WMA Presentation at Transportation Research Board Conference 2007

By:
Shu Wei Goh
Zhanping You, Ph.D., P.E.
Michigan Technological University
Laboratory Evaluation and the Mechanical Properties
of Warm Mix Asphalt Using
Aspha-min®

Outline
Introduction
Literature Reviews
Objectives
Material Descriptions
Sample Preparation
Test Descriptions & Results
Conclusions and
Recommendations

Introduction
What is Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)?
A technology that allowed the producers of
Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavement material
to lower the temperatures at which the
material is mixed and placed on the road.

Introduction
How does WMA works?
Reduced the viscosity of the asphalt binder
at a given temperature and allowed the
aggregate to be fully coated at a lower
temperature.
Aspha-min®
Sasobit®
WAM-Foam®
Evotherm®
Asphaltan B®

Introduction
Benefits of WMA:
Lower energy consumption
Reduced mixing and compaction
temperature
Earlier traffic opening after construction due
to reduced cool down time
Lower plant wear
Slowed binder aging potential
Lower fumes and emissions

Figure Above shows that the drum plant in Iron
Mountain, MI. Lower emission released by Warm Mix
Asphalt compare to Hot Mix Asphalt
Warm Mix Asphalt Hot Mix Asphalt

Literature Reviews
WMA with Aspha-min® has improved
workability
WMA has similar performance
compared to HMA during the field test
WMA made with Aspha-min® has
increase the potential of moisture
damage
WMA made with Aspha-min® and
Sasobit® has a lower rutting depth

Objectives
Evaluate the binder properties using
Aspha-min® as an additive
Evaluate the performance of WMA
made with Aspha-min® obtained from
laboratory tests.
Evaluate the WMA using Mechanistic-
Empirical Pavement Guide (MEPDG)
using laboratory results

Materials For Asphalt Binder Test
Asphalt Binder:
Control:
PG 64-28
PG 52-34
WMA:
PG 64-28 + 0.3% Aspha-min®
PG 64-28 + 0.5% Aspha-min®
PG 58-34 + 0.3% Aspha-min®
PG 58-34 + 0.4% Aspha-min®
PG 58-34 + 0.5% Aspha-min®

Materials For Asphalt Mixture
Performance Test
Aggregate Source:
Michigan
Asphalt Binder used:
PG 64-28
Control Mix Type:
4E3
Aggregate size up to 12.5mm
Designed traffic load less than 3 millions ESALs
WMA additive added:
0.3% Aspha-min®
0.5% Aspha-min®

Sample Preparation
Sample prepared according to
Superpave specification
Air Void Level:
4%
Control - 4E3:
Compacting temperature: 142˚C
WMA - 0.3% & 0.5% Aspha-min® :
Compaction temperature: 100˚C & 120˚C

Laboratory Testing
Asphalt Binder Tests:
Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR)
Rotational Viscometer
Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR)
Asphalt Mixture Performance Test:
IDT Resilient Modulus Test
Dynamic Modulus Test
APA Rutting Test

DSR Test
Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) is used to
characteristic the viscous and elastic behavior of
asphalt binders at high and intermediate service
temperatures

DSR Test Input
Temperature:
High Temperature (un-aged, RTFO
aged):
64˚C for PG 64-28
58˚C for PG 58-34
Low Temperature (PAV and RTFO
aged):
22˚C
Frequency:
10 rad/s

DSR Test Results
G*/sin(δ) (KPa) G*∙sin(δ) (KPa)
High Temperature Low Temperature
Un-aged Binder
Binder After RTFO
Aging
Binder after PAV
aging
Asphalt Binder 52°C 64°C 52°C 64°C 22°C
Control PG52-34 1.23 - - - -
0.3%AM_PG52-34 1.06 - - - -
0.4%AM_PG52-34 1.07 - - - -
0.5%AM_PG52-34 1.01 - - - -
Control PG64-28 - 1.18 - 2.62 2064.30
0.3%AM_PG64-28 - 0.92 - 2.05 2639.20
0.5%AM_PG64-28 - 0.78 - 2.03 2813.80

Rotational Viscosity
Rotational Viscometer (RV) is used
to find the viscosity of the binder.
Temperature tested:
80˚C
100˚C
120˚C
135˚C
165˚C
Binder Tested:
PG 64-28
PG 52-34

Viscosity Result: PG64-28
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
75 95 115 135 155 175
Temperature (Celsius)
Viscosity(Pa.s)
Control PG64-28
0.3%AM_PG64-28
0.5%AM_PG64-28
Power
(0.5%AM_PG64-28)
Power
(0.3%AM_PG64-28)
Power (Control

Viscosity Result: PG52-34
0.01
0.1
1
100 120 140 160 180
Temperature (Celsius)
Viscosity(Pa.s)
Control PG52-34
0.3%AM_PG52-34
0.4%AM_PG52-34
0.5%AM_PG58-34

Bending Beam Rheometer
(BBR)
BBR is used to determined asphalt binder’s
propensity to thermal cracking at low pavement
service temperature.
The BBR uses a transient creep load, applied in the
bending mode, to load an asphalt beam specimen
held at a constant low temperature.

