recycled asphalt pavement method (HIR) at field construction sites in GongJu and JinJu in South Korea. The test results of both mixtures satisfied the asphalt-mixture standard specifications.
CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that adding a mixer in the HIR method results in a well-mixed new asphalt mixture, rejuvenator, and reclaimed asphalt mixture.
PURPOSES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mechanical properties of a cold-recycling asphalt mixture used as a base layer and to determine the optimum emulsified-asphalt content for ensuring the mixture’s performance.
METHODS: The physical properties (storage stability, mixability, and workability) of three types of asphalt emulsion (CMS-1h, CSS-1h, and CSS-1hp) were evaluated using the rotational viscosity test. Asphalt emulsion residues, prepared according to the ASTM D 7497-09 standard, were evaluated for their rheological properties, including the G*/sinδand the dynamic shear modulus (|G*|). In addition, the Marshall stability, indirect tensile strength, and tensile-strength ratio (TSR) were evaluated for the cold-recycling asphalt mixtures fabricated according to the type and contents of the emulsified asphalt.
RESULTS: The CSS-1hp was found to be superior to the other two types in terms of storage stability, mixability, and workability, and its G*/sinδ value at high temperatures was higher than that of the other two types. From the dynamic shear modulus test, the CSS-1hp was also found to be superior to the other two types, with respect to low-temperature cracking and rutting resistance. The mixture test indicated that the indirect tensile strength and TSR increased with the increasing emulsified-asphalt content. However, the mixtures with one-percent emulsified-asphalt content did not meet the national specification in terms of the aggregate coverage (over 50%) and the indirect tensile strength (more than 0.4 MPa).
CONCLUSIONS : The emulsified-asphalt performance varied greatly, depending on the type of base material and modifying additives; therefore, it is considered that this will have a great effect on the performance of the cold-recycling asphalt pavement. As the emulsified-asphalt content increased, the strength change was significant. Therefore, it is desirable to apply the strength properties as a factor for determining the optimum emulsified-asphalt content in the mix design. The 1% emulsified-asphalt content did not satisfy the strength and aggregate coverage criteria suggested by national standards. Therefore, the minimum emulsified-asphalt content should be specified to secure the performance.