Current Activities
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Posted October 29, 2008
Researchers at UW-Madison’s Modified Asphalt Research Center continue to address critical needs related to modified asphalts. These advances have generated significant interest in recent months:
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Recycled Asphalt Pavements. Asphalt pavements must be recycled with care because the properties of the asphalt binder change with age. MARC researchers have developed a protocol to estimate the low-temperature rheological properties of binders in the RAP without the damaging effects of solvent extractions. The results so far are encouraging: The new procedure captures the effect of aged properties of asphalt binder in the RAP and can also estimate the low temperature PG grade of the blended binder.
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Foamed Asphalt. Foamed asphalt is a relatively new process in the United States by which moisture is injected into hot paving-grade asphalt binder, giving the asphalt a low-viscosity, foam-like consistency suitable for coating aggregates at lower temperatures. Foamed asphalt has several potential benefits, including reduced energy requirements due to lower production temperatures and as a method to mix asphalt with cold and damp aggregates for applications in partial and full depth recycling projects.
MARC researchers recently acquired a specialized device for foaming asphalt in the lab, the Wirtgen WLB10. Professor Kim Jenkins and student Andre Greyling, both from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, recently visited UW-Madison to shared their experience with this equipment. They will collaborate with UW-Madison on an ongoing basis on cold mix asphalt emulsion applications.
Research
Currently MARC researchers are focused on critical research with the Asphalt Research Consortium, a 5-year contract with the Federal Highway Administration.
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Read highlights of UW's project areas and key contributions to the Asphalt Research Consortium.
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The consortium published its first newsletter providing an overview of the ARC and the contributions of all its member partners. Its second newsletter features important research developments from the UW team related to binder rutting and fatigue resistance.
In addition, MARC is leading the research for NCHRP Project 09-45 to develop tests for characterizing fillers for hot mix asphalt, working in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Mathy Technology and Engineering.
Working Groups
Members of the MARC research team participate in a number of cooperative international organizations that are working to define, address and solve issues related to modified asphalts.
- International Society for Asphalt Pavements (ISAP)
MARC research team members serve on ISAP’s Technical Committee on Constitutive Modeling of Asphaltic Materials. Hussain Bahia chairs the recently established Working Group 07 on Bitumens and Mastics. Codrin Daranga, Carl Johnson and Andrew Hanz are also active participants from UW.
WG07 Web site (follow the “WG’s” tab from this link)
- International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM)
MARC members serve on several RILEM technical committees, including Technical Committee 206-ATB on Advanced Testing and Characterization of Bituminous Materials. Hussain Bahia chairs this committee’s Task Group 2 on HMA compaction methods and models.
TC 206-ATB Web site
TG2 Web site
- Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Hussain Bahia serves as chair of ASCE’s Bituminous Materials Committee. UW’s Haifang Wen is also a participant on this committee.
Bituminous Materials Committee’s statement of purpose and Web site
- International Journal on Road Materials and Pavement Design
Hussain Bahia is an editor-in-chief of this publication, which addresses “mechanical, thermal, chemical and/or physical properties of bitumens, additives, bituminous mixes, asphalt concrete, cement concrete, unbound granular materials, soils, geo-composites, new and innovative materials, as well as mix design, soil stabilization, and environmental aspects of handling and
re-use of road materials.”
The journal’s Web site