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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt with...

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

NCHRP REPORT 714

Special Mixture Design Considerations
and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt:
A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673:
A Manual for Design of Hot Mix Asphalt
with Commentary

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 714

Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Edward T. Harrigan, Senior Program Officer
Melanie Adcock, Senior Program Assistant
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Hilary Freer, Senior Editor

NCHRP PROJECT 9-43 PANEL

Field of Materials and Construction—Area of Bituminous Materials
Dean A. Maurer, Practical Asphalt Solutions Technology, Lewisberry, PA (Chair)
David B. Powers, Ohio DOT, Columbus, OH
Cathrina Barros, California DOT, Sacramento, CA
Timothy R. Clyne, Minnesota DOT, Maplewood, MN
Gerald Huber, Heritage Research Group, Indianapolis, IN
Larry L. Michael, Hagerstown, MD
Jorge A. Prozzi, University of Texas - Austin, Austin, TX
Todd W. Whittington, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh, NC
Matthew Corrigan, FHWA Liaison
David E. Newcomb, Texas Transportation Institute Liaison
Frederick Hejl, TRB Liaison

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

FOREWORD

By Edward T. Harrigan
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board

This report provides a mix design method tailored to the unique material properties of
warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies in the form of a supplement to NCHRP Report 673:
A Manual for Design of Hot Mix Asphalt. The report will be of immediate interest to mate-
rials engineers in state highway agencies and industry.

WMA refers to asphalt mixtures produced at temperatures approximately 50°F (28°C) or

cooler than typically used in the production of hot mix asphalt (HMA). The goal of WMA
is to produce mixtures with similar strength, durability, and performance characteristics as
HMA using substantially reduced production temperatures. Important environmental and
health benefits associated with reduced production temperatures include lower greenhouse
gas emissions, lower fuel consumption, and reduced exposure of workers to asphalt fumes.
Lower production temperatures can also improve pavement performance by (1) reducing
binder aging, (2) providing added time for mixture compaction, and (3) allowing improved
compaction during cold weather paving.
For most WMA projects constructed in the United States to date, WMA has been substi-
tuted into a mixture designed as HMA with no change to the job mix formula. Provision of
a formal mix design method for mixtures prepared with the wide variety of WMA technolo-
gies available now and in the future will further encourage their use.
The objective of NCHRP Project 9-43, “Mix Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt,”
was to develop a mix design method for WMA for use by engineers and technicians in the
public and private sectors. NCHRP Report 691: Mix Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt
fully documents the research leading to the key finding that a stand-alone WMA mix design
method distinct from that for HMA is not warranted. Thus, the final product of the research
was a proposed appendix to AASHTO R 35, Standard Practice for Superpave Volumetric
Design for Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA), titled Special Mixture Design Considerations and Meth-
ods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA). This report provides that proposed appendix in the form
of a supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot Mix Asphalt, produced
in NCHRP Project 9-33.

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

CONTENTS

1 I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and

Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)
1 What is WMA?
1 Overview of WMA Design
2 Step 1. Gather Information
4 Step 2. Select Asphalt Binder
4 Step 3. Determine Compaction Level
5 Step 4. Select Nominal Maximum Aggregate Size
5 Step 5. Determine Target VMA and Design Air Voids Values
6 Step 6. Calculate Target Binder Content
7 Step 7. Calculate Aggregate Content by Volume
7 Step 8. Proportion Aggregates for Trial Mixtures
9 Step 9. Calculate Trial Mix Proportions by Weight and
Check Dust-to-Binder Ratio
9 Step 10. Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures
21 Step 11. Compile Mix Design Report
27 References
C-1 II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design
Considerations and Methods for Warm
Mix Asphalt (WMA)
C-1 Step 1. Gather Information
C-2 Step 2. Select Asphalt Binder
C-7 Step 3. Determine Compaction Level
C-7 Step 4. Select Nominal Maximum Aggregate Size
C-7 Step 5. Determine Target VMA and Air Voids Values
C-7 Step 6. Calculate Target Binder Content
C-8 Step 7. Calculate Aggregate Content by Volume
C-8 Step 8. Proportion Aggregates for Trial Mixtures
C-10 Step 9. Calculate Trial Mixture Proportions by Weight and Check
Dust-to-Binder Ratio
C-10 Step 10. Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures
C-16 Step 11. Compile Mix Design Report
C-17 References

Note: Many of the photographs, figures, and tables in this report have been converted from color to grayscale
for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the Web at www.trb.org) retains the color versions.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

I. Special Mixture Design

Considerations and Methods for
Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)
This report presents special mixture design considerations and methods used with warm mix
asphalt (WMA) and is a supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot Mix
Asphalt. In this report, all references to chapters refer to the corresponding chapters in NCHRP
Report 673. Although the procedures described have been specifically selected for use in designing
dense-graded mixtures, most can be applied to the design of other mix types with little or no
modification. Before reading this report, engineers and technicians should make certain they have
a thorough understanding of the dense-graded mix design process presented in Chapter 8 and the
procedures for incorporating RAP into hot mix asphalt (HMA) discussed in Chapter 9 of NCHRP
Report 673. NCHRP Report 714 is based on research conducted in NCHRP Project 9-43, “Mix
Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt,” which concluded that only minor modifications of cur-
rent mix design practice are needed to address WMA. These modifications are discussed in detail
herein. Part II provides a commentary to support the proposed design considerations and methods.

