Pavement
- Publication no: AP-T243-12
- ISBN: 978-1-925037-15-9
- Published: 11 July 2013
- PDF (free) Download
Bitumen, an important component used in road construction in Australia and New Zealand, is manufactured from a finite, non-renewable crude oil resource. A number of commercially available alternative binders and bitumen extended binders have been studied to determine whether these materials could be used as a suitable replacement/extender for bitumen. A lifecycle analysis has also been conducted on each of the binders studied so that the costs associated with their use can be estimated.
The results of binder and laboratory asphalt performance tests indicated that the majority of the binders studied could be used in specialised pavement applications. Bitumen extended binders containing tall oil pitch appear to be the most likely candidates for use as a direct replacement for the bitumen grades that are currently used in Australia. A sprayed sealing road trial was conducted using a tall oil pitch (Tallex) extended binder. The extended binder behaved similarly during the trial, in terms of its construction and performance characteristics, as conventional Class 170 bitumen.
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Experimental Approach
- 2.1. Materials
- 2.1.1. Materials used in Binder Characterisation and Asphalt Performance Studies
- 2.1.2. Materials used in the Tallex Extended Binder Road Trial
- 2.2. Binder Test Procedures
- 2.3. Asphalt Performance Test Procedures
- 2.4. Road Trial Monitoring Tests
- 3. Binder Test Results
- 3.1. Vegecol Test Results
- 3.2. Test Results Obtained for the Other Alternative and Extended Binders
- 4. Asphalt Performance Test Results
- 4.1. Asphalt Mix Composition
- 4.2. Mix Volumetric Properties and Marshall Stability and Flow Results
- 4.3. Resilient Modulus Tests
- 4.4. Moisture Sensitivity Tests
- 4.5. Particle Loss Tests
- 4.6. Wheel Tracking Tests
- 4.7. Asphalt Fatigue Tests
- 4.8. Asphalt Fatigue Tests on Vegecol after Four Months of Storage
- 5. Discussion of Binder and Asphalt Test Results
- 5.1. Background
- 5.2. Vegecol
- 5.3. Floraphalte
- 5.4. Thiopave Extended Binders
- 5.5. Tall Oil Pitch Extended Binders
- 5.6. Summary
- 6. Lifecycle Anaysis of the Alternative and Bitumen Extending Binders
- 6.1. Background and Assumptions Related to Binder Properties
- 6.2. Binder Costs
- 6.3. Estimation of Binder Service Lives in Sprayed Seals
- 6.4. Estimation of Relative Binder Performance in Asphalt
- 6.5. Lifecycle Analysis
- 7. Sprayed Seal Road Trial of a Tallex Extended Binder
- 7.1. Site Details
- 7.2. Binders
- 7.2.1. Tallex Extended Binder Formulation
- 7.2.2. Binder Manufacturing Processes during the Trial
- 7.2.3. Binder Test Results
- 7.3. Aggregate Properties
- 7.4. Seal Application
- 7.5. Post-trial Monitoring
- 7.5.1. Introduction
- 7.5.2. Binder Hardening Tests
- 7.5.3. Aggregate Loss
- 7.6. Investigations into the Reasons for Aggregate Stripping
- 7.7. Discussion
- 8. Conclusions
- References
- Appendix A Trial Aggregate Coverage
- A.1 C170 Bitumen
- A.2 Tallex extended binder