Bituminous Surfacing

Bituminous Materials

Bituminous materials or asphalts are extensively used for roadway construction, primarily because of
their excellent binding characteristics and water proofing properties and relatively low cost. Bituminous
materials consists of bitumen which is a black or dark coloured solid or viscous cementitious substances
consists chiefly high molecular weight hydrocarbons derived from distillation of petroleum or natural
asphalt, has adhesive properties, and is soluble in carbon disulphide. Tars are residues from the
destructive distillation of organic substances such as coal, wood, or petroleum and are temperature
sensitive than bitumen. Bitumen will be dissolved in petroleum oils where unlike tar..

Production of Bitumen

bitumen is the residue or by-product when the crude petrolium is refined. A wide variety of refinery
processes, such as the straight distillation process, solvent extraction process etc. may be used to
produce bitumen of different consistency and other desirable properties. Depending on the sources and
characteristics of the crude oils and on the properties of bitumen required, more than one processing
method may be employed.

Vacuum steam distillation of petroleum oils

In the vacuum-steam distillation process the crude oil is heated and is introduced into a large cylindrical
still. Steam is introduced into the still to aid in the vapourisation of the more volatile constituents of the
petroleum and to minimise decomposition of the distillates and residues. The volatile constituents are
collected, condensed, and the various fractions stored for further refining, if needed. The residues from
this distillation are then fed into a vacuum distillation unit, where residue pressure and steam will
further separate out heavier gas oils. The bottom fraction from this unit is the vacuum-steam-refined
asphalt cement. The consistency of asphalt cement from this process can be controlled by the amount
of heavy gas oil removed. Normally, asphalt produced by this process is softer. As the asphalt cools
down to room temperature, it becomes a semi solid viscous material.

Different forms of bitumen

Cutback bitumen

Normal practice is to heat bitumen to reduce its viscosity. In some situations preference is given to use
liquid binders such as cutback bitumen. In cutback bitumen suitable solvent is used to lower the
viscosity of the bitumen. From the environmental point of view also cutback bitumen is preferred. The
solvent from the bituminous material will evaporate and the bitumen will bind the aggregate. Cutback
bitumen is used for cold weather bituminous road construction and maintenance. The distillates used
for preparation of cutback bitumen are naphtha, kerosene, diesel oil, and furnace oil. There are different
types of cutback bitumen like rapid curing (RC), medium curing (MC), and slow curing (SC). RC is
recommended for surface dressing and patchwork. MC is recommended for premix with less quantity of
fine aggregates. SC is used for premix with appreciable quantity of fine aggregates.

Bitumen Emulsion

Bitumen emulsion is a liquid product in which bitumen is suspended in a finely divided condition in an
aqueous medium and stabilised by suitable material. Normally cationic type emulsions are used in India.
The bitumen content in the emulsion is around 60% and the remaining is water. When the emulsion is
applied on the road it breaks down resulting in release of water and the mix starts to set. The time of
setting depends upon the grade of bitumen. The viscosity of bituminous emulsions can be measured as
per IS: 8887-1995. Three types of bituminous emulsions are available, which are Rapid setting (RS),
Medium setting (MS), and Slow setting (SC). Bitumen emulsions are ideal binders for hill road
construction. Where heating of bitumen or aggregates are difficult. Rapid setting emulsions are used for
surface dressing work. Medium setting emulsions are preferred for premix jobs and patch repairs work.
Slow setting emulsions are preferred in rainy season.

Bituminous primers

In bituminous primer the distillate is absorbed by the road surface on which it is spread. The absorption
therefore depends on the porosity of the surface. Bitumen primers are useful on the stabilised surfaces
and water bound macadam base courses. Bituminous primers are generally prepared on road sites by
mixing penetration bitumen with petroleum distillate.

