Using Asphalt Binder Properties as an Indicator of Oxidative Aging and the Proper Timing of Preventive Maintenance for Asphalt Pavements

摘要

Effective pavement preservation programs incorporate surface treatments at the right time in the pavement's life to mitigate deterioration due to load-related or environmentally-induced damage. Oxidative aging of asphalt pavements can ultimately lead to damage by increasing the stiffness and reducing the flexibility of the asphalt binder. Properly countering the effects, of oxidative aging should allow the user to extend the time needed before the application of more expensive rehabilitation and reconstruction. To address the issue of proper timing of preventive maintenance, a research project was conducted to investigate: (1) how environmental aging affects asphalt properties; and (2) how the application of pavement preservation treatments impacts aging. Two main test sections were studied, with cores taken representing various aging times. The data from this study, along with associated findings, show that rheological tests can be conducted on asphalt binder recovered from a pavement to assess oxidative aging. Asphalt binder tests have the advantage of requiring less material and having generally less variability than asphalt mixture tests, allowing them to more easily quantify aging with time. The smaller material quantities required allow testing to be conducted on the pavement layers closest to the surface where aging is expected to be the worst.