University of Technology, Jamaica

Faculty of the Built Environment

Civil Engineering 1

Asphalt Techniques

By:

Group 3
Jon-Michael Murphy / 1702003
Trevaughn Neysmith / 1304884
Tajera Thompson / 1505641
Keith White / 1604547
Alomar Taylor / 1303769
Audrey thomas 1400759

University of Technology, Jamaica

Summary

To summarize this research conducted to analyze asphalt concrete production and to

determine the sustainability of existing production methods. Asphalt Concrete consists of

composite materials most commonly used in the construction of roads, highways, airports,

parking lots, and a variety of other types of pavement. In this research we go In Depth about

Asphalt technologies, different types of Asphalt mixes and how Asphalt can be reused. We

searched extensively about the different processes and procedures affiliated with Asphalt

production and how the recycling process goes after Asphalt is dug up. The Focus of this

researched paper was to also gauge the environmental impact of using rubberized asphalt

pavement during the life cycle.

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 Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Methodology 4
Discussion 13
Conclusion 17
References 18
Appendix 19

List of Figures

Figure 1:Tractor collecting chunks of new, un-compacted hot mix asphalt 19

Figure 2:Tractor removing chunks of compacted asphalt for repair 19

Figure 3:Ball size pieces of asphalt produced by mechanical grinding asphalt surfaces 19

Figure 4:Dense Graded Asphalt Technology 20

Figure 5:Open Graded Asphalt Technology 20

Figure 6:Gap Graded Asphalt Technology 20

Figure 7: Surface Asphalt mixes 20

Figure 8: Base Mixes 20

Figure 9: Imagine of a Asphalt Production Plant 21

Figure 10: Asphalt Production (Batch Plant) 21

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 Introduction

This document serves as a desk study in regards to the analysis of asphalt concrete

production and to determine the sustainability of existing production methods. A brief research

was carried out to analyze production techniques, disposal, application, usage and its

environmental impact. Presented in this document is the methodology related to the use of

materials which is commonly used in the construction. Asphalt are usually classified by the

purpose they serve such as surface binder.There are also relatively new elements in Asphalt

pavement. Super pave, is the federal government’s attempt to improve and nationalize the

performance of asphalt pavement. There are different test procedures used to determine

acceptability, involving among other things, measurement for air voids and compaction, these

are covered in the document as you proceed.

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 Methodology

Asphalt Concrete consists of composite materials most commonly used in the

construction of roads, highways, airports, parking lots, and a variety of other types of pavement.

It is normally referred to as simply asphalt or blacktop. The terms “asphalt concrete”,

“bituminous asphalt concrete” and the abbreviation “AC” are used only in construction

documents, engineering documents and technical literature where the meaning of “concrete” is

defined as any composite material composed of mineral aggregate held together with a binder.

This binder may be Portland cement, asphalt or even epoxy. To the layperson Asphalt Concrete

pavements are most often called just “asphalt”.

Asphalt Technology Disciplines

Asphalt Technology is the study of asphalt mixtures, properties and performance and can

be divided into three basic disciplines;

Dense Graded Asphalt Technology​ – Dense-graded mixes are produced with well graded

aggregate and are intended for general use. Usually, larger aggregates “float” in a matrix of

mastic composed of asphalt cement and screenings/fines. When correctly designed and

constructed, a dense-graded mix is almost impermeable, which have many advantages such as

rutting prevention and erosion prevention. Dense-graded mixes are generally identified by their

nominal maximum aggregate size. They can also be classified as either fine-graded or

coarse-graded. Fine-graded mixes have more fine and sand sized particles than coarse-graded

mixes. See Appendix for diagram.

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Open Graded Asphalt Technology​ – Mixes with almost uniform-sized aggregates typified by an

absence of intermediate-sized particles. Mixes typically of this structure are of the permeable

friction course, generally called “Open Graded Friction Course” (OGFC) and asphalt-treated

permeable bases. Because of their open structure, precautions are taken to reduce asphalt

drain-down by the utilization of fibers and/or modified binders. Stone-on-stone interaction with a

heavy asphalt cement particle coating typifies these mixes.