What is WMA?
WMA refers to asphalt concrete mixtures produced at temperatures approximately 50°F (28°C)
or more cooler than typically used in the production of HMA. The goal with WMA is to produce
mixtures with similar strength, durability, and performance characteristics as HMA while using sub-
stantially reduced production temperatures. There are important environmental and health bene-
fits associated with reduced production temperatures including lower greenhouse gas emissions,
lower fuel consumption, and reduced exposure of workers to asphalt fumes. Lower production tem-
peratures can also improve pavement performance by (1) reducing binder aging, (2) providing
added time for mixture compaction, and (3) allowing improved compaction during cold weather
paving. For these reasons, many WMA technologies may also be incorporated in the production of
HMA at typical production temperatures during cold weather paving.
WMA technologies were first introduced in Europe in the late 1990s as one measure to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, many WMA processes have been developed in Europe and
the United States. At the time this report was completed (2011), approximately 20 WMA
processes were marketed in the United States. These processes included chemical, wax, and syn-
thetic zeolite additives that can be blended with the binder or added to the mixture during pro-
duction; plant foaming systems; and sequential mixing processes. The National Asphalt Pavement
Association (NAPA) publication, Quality Improvement Series 125, “Warm-Mix Asphalt: Best
Practices,” presents more detailed information on many of these processes including the types of
plant modifications needed with each.

Overview of WMA Design

The design of WMA is very similar to the design of HMA, following the 11 steps described in
Chapter 8 for the design of dense-graded HMA. Table 1 summarizes the differences between
WMA and HMA for each of the 11 steps.
1

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

2 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 1. Steps in design of dense-graded HMA and WMA.

Step Description Major WMA Differences
1. WMA process,
2. Additive rates,
1 Gather Information
3. Planned production temperature,
4. Planned compaction temperature.
1. Recommended limit on high-temperature
stiffness of recycled binders.
2 Select Asphalt Binder
2. May consider low-temperature grade
improvement when using blending charts.
3 Determine Compaction Level Same as HMA
Select Nominal Maximum
4 Same as HMA
Aggregate Size
Determine Target VMA and
5 Same as HMA
Design Air Voids Value
1. Lower asphalt absorption due to lower
6 Calculate Target Binder Content
temperatures.
7 Calculate Aggregate Volume Same as HMA
Proportion Aggregate Blends for
8 Same as HMA
Trial Mixtures
Calculate Trial Mixture
9 Proportions by Weight and Check Same as HMA
Dust/Binder Ratio
1. WMA process specific specimen fabrication
procedures,
Evaluate and Refine Trial 2. Lower short-term aging temperature,
10
Mixtures 3. Evaluate coating and compactability in lieu
of viscosity-based mixing and compaction
temperatures.
11 Compile Mix Design Report Same as HMA

Specimen fabrication in Step 10, Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures, is the primary differ-
ence for the design of WMA compared with HMA. Procedures for specimen fabrication are
process specific; therefore, information on the WMA process that will be used and the
planned production and compaction temperatures must be collected in Step 1 at the beginning
of the WMA mix design process. Given that binder absorption is lower in WMA mixtures, the
lower absorption should be accounted for when estimating the target binder content in Step 6.
Another important difference between WMA and HMA design occurs in the selection of
binders in Step 2. The high-temperature grade of the recycled binders should be lower than
the planned WMA compaction temperature to promote mixing of the new and recycled
binders. When using blending charts, the low-temperature grade of the new binder may be
improved due to the lower aging that occurs at WMA temperatures. The following sections
provide step-by-step discussions of the similarities and differences between WMA and HMA.
These are followed by an example WMA design.

Step 1. Gather Information

The design of WMA requires the same information about the design traffic level, the climate at
the place of construction, available aggregates and binders, anticipated lift thickness, and pavement
type (that is, surface, intermediate, or base course) as the design of HMA. In addition, WMA design
requires information on the WMA process and the planned mixing and compaction temperatures
because the fabrication of WMA specimens in the laboratory is process specific, simulating in an
approximate manner, the production of the mixture in the field. Table 2 summarizes the informa-
tion that should be collected for designing WMA mixtures and compares this information to that
required for designing HMA mixtures.

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 3

Table 2. Information required for WMA and HMA design.

Type of Information Detail WMA HMA
Geographic Location X X
Climate Relating to Binder Grade X X
Site Design Traffic Level X X
Design Life X X
Unusual Performance Requirements X X
Lift Thickness X X
Haul Time X X
Construction Construction Temperatures X X
Unusual Specification Requirements X X
Unusual Construction Requirements X X
Mix Type X X
Pavement
Distance from Pavement Surface X X
Nominal Maximum Size X X
Gradation X X
Aggregate
Specific Gravity and Absorption X X
Specification Properties X X
Performance Grade X X
PG Plus Properties, if applicable X X
Type of Modification, if applicable X X
Binder
Continuous Performