Brief Project Description: As asphalt binder ages and oxidizes, the ratio of asphaltenes rises resulting in increased stiffness and brittleness, which leads to cracking and degradation of the roadway. Current AASHTO practice is to use a Pressure Aging Vessel to condition the asphalt at 100 degrees Celsius under 2.1 MPa of pressure for 20 hours, simulating several years of in place service life. This research project takes the aging process a step further, subjecting the asphalt to 40 hours of aging under those same conditions then quantifying the stiffness and rate of relaxation by use of a bending beam rheometer.
Poster:
Fact Sheet Video Other Q&A
Presenter: Laura Behymer, VTrans