Gap Graded Asphalt Technology​ – Gap-graded mixes use an aggregate gradation with particles

ranging from coarse to fine with some intermediate sizes absent or present in relatively small

amounts. The gradation curve may have a “flat” region showing the absence of a particle size or

a steep slope denoting minute quantities of these intermediate aggregate sizes. These mixes are

also typified by stone-on-stone contact and can be more permeable than dense-graded mixes or

highly impermeable, as in the case of Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA).

Types of Asphalt Mixes

An asphalt concrete mixture must be designed, produced and placed in order to meet

certain stability, durability, impermeability, workability, flexibility, fatigue resistance, and skid

resistance. Asphalt/Asphalt Concrete mixes are designed for a definite function, characteristic,

attribute, performance, location and function in the pavement structure. ​For example, asphalt

surface mixes have an entirely different function in the pavement structure than base asphalt

mixes and are therefore designed differently.

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Surface Asphalt mixes ​– According to the Asphalt Pavement Association (2020) , The “roof”

over the pavement’s structural layers are designed to be long lasting and sacrificial. Typically

they last 12-15 years or more after placement, they are removed by cold-planing or milling and

replaced with a new surface of similar liking. Different characteristics of performance, in terms

of surface durability, tire wear, braking efficiency and roadway noise, can also be achieved

depending on how it is applied, the desired function and how it is expected to perform, these

qualities are important to the road users such as pedestrians and motorists.

Base Mixes​ – The structural strength aspect of the asphalt pavement systems are designed for

maximum strength and distributing the wheel loads over the subbase and subgrade. Because they

are covered by the asphalt “roof”, the desired asphalt base mixes performance can be obtained

economically.

Asphalt Manufacturing Process

There are a number of steps involved in the asphalt production process. Crude oil, or

petroleum, is placed through a distillation process that separates the various components of the

oil into several byproducts, more importantly asphalt. Asphalt, in its first stages, is just the heavy

deposits left over from the oil-refining process or simply one of the lower fraction of the

distillation process.

Distillation​: Accord​ing to ​Loeschen (2019), t​he process of refining asphalt is initiated by rapidly

heating crude oil for the beginning of the distillation process. Once heated, the crude is moved

into a distillation container where the fractions are removed by a series of condensing and

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cooling mechanisms. The crude is then separated for the production of products like gasoline,

diesel fuel, kerosene and other petroleum products. The heavy deposit left over from the

distillation process is called “topped” crude that is used to make heating oil or made into other

products like asphalt and bituminous compounds.

Cutting Back​: ​Asphalt may be blended, or "cutting back," with a harsh substance that produces a

product that is more malleable at a reduced temperature than chaste asphalt. When the blended

asphalt is exposed to heat or air, such as when used for paving in construction, the aggressive

elements evaporate, leaving just the solid asphalt. The pace of evaporation of the cutting agent

determines the curing rate of the asphalt.

Emulsifying​: ​Asphalt may also be emulsified to make a product that is easier to ​mix​ with

aggregates, pumped through pipes or use in spray-on applications. During the emulsification

stage, the asphalt is ground into globules smaller than five microns and combined with water.

The emulsifier is then added to reduce the capacity of the asphalt and water to separate.

Emulsifying agents used to produce asphalt may include clay, silicates, soap or vegetable oils.

Pulverizing:​ ​Hardened asphalt is sometimes crushed to produce a powder. The asphalt is

pulverized then passed through a sequence of sieves to obtain uniform-sized granules. Powered

asphalt is usually mixed with oil and aggregate for the construction of pavements. Heat and

pressure work to slowly amalgamate the powder, aggregate and oil, hardening the mixture to a

cement-like consistency.

Air Blowing​: ​Asphalt may have air injected into it if it is to be used for the purpose of coating.

Asphalt is heated to 500° Fahrenheit during the air-blowing process and then air bubbles are

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forced into the liquid over an extensive period of time. This results in the asphalt remaining in a

liquid state when cooled.

