Abstract
In the last decades, all technology production sectors reached a high level of development, without neglecting the attention to environmental aspects and safeguarding energy resources. Moreover, in the sector of pavement industry, some alternatives of bituminous mixtures were proposed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. One of these is the warm mix asphalt (WMA), a mixture produced and compacted at lower temperatures compared to traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA) (about 40 °C less), to allow a reduction of emissions into the atmosphere and the costs. Other operative benefits concern the health of workers during the whole road construction process, the reduction of distances to which the mixture can be transported, and therefore also the positioning of the plants. However, it is not all benefits, since reduced production temperatures can bring short- and long-term water sensitivity issues, which could threaten the pavement performance. This paper evaluated the performance (water sensitivity, stiffness, fatigue, and permanent deformation) of a WMA produced using a warm mix fabrication bitumen and compared it with an HMA tested in parallel. In general, except for the resistance to permanent deformation, the WMA presented performances comparable to HMA. Regarding the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures, the WMA was less affected by ageing conditions, despite it showing lower performance than HMA.
Highlights
The technologies and the methods for the production and spread of traditional bituminous mixtures, classified as hot mix asphalt (HMA), have experienced a remarkable development over the years, passing from manual to modern high-level automated equipment.During this time, in these production processes, the temperature control is a crucial factor to reach high performances
Saturation and accelerated water conditioning decreased indirect tensile strength (ITS) values of unaged specimens (ITSR values higher than 100%) and contrarily increased ITS values of aged specimens
It was observed that the difference in terms of fatigue between a HMA and a warm mix asphalt (WMA) always of strain level between (HMA-WMA) in unaged and aged conditions
Summary
The technologies and the methods for the production and spread of traditional bituminous mixtures, classified as hot mix asphalt (HMA), have experienced a remarkable development over the years, passing from manual to modern high-level automated equipment. During this time, in these production processes, the temperature control is a crucial factor to reach high performances. In case of surpassing the correct temperature, the mixture can overheat and accelerate the binder ageing process; high temperature can affect long-term performance and determine an increase in fuel and energy consumption, emissions, and harmful fumes, both at the production plant and at the site of interest.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
