Durability of Bituminous Mix

Durability of bituminous mix refers to the ability of the mixture to retain the original properties These include the resistance to load and abrasion

Resistance to load can be impaired when:

.

(i) The bitumen becomes hard and brittle and thus cannot withstand strains without fracturing (ii) The bitumen debonds from the aggregate (truly strips) causing the surface to lose strength and subsequently crack and disintegrate

Durability of bituminous mix is also refers to the ability of of the mixture to resist abrasion of the surface due to scraping action of tires combined with water The surface is more susceptible to abrasion if:

(i) The void content is high allowing air and water to prematurely harden the bitumen (ii) Incompatibility between aggregate and bitumen, making it easier to strip bitumen from the aggregate (iii) The asphalt film thickness is not sufficient to protect the mix from the abrasive action of tires and water

For a given bitumen and aggregate mixture, the durability can be improved if adequate bitumen film thickness is provided This can most effectively be accomplished decreasing or minimizing the percentage of fines by

Establishing an adequate VMA during mix design and in the field will help establish adequate film thickness without excessive bitumen bleeding or flushing

Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA)

It is the volume of intergranular void space b/w the aggregate particles of a compacted paving mixture It includes the air voids and the volume of the bitumen not absorbed into the aggregate VMA can also be described that the portion of space in a compacted bitumen pavement or specimen which is not occupied by the aggregate It is expressed as a percentage of the total volume of the mix

When aggregate particles are coated with bitumen, a portion of the bitumen is absorbed into the aggregate The remainder of the bitumen binder forms a film on the outside of the individual aggregate particles Since the aggregate particles do not consolidate to form a solid mass, air pockets also appear within the bitumen-aggregate mixture Therefore, the four general components of bituminous mix are: aggregate, absorbed bitumen, bitumen not absorbed into the aggregate (effective bitumen content), and air

Air and effective bitumen, when combined, are defined as VMA Fig.?

VMA is calculated according to the relationship: VMA = 100 [(Ps x Gmb)/Gsb]

Where, Ps = Aggregate content, % by total mass of mixture Gsb = Bulk specific gravity of total aggregate Gmb = Bulk specific gravity of compacted mixture

following

The importance of designing VMA into bituminous mix has been recognized for many years It was first discussed and used by McLeod in 1956

The Asphalt Institute mix design procedures have used a minimum VMA criteria that is dependent upon the maximum aggregate size
Low VMA can be increased by modifying the gradation, bitumen content, or particular angularity

Minimum VMA recommended by Asphalt Institute

Minimum VMA, percent
Nominal Max Particle Size (mm)

Design Air Voids, %

3.0
1.18 2.36 4.75 9.5 12.5 19.0 25.0 37.5 50 63 21.5 19.0 16.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.5 9.0

4.0
22.5 20.0 17.0 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 10.5 10.0

5.0
23.5 21.0 18.0 16.0 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.5 11.0

Asphalt Film Thickness

One of the key elements in the durability and moisture susceptibility of an bitumen mixture is bitumen film thickness Bitumen film thickness describes the dimension of the bitumen coating of the aggregate particles A thin bitumen coating on aggregate particles is one of the primary causes of premature aging of the bitumen and is one definition of lack of durability

Fig.

Inadequate film thickness of bitumen can create a lack of cohesion between aggregate particles and would create a dry mix Also, if the bitumen film is too thin, air which enters the compacted bituminous mix can more rapidly oxidize the bitumen, causing the pavement to become brittle Additionally, if the aggregates are hydrophilic, thin bitumen films are more easily and rapidly penetrate by water than thick ones, causing stripping or deboning of bitumen from the aggregate

Bitumen film thickness is measured in microns

It can be calculated by dividing the effective volume of bitumen by the total estimated surface area of the aggregate particles
Film thickness has been shown to be a function of size distribution, particle shape, and the amount of bitumen in the mix

According to Aljassar and Haas, the bitumen film thickness can be determined using the formula stated below by knowing the approximate surface area of an aggregate gradation AT= as x N = (6Ws)/(Gsb x w x d)

Where: AT= Total surface area of all aggregate particles (m2) as = Surface area of an aggregate particle (m2) N = Number of aggregate particles Ws = Mass of aggregate (kg) Gsb = Specific gravity of the aggregate w = Density of water (assume 1000 kg/m3) d = Diameter of aggregate particle (m)

According to Hveem at the California DOT

The film thickness can be estimated knowing surface area of the aggregate. This formulae provides only an estimation of the average film thickness on an aggregate particle TF = Vbe/ (AT x Ws) x 304800 Where: TF= Average film thickness, microns Vbe = Volume of effective bitumen (ft3) AT= Surface area of the aggregate (ft2/lb of aggregate) Ws = Mass of aggregate (lb) (304 800 is a conversion factor used to express TF in microns)

Effective Bitumen?
The quantity of bitumen on the aggregate surface excluding the absorbed into the aggregate particle is defined as the effective bitumen Effective bitumen can be calculated by subtracting the % bitumen absorption from the total bitumen content In order to ensure durable flexible pavements, it is necessary to design mixes with adequate film thickness for which determination of effective bitumen is necessary

According to Hveem at the California DOT

The average film thickness can be estimated by knowing the surface area of the aggregate particle

TF = Vbe/ (AT x Ws) x 304800

Where: TF= Average film thickness, microns Vbe = Volume of effective bitumen (ft3) AT= Surface area of the aggregate (ft2/lb of aggregate) Ws = Mass of aggregate (lb) (304 800 is a conversion factor used to express TF in microns)

MOISTURE SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING

The susceptibility of bituminous mixtures to moisture is another measure of durability of bituminous mixture

Lottman test (ASTM D 4867) is commonly adopted for evaluating moisture susceptibility and stripping of bituminous mixture

MOISTURE SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING

Test Procedure:
Six specimens are to be compacted to 7 1 % air voids The six specimens are divided into two groups of three so that the average air void content of the group are approximately equal One group is tested dry and the other is tested after a period of moisture conditioning The conditioning consists of vacuum saturating the specimens to between 55 to 80% saturation They are then placed in a 600C water bath for 24 hours followed by a 250C bath for 1 hour Indirect tensile strength is then determined for the dry and wet samples

Moisture susceptibility is reported as a tensile strength ratio (TSR) which is calculated using eqn: TSR = (Stm)/Std x 100 where, Stm = Average tensile strength of the moisture-conditioned samples, kPa Std = Average tensile strength of the dry samples, kPa The bituminous mixture properties can be improved by increasing film thickness, reducing air voids, and minimizing the use of the use of marginal aggregate sources