General Mixing Procedure

Asphalt cement and aggregate are combined in a mixing facility where they are heated,

proportioned, and mixed to produce the desired paving mixture. Hot-mix facilities may be

permanently located (also called "stationary" facilities), or it may be portable and moved from

job to job. Hot-mix facilities may be classified as either a batch facility or a drum-mix facility,

both can be either stationary or portable. Batch-type hot-mixing facilities use different size

fractions of hot aggregate which are drawn in proportional amounts from storage bins to make up

one batch for mixing.

The combination of aggregates is dumped into a mixing chamber called a pugmill. The

asphalt, which has also been weighed, is then thoroughly mixed with the aggregate in the

pugmill. After mixing, the material is then emptied from the pugmill into trucks, storage silos, or

surge bins. The drum-mixing process heats and blends the aggregate with asphalt all at the same

time in the drum mixer.

When the mixing is complete, the hot-mix is then transported to the paving site and spread in a

partially compacted layer to a uniform, even surface with a paving machine. While still hot, the

paving mixture is further compacted by heavy rolling machines to produce a smooth pavement

surface.

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Different kinds of Asphalt Concrete

To provide the best performance in a variety of sectors, a large spread of asphalt mixes

must be offered. Due to the many different requirements for e.g. a road needs to be able to

manage high traffic and tough weather conditions, the specific mix used needs to have sufficient

stiffness and resistance to deformation in order to cope with the constant pressure from vehicle

wheels on the one hand, and on the other hand, the need to have flexural strength to resist

cracking caused by the varying pressures exerted on them.

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)

Hot mixes are more often produced at a temperature between 150 and 190 °C.

Depending on the usage, a different asphalt mixture can be used.

● Porous Asphalt

● Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA)

● Asphalt Concrete

● Asphalt Concrete for very thin layers

● Double layered Porous Asphalt

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Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)

A typical WMA is made at a temperature around 20 – 40 °C significantly lower than in

Hot Mix Asphalt. Less energy is involved during the paving operations and the temperature in

the mix is lower resulting in improved working conditions for the labourers and an earlier

opening of the road due to less down time.

Cold Mix

Cold asphalt mixes are produced without heating the aggregate. This becomes possible,

due to the use of a specific bitumen emulsion which breaks either during compaction or during

the mixing process. After breaking, the emulsion coats the aggregate and over time, increases in

strength. Cold mixes are particularly recommendable for roads that are lightly trafficked .

Asphalt Concrete Disposal and Reuse

Asphalt Recycling

Chunks of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), hardened virgin hot mix and asphalt millings may

be placed in the hopper of a Falcon asphalt recycler / hot mix transporter, recycled and then

reused to repair roads, commercial parking lots, driveways, bike paths, etc. without an auger

trailer or an auguring trailer system.

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The time spent recycling a load of asphalt depends solely on the age of the material, density of

the material and the ambient air temperature around that time. The typical asphalt recycling

procedure is as follows:

1. load the hopper at the end of the workday then park the asphalt recycler / hot mix

transporter outside of a building

2. Plug in the battery charger male receptacle to a 110v outlet

3. set a 24-hour timer to start the diesel fuel burner at a predetermined time during the night

4. when the operators arrive for work the next morning a load of hot mix asphalt will be

ready

The three main types of recyclable materials are blacktop cookies, RAP and asphalt millings:

1. Blacktop Cookies – “Blacktop Cookies” are chunks of new, un-compacted hot mix

asphalt. New asphalt is the easiest material to recycle because it has low density and will

absorb heat well. In making “Blacktop Cookies”, simply strike off your waste new

asphalt material to a thickness of 6” to 12”. Allow the material to completely cool to

ambient temperature then break into pieces. Chunks of asphalt from the size of a golf ball

to a car door can be recycled without an auger or an auguering system.

2. RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) – Chunks of compacted hot mix asphalt that have

been removed from the street when repairing a water main, replacing manholes or catch

basins or generally making “full depth” pavement repairs are commonly called RAP.

Because it was compacted, RAP is a denser material and therefore typically takes a much

longer time to recycle.

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 3. Asphalt Millings – Golf ball size pieces of asphalt produced by mechanical grinding

asphalt surfaces, are commonly called asphalt millings. Larger millings that have a rich,

black tint show a high bituminous content are better. Surface millings vs. full depth

millings are sometimes recommended. Full depth millings will contain sub-base

contaminants such as dirt, sand and gravel. Asphalt milled from asphalt vs. asphalt milled

from concrete is recommended because the Portland dust that is created when milling

from concrete is not compatible with bituminous products.

