Fundamental characterisation of thermal influence in hot mix asphalt repair

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThe study focuses on the issue of hot mix asphalt pothole repairs, the performance of which is greatly reduced by repair edge disintegration. This is caused by low interface temperatures which result in low density interfaces and poor repair bonding. The study examined heat flow in shallow and deep pothole excavations under controlled pre-heating done in heating-cooling cycles, referred as “dynamic heating”, and the effect of asphalt thermal properties on this. Dynamic heating was applied with an experimental infrared heater operating between 6.6 kW and 7.7 kW heat power and with the heater being stationary or moving above simulated potholes at offsets of 130 mm and 230 mm. The study also examined heat flow in traditional non-heated shallow repairs, referred as “static repairs”, and dynamic shallow repairs and the effect of pothole pre-heating in repair adhesion. Finite Element modelling was also used to enhance understanding of heat flow in the executed repairs. Then, the bonding properties and rutting resistance of the repairs were assessed using shear bond tests (SBT’s) and wheel track tests (WTT’s) respectively. The results showed that irrespective of excavation depth, heating power and heater offset, temperature distribution in the pothole excavation and inside the slabs under dynamic heat was non-uniform. Dynamically heating pothole excavations for approximately 10 minutes yields better heat distribution than 20 minutes heating time while minimising the possibility of asphalt overheating. The temperature profile at the interface of the dynamically heated repair is improved when compared to static repair suggesting better interface adhesion. A significant role in this profile is played by thermal contact conductance which determines the resistance to pavement-repair thermal conduction per unit area at the repair interface. This was reflected in the assessment and simulation of the repairs with the latter generating reasonable transient temperature profiles within the dynamically heated pothole excavation, at the interface of the repairs, and inside the host pavement. Further, the shear strength at the bottom and side interfaces of dynamically heated repairs was 78.2% and 68.4% higher respectively than that of static repairs. On average, static and dynamic repairs showed repair interface rutting depths of 14.82 mm and 10.36 mm respectively. It was concluded that dynamically heating a pothole excavation increases repair interface adhesion and repair durability

A laboratory investigation on thermal properties of virgin and aged asphalt mixture

In this paper, the thermal properties of three dense graded asphalt mixtures, 20 mm DBM, AC 14, and AC 6, are presented. Density and air voids of the compacted specimens are also shown. Thermal conductivity was measured in the laboratory for non-aged, short-term aged and long-term aged asphalt mixtures at three different temperatures 19 (±1) oC, 65 (±5) oC, and 80 (±5) oC. Specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity were calculated from equations derived from the literature. Heat penetration depth was also calculated and shows the heat from the thermal conductivity instrument heat source that dissipates into the asphalt specimens. The results were analysed to determine the effect of air voids content, transient line source (TLS) method, temperature and aggregate size in thermal conductivity and the effect of aging on the thermal properties of the asphalt mixtures studied. It was concluded that there is a minimal effect in thermal conductivity for 4% to 6.5% air voids. The method of measurement and temperature affect considerably thermal conductivity. However, the results were inconclusive in the effect of aggregate size on thermal conductivity. The effect of asphalt aging in thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity varied between the asphalt mixtures studied and was relative to the temperature. Asphalt aging did not affect specific heat capacity

Enhancing Asphalt Performance and Its Long-Term Sustainability with Nano Calcium Carbonate and Nano Hydrated Lime

Nanomaterials enhance the performance of both asphalt binders and asphalt mixtures. They also improve asphalt durability, which reduces resource consumption and environmental impact in the long term associated with the production and transportation of asphalt materials. Thus, this paper studies the effectiveness of Nano Calcium Carbonate (Nano CaCO3) and Nano Hydrated Lime (NHL) as modifiers and examines their impact on ranges from 0% to 10% through comprehensive laboratory tests. Softening point, penetration, storage stability, viscosity, and mass loss due to short-term aging using the Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFO) were performed on asphalt binders. Results indicated a significant improvement in binder stiffness, particularly at 4% Nano CaCO3 and 6% NHL content by weight. Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) tests further revealed substantial improvements in rutting resistance, with NHL exhibiting superior high-temperature stability and a notable increase in the rutting factor. Marshall stability tests on asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures showed a 22.3% increase in stability with 6% NHL by weight, surpassing the 20.2% improvement observed with Nano CaCO3 and indicating enhanced load-bearing capacity. The resilient modulus of the mixtures consistently increased with the addition of NHL, suggesting improved durability in rutting. Moisture susceptibility tests revealed that NHL significantly enhances moisture resistance, exceeding the 80% TSR benchmark at just 2% content by weight and reaching an impressive 94.6% at 10% content by weight. In contrast, Nano CaCO3 demonstrated a more gradual improvement, achieving an 88.2% TSR at 10% content. Furthermore, permanent deformation analysis indicated a 68.64% improvement in rutting resistance with 10% NHL content by weight, exceeding Nano CaCO3’s improvement rate. Optimal fatigue resistance was achieved at 4% for Nano CaCO3 and 6% for NHL by weight, with respective CT index improvements of 30% and 35.4%, showing NHL’s consistent benefits across various nanomaterial contents. Overall, the study suggests that both Nano CaCO3 and NHL positively impact asphalt performance, with NHL offering more pronounced benefits across a range of properties. These findings provide valuable insights for pavement engineers and underscore NHL’s potential as an effective additive in asphalt mixture design. Real-world applications and validations are essential for a comprehensive understanding of these nanomaterials in practical pavement engineering scenarios

Microstructural, Mechanical and Physical Assessment of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Modified by Sodium Acetate under Various Curing Conditions

Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement was studied with incorporation of an environmentally friendly eco-additive, sodium acetate (C2H3NaO2). This additive was added to PCC pavement in three different percentages of 2%, 4% and 6% of binder weight. For a comprehensive elucidation of the eco-additive incorporation on the performance of PCC pavement, casted samples were cured in three different environments, namely: water, outdoors and pond water. Water absorption tests, flexural and compressive strength tests after 7 and 28 days of curing were conducted and results compared with the control samples without any addition of sodium acetate. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in the impermeability, compressive strength and flexural strength of PCC pavement when sodium acetate concrete is cured in a water bath and outdoors. However, no/little improvement in the impermeability, compressive strength and flexural strength was observed in sodium acetate samples that were cured in pond water. Microstructural analysis of treated samples by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated the strengthening effect that sodium acetate provides to the pore structure of concrete pavement

An innovative asphalt patch repair pre–heating method using dynamic heating

In hot mix asphalt patch repair, inadequate temperature at the interfaces is one of the influencing factors for inferior compaction and poor interface bonding. To enhance repair performance, a precisely controlled infrared pre-heating method for patch repair has been investigated. Asphalt slabs with 45 mm, 75 mm and 100 mm deep pothole excavations were subjected to dynamic heating with infrared heater operating power from 6.6 kW to 7.7 kW. The heater was kept either stationary or moving slowly across the excavations at 130 mm and 230 mm offsets. The tests included evaluating temperature increase throughout the excavations and inside the slab, recording heat power of infrared heater and heating time to avoid burning the asphalt. Irrespective of excavation depth, heating power and offset, the temperature distribution was found non-uniform in the pothole excavations and into the asphalt slab. The temperatures were higher at the faces of the excavation than inside the slab. Dynamic heating for approximately 10 min yielded better heat distribution while minimising the possibility of asphalt overheating and long pre-heating time. It has been concluded that 45 mm and 100 mm deep pothole excavations can be pre-heated with 6.6 kW and stationary heater or 7.5 kW and moving heater at 230 mm and 130 mm offset respectively. 75 mm deep excavation can be pre-heated with 7.1 kW and stationary heater at 230 mm offset

Development of advanced temperature distribution model in hot mix asphalt patch repair

The performance of hot-mix asphalt patch repair is greatly reduced due to inferior compaction at the interface. It is known that the faster loss of temperature at the interface is one of the primary reasons for inferior compaction. A novel Controlled Pothole Repair System (CPRS) has been developed as part of this study. The CPRS uses infrared heating technology with enhanced features compared to many existing infrared systems. In parallel, a three dimensional finite element thermal model capable of modelling the loss of temperature during patch repair process has been developed. The first part of the paper presents the functionality of CPRS including experimental results to demonstrate various features of the system. In the second part, the numerical results are compared against experimentally measured values from a patch repair in a controlled laboratory condition. The tests are done to measure the influence of no preheating and preheating of the existing surface on the temperature loss. The results showed more than 80% agreement between simulation and actual measurements. It also shows, preheating of the existing surface can significantly reduce temperature loss at the interface, thus allowing more time for repair and the possibility of achieving better compaction