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Placement of Warm Mix Asphalt on the East Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park

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1. Introduction

In an effort to deploy the warm mix asphalt (WMA) technology to Federal Lands Highway (FLH) and cooperating agencies, a Coordinated Technology Implementation Program (CTIP) proposal was approved by agency representatives. This CTIP project allowed FLH to take the lead in working with our client agency and contractors to evaluate the viability of warm mix technology as a standard construction practice. The demonstration evaluated two different WMA technologies (Advera and Sasobit) on a construction project on the East Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park. The mixtures were placed in August/September 2007.

The goals of this WMA project were to:

• Document the use, performance, and construction processes associated with WMA.
• Enhance FLH laboratory testing experience and testing methodologies necessary for the construction of WMA pavements.
• Document the economic impacts/benefits of WMA.
• Develop understanding for inspection and monitoring processes needed for quality placement and compaction of WMA.
• Place a large enough quantity of material to be able to fully understand construction processes, issues, and possible field adjustments.

The implementation of warm mix technology substantially reduces the temperatures at which asphalt mixtures are produced. This product has environmental, economic, and manufacturing benefits that would be realized by the agencies implementing this technology and the contracting community. Since the performance of this material is stated to be equal to or better than hot mix asphalt, there would be no concerns of using a product that has inferior performance characteristics.

The deliverables from this technology deployment effort are increased knowledge and experience in the construction of warm mix asphalt. This includes knowledge in the construction, manufacturing, placement, testing, and design of warm mix asphalt. By placing this material on a FLH construction project, FLH and client agencies are exposed to the use, construction practices, limitations, and overall benefits of using this product. The contracting community becomes more familiar with the technology and the means to provide this material to a construction project.

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