Variables in recycling

Some variables are obvious, while others vary based on geography. Since asphalt is

produced differently in different parts of the country not all asphalt behaves the same when

re-heated or recycled. However, after recycling asphalt from any geographic region a few times

one becomes acclimated to the way the material recycles, enabling a “fine tune” recycling

process.

Ambient Temperature ​– Since the ambient temperature of the aggregate to be recycled varies

during varied times of the year, adjusting the recycling times to compensate for recycling 20

degree material versus 80 degree material.

Moisture​ – Recycling wet asphalt or asphalt covered with snow or ice requires a 25% longer

recycling time to boil off the excess moisture. When recycling wet or snow covered asphalt,

determine the trailer hitch slightly to drain away excess water.

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Size and Density of Aggregates​ – The objective of recycling (re-heating) hot mix is to re-heat the

bituminous materials to a “malleable state” without heating the stone to the point where it repels

the oil. The density of the aggregates used to manufacture asphalt can vary depending on the

available materials that are native to a given region. A soft “limestone” aggregate will absorb

heat at a much faster rate than a denser aggregate for e.g., washed river stone.

Sustainable Pavement

As is known, pavement design and construction are integral parts of the roadway

network as they provide a smooth and durable all-weather traveling surface that benefits a wide

range of vehicles and users. Given their key role and widespread use, there is an opportunity to

improve the sustainability of pavement structures with the potential to deliver tremendous

environmental, social, performance and economic benefits.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the USA a sustainable

pavement therefore, is one that takes into account the entire lifecycle of the pavement including

materials, design, construction, use, maintenance, preservation and end of life processes. During

each phase of life for the pavement, the industry has an opportunity to improve the sustainability

of that structure.

Taking these life cycle phases of the pavement into consideration, all pavement types can

be designed to be more sustainable by considering costs, environmental impacts and social needs

together.

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 Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact

The energy consumption and environmental impact of rubberized asphalt pavement

during the life cycle; reducing the environmental influences of the highway infrastructure has

received increasing attention recently. Application of crumb rubber in asphalt pavements

overcomes the used tires disposal problem and achieves materials savings and environmental

benefits, due to the reduction of raw material and extension of pavement service life. In addition,

rubberized asphalt production is a highly energy consuming process due to a higher mixing

temperature. However, the warm mixing technology can lower the mixing temperature of

rubberized asphalt mixture, leading to approximately 20–25% of fuel savings. Moreover, the

consumed energy of rubberized asphalt during maintenance phase is lower than that of

conventional asphalt. In addition, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the production and

construction of rubberized asphalt mixtures are similar to those from hot mix asphalt, but their

emissions of CO and CH4 are much lower. Meanwhile, the noise reduction is an environmentally

friendly benefit. The leachate from asphalts used wet and dry-process crumb rubber modifiers

(CRM) does not pose a measurable threat to the environment. Rubberized asphalt technology as

a green technology in terms of lowering GHG emissions, saving energy and raw material and

reducing noise level of pavement should be widely used to achieve environmental sustainability.

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 Discussion

The research was done with a focus on asphalt concrete and its components, which is a

composite material normally used to surface roads, parking lots, airports, as well as the core of

embankment dams. Asphalt mixtures were used in pavement construction since the beginning of

the twentieth century. Additionally, they consist of a combination of layers, which includes a

asphalt concrete surface constructed over a granular or asphalt concrete base and a sub-base. The

entire pavement structure is designed to support the traffic load and distribute the load over the

roadbed. Pavements may be constructed using hot mix or cold mix asphalt. Surface treatments

are sometimes used during the construction of pavements. Surface treatment becomes a

waterproof cover for the existing pavement surface and also provides resistance to abrasion by

traffic. The mix proportions for a properly compacted asphalt concrete paving mixture are

determined in the laboratory during mix design testing. The results of a properly proportioned

asphalt paving mix to resist the possible damaging effects of the asphalt binder stripping from

the aggregate particles is also routinely checked in the laboratory. To do well in the field, a

well-designed asphalt paving mixture must be placed within the proper temperature range and

must be properly compacted. Meanwhile asphalt concrete is the same as traditional crushing

processes: asphalt is broken, removed from parking lots and roads, and then hauled to locations

where it’s chipped and stockpiled.​ ​In this crushed state, it’s used as a chalk mix to replace what

has been removed. Though the significant benefits of recycling offset its limitations, there are

two important reasons to recycle asphalt concrete. The cost to recycle material is way lesser than

the cost of disposing of material in a landfill. This is why recycling is an economical option.

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 As it relates to feasible proposed techniques in Jamaica, the entire pavement life cycle is

examined based on its sustainability, from the material extraction and processing through the

design, construction, use, maintenance and end-of-life phases, recognizing the importance of

context sensitivity and assessing trade-offs in developing sustainable solutions. These techniques

can be achieved with the right application and can be implemented in Jamaica.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, in collaboration with the National

Works Agency (NWA), is actively exploring the use of new technology for road rehabilitation.

This new technology would incorporate the use of “crumb rubber” in making asphalt for roads.

Rubberized asphalt contains regular concrete which is mixed with crumb rubber from discarded

tyres to be used as the final surface on roads. The elasticity of crumb rubber creates a road

surface that is 50 times stronger and less brittle than conventional asphalt. The process involves

the removal of extraneous material, such as wires, fibre, dust, glass and rocks from the tyres,

which is reduced to small pieces and mixed with asphalt. With the aid of the Ministry, Jamaica

can enter into a framework contract for the production and supply of the material across several

parishes. This recycling will reduce waste tyres, which pose health and environmental risks as

they are common breeding sites for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits the

Chikungunya and Zika viruses and other mosquito-borne diseases caused by improper disposal

of tyres, we are going to be using these same tyres to save costs and build a more resilient road

network. With this new technology the NWA will be moving away from micro-surfacing of

roads and using asphalt concrete as the final surface for roads and is a more cost-effective

technique for repairing road surfaces.

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 Conclusion

1. Asphalt concrete is highly efficient for roadway and pavement design

2. Asphalt is derived from the fractional distillation of crude oil and to create asphalt

concrete, appropriate aggregates are mixed in using various mixing methods.

3. The different kinds of concrete mixes are Hot Mix Asphalt, Warm Mix Asphalt

and Cold Mix Asphalt.

4. The process of applying Asphalt Concrete Mixes is quite crucial to the texture

and the smoothness as it affects the road users, whether pedestrian or vehicular

traffic.

5. With the implementation of crumb rubber, Jamaica can reduce the backfill of old

tires and recycle them to be processed into rubberized asphalt.

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 References

Asphalt Concrete. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​http://www.apanm.org/asphalt-concrete/

Asphalt, Concrete, and the Environment. (2017, March 6). Retrieved from
https://alanizpaving.com/2013/05/asphalt-concrete-and-the-environment/

Asphalt Recycling Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Loeschen, D. (2019, June 25). HOW IS ASPHALT MADE? Retrieved from

Lombardo, J. (2020, March 30). Sustainable Asphalt Pavements at Work. Retrieved from
https://www.forconstructionpros.com/asphalt/article/21116489/sustainable-asphalt-pavements-at
-work

Sustainable Asphalt Pavement: Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://apao.org/sustainable_asphalt_pavement.html

Wang, T., Xiao, F., Zhu, X., Huang, B., Wang, J., & Amirkhanian, S. (2018, January 28). Energy
consumption and environmental impact of rubberized asphalt pavement. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095965261830101X

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 Appendix

Figure 1: Tractor collecting chunks Figure 2: Tractor removing chunks of

Figure 3: Ball size pieces of asphalt produced

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Figure 4:Dense Graded Asphalt Figure 5: Open Graded Asphalt
Technology Technology

Figure 6: Gap Graded Asphalt Technology

Figure 7: Surface Asphalt mixes Figure 8: Base Mixes

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Figure 9: Imagine of a Asphalt Production Plant

Figure 10: Asphalt Production (Batch Plant)

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