PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-10-0005
Project Name:	Asphalt with Improved Physical Properties
Status:	Terminated
Contact:	Last Name: Arnold First Name: Terry Telephone: 202-493-3305 E-mail: terry.arnold@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Pavement Materials Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	A tremendous amount of work is done by rheologists and engineers to measure the physical properties of asphalt. No attention is paid to improving the physical properties. The major method of improving asphalt binder properties is modification with polymers, typically styrene-butadiene-styrene polymers, a technique developed in the United Kingdom nearly 40 years ago. Some chemical modification is done on asphalt for specialized high-cost applications, such as joint sealants and bridge deck pavements. We want to investigate modifying asphalts with different monomers, such as butadiene (or replacements for butadiene containing polymers), epoxy, urethane, acrylic, silane, etc., with a view to developing asphalt with enhanced physical properties in terms of tensile strength, elasticity, fatigue aging, and water resistance.
Laboratories:	Binder Laboratory Chemistry Laboratory
Start Date:	February 1, 2010
End Date:	December 31, 2011
Funding Amount:	$0.00
FHWA Program Name:	Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Goals:	The key project objective is material design.
Project Type:	Onsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	The test approach is to react/blend various monomers and polymers with asphalts and evaluate rheology of the modified asphalt.
Other Information:	Data not yet available
Partners:	Data not yet available
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	The expected benefit is longer-lasting highways.
Deliverables:	Name: Report Product Type(s): Research report Description: The deliverable is a report detailing the monomers tested and their effect on the performance grade (PG) of asphalt binders. Audiences: Researchers, State highway agencies Secondary Audiences:
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	A number of polymer materials were evaluated; however, only the isocyanates improved the performance of the asphalt binders. Epoxy and acrylic monomers did not show any binder performance grade (PG) increase.
FHWA Topics:	Roads and Bridges--Pavement and Materials
TRT Terms:	Polymers Infrastructure Research Asphalt Highways Bridges Pavements
FHWA Disciplines:	Pavement and Materials
Subject Areas:	Materials