BBR Creep Stiffness Result
Asphalt Binder
Average Stiffness
(MPa)
Average m-value
Control 210.5 0.315
0.3% Aspha-min 193.75 0.317
0.5% Aspha-min 191.83 0.321
* M-value is the slope of the log creep stiffness versus log time
curve at 60 second during the test

IDT Resilient Modulus Test
Load apply:
250KN
Temperature
tested:
-4˚C
21.3˚C
37.8˚C
54.4˚C

IDT Resilient Modulus Result
0
4000
8000
12000
16000
20000
Control 0.3%
AM_100C
0.3%AM_120C 0.5%
AM_100C
0.5%
AM_120C
Sample
ResilientModulus(MPa)
-4C
-4C
-4C -4C -4C
21.1C 21.1C
21.1C
21.1C
21.1C
37.8C
37.8C
37.8C
37.8C 37.8C
54.4C 54.4C
54.4C 54.4C
54.4C

Dynamic Modulus Test
Determined by
applying sinusoidal
vertical loads to
cylindrical samples
while measuring the
deformation

Dynamic Modulus Inputs
Frequency used:
0.1Hz, 0.5Hz, 1Hz, 5Hz, 10Hz, and 25Hz
Temperature tested:
-5˚C
4˚C
21.1˚C
The recoverable axial micro-strain in
this test was controlled within 50 and
100 micro strain so that the material is
in a viscoelastic range

Dynamic Modulus Result
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
0.1 1 10 100
Frequency (Hz)
DynamicModulus(MPa)
Control
0.3%AM_100C
0.3%AM_120C
0.5%AM_100C
0.5%AM_120 -5˚C
4˚C
21.1˚C

APA Rutting
The purpose of this test is to evaluate the rut
resistance of the asphalt mixture and the rut
depth was measured using the Asphalt
Pavement Analyzer machine.

APA Rutting Inputs
Temperature used:
64˚C
Load applied:
100lbs
Duration of the test:
8000 cycles

APA Rutting Result
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Number of Cycle
RutDepth(mm)
Control
0.3%AM_100C
0.3%AM_120C
0.5%AM_100C
0.5%AM_120C

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement
Design Guide (MEPDG)
Developed under the National
Cooperative Highway Research
Program (NCHRP) Project 1-37A
Able to predict the development and
propagation of various kinds of
pavement distress
Rutting and fatigue cracking
Using input data on asphalt mixture
characteristics obtained from
laboratory testing.

MEPDG Inputs
Hierarchical levels used in
predicting the asphalt pavement
performance:
Level 1
Design pavement life:
20 years

MEPDG Result
Control
0.3 AM_100C
0.3 AM_120C
0.5 AM_100C
0.5 AM_120C
0.09
0.18
0.27
0.36
0.45
0.54
0.63
0.72
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Month
Depth(inch.)
Control
0.3 AM_100C
0.3 AM_120C
0.5 AM_100C
0.5 AM_120C

Conclusions
The additional Aspha-min® does not
significantly affect the binder’s viscosity.
The additional Aspha-min® slightly
decreased the G* at high temperature
and increased the G* at low
temperature through DSR test.
The additional Aspha-min® has slightly
reduced binder’s creep stiffness through
BBR test

Conclusions
The additional Aspha-min® does not
significantly affect the resilient modulus
The additional Aspha-min® decreased
the rutting depth through the APA test.
The rutting depth decrease when
compaction temperature for WMA
increased
WMA compacted at 120˚C has shown a
higher performance overall for E*
through dynamic modulus test

Conclusions
The additional Aspha-min® decreased
the predicted depth of rutting based on
a level 1 analysis using the MEPDG

Recommendations
Life cycle cost and life cycle
assessment analysis should be
performed to evaluate whether Aspha-
min® will give any advantage or
disadvantage in terms of sustainable
development.
The performance grade of asphalt
binder with the additional Aspha-min®
should be examined for each project
before the construction.

Recommendations
The long-term performance in the field
should be monitored.
A guideline of the design, construction,
and maintenance of WMA is needed for
successful field applications.

Main References
Hurley, G.C., Evaluation Of New Technologies For
Use In Warm Mix Asphalt, in Civil Engineering
Department. 2006, Auburn University: Auburn. p. 231.
Hurley, G.C., B.D. Prowell, G. Reinke, P. Joskowicz,
R. Davis, J. Scherocman, S. Brown, X. Hongbin and
D. Bonte. Evaluation of Potential Processes For Use
In Warm Mix Asphalt Savannah, GA, United States:
Association of Asphalt Paving Technologist, White
Bear Lake, MN 55110, United States. 2006.
Prowell, B.D., G.C. Hurley and E. Crews, Field
Performance of Warm-Mix Asphalt at the NCAT Test
Track, in Transportation Research Board 86th Annual
Meeting. 2007: Washington DC, United States.

Main References
FHWA. Warm Mix Asphalt Technologies and
Research. 2007 [cited 2007]; Available from:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/asphalt/wma.cfm.
Wasiuddin, N.M., S. Selvamohan, M.M. Zaman and
M.L.T.A. Guegan, A Comparative Laboratory Study of
Sasobit® and Aspha-min® in Warm-Mix Asphalt, in
Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting.
2007: Washington DC, United States.
Barthel, W., J.-P. Marchand and M.V. Devivere.
Warm Asphalt Mixes By Adding A Synthetic Zeolite.
Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress 2004
Proceedings. 2004

Main References
Kristjansdottir, O., Warm Mix Asphalt for Cold
Weather Paving, in Civil and Environmental
Engineering. 2006, University of Washington:
Seattle.

WMA Presentation at Transportation Research Board Conference 2007

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