Modified Bitumen

Certain additives or blend of additives called as bitumen modifiers can improve properties of Bitumen
and bituminous mixes. Bitumen treated with these modifiers is known as modified bitumen. Polymer
modified bitumen (PMB)/ crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB) should be used only in wearing
course depending upon the requirements of extreme climatic variations. The detailed specifications for
modified bitumen have been issued by IRC: SP: 53-1999. It must be noted that the performance of PMB
and CRMB is dependent on strict control on temperature during construction. The advantages of using
modified bitumen are as follows

 Lower susceptibility to daily and seasonal temperature variations

 Higher resistance to deformation at high pavement temperature

 Better age resistance properties

 Higher fatigue life for mixes

 Better adhesion between aggregates and binder

 Prevention of cracking and reflective cracking

The desirable properties of bitumen depend on the mix type and construction. In general, Bitumen
should posses following desirable properties.

 The bitumen should not be highly temperature susceptible: during the hottest weather the mix
should not become too soft or unstable, and during cold weather the mix should not become
too brittle causing cracks.

 The viscosity of the bitumen at the time of mixing and compaction should be adequate. This can
be achieved by use of cutbacks or emulsions of suitable grades or by heating the bitumen and
aggregates prior to mixing.

 There should be adequate affinity and adhesion between the bitumen and aggregates used in
the mix.

Tests on bitumen

There are a number of tests to assess the properties of bituminous materials. The following tests are
usually conducted to evaluate different properties of bituminous materials.

1. Penetration test

2. Ductility test

3. Softening point test

4. Specific gravity test

5. Viscosity test

6. Flash and Fire point test

7. Float test

8. Water content test

9. Loss on heating test

Bituminous Surface Treatments

Bituminous surface treatments (BST) refer to a range of techniques that can be used to create a stand-
alone drivable surface on a low volume road, or rehabilitate an existing pavement. Usually, the term is
used to describe a seal coat or chip seal, which is constructed by spraying a layer of emulsified asphalt,
and placing a layer of aggregate on top. BSTs can be applied directly to a base course, or on an existing
asphalt pavement structure, and represent a low cost alternative to typical asphalt paving. In this
RoadReady newsletter, we will focus on chip seals as a rehabilitation option.
When to Use a Chip Seal

Chip Seals are appropriate for a number of situations. They can be used as an inexpensive paving option
for a low volume road when applied to a base course. On an existing road, they can be used to seal
cracks, provide a new wearing course, and provide protection from sunlight and moisture. BSTs also
provide a high degree of friction and skid resistance, creating a safe driving surface. Chip seals should
only be used to rehabilitate minor distresses on a roadway, such as worn surfaces, raveling, and small
cracks. They will likely perform inadequately when cracks become too wide or the pavement has
undergone significant structural deformation.

Construction Considerations

Before constructing a chip seal, any major deficiencies must be corrected in the existing structure. For
example, if alligator cracks are present, subgrade repair may be required. If potholes are present, these
must be patched . Next, the surface should be swept to remove particles that could interfere with
bonding of the asphalt and the existing pavement. After the asphalt and aggregate have been placed,
chip seals are compacted similar to hot mix asphalt pavements. Different kinds of rollers have different
advantages and disadvantages for chip seals. Pneumatic rubber tire rollers can provide more uniform
compaction on an uneven surface, but tend to pick up individual pieces of aggregate on the tires. Steel
wheel rollers on the other hand risk fracturing the aggregate. Pneumatic rubber tire rollers are generally
selected over steel wheel rollers for this reason. Following compaction, it is important to keep traffic off
of the new surface until moisture content has reached an acceptable level. How long this takes depends
on whether the emulsion is slow, medium, or fast setting. Allowing traffic to use the road prematurely
can result in the loss of particles from the pavement surface.

Bituminous surface treatments represent a low-cost option for the rehabilitation of low-volume roads.
Though not ideal for every project, they have become an attractive alternative in a world where thin
maintenance and rehabilitation budgets are stretched over large roadway networks.