DENSITY AND COMPACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF WMA USING ADDITIVES

Abstract

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is an emerging technology that can allow asphalt to be produced and compacted at a significantly lower temperature. Several new processes have been developed to reduce the mixing and compacting temperatures without scarifying the quality of resulting pavement. One of the processes is by adding chemical additives in the mix. The additives added with the aggregates improve the compactibility of the mixture and reduces the rutting potential of the pavement. WMA offers many significant advantages such as energy saving, decreased emission and fumes, decrease binder aging and extend paving season into the cold-winter months and at places located at high altitudes. One of the WMA processes utilizes Sasobit®, a synthetic long chain Fischer-Tropsch wax. Sasobit® can be blended with the binder at a terminal or in the asphalt tank. Sasobit® was shown to improve the compactability of mixtures and overall reduction in air voids. The addition of Sasobit® increases the rutting potential of asphalt mix. The rutting potential will increase with decreasing mixing and compaction temperatures. In this thesis warm mix asphalt is designed for Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) of grade 2 with the addition of Sasobit® and test for compactability characteristics and property of asphalt mixture against deformation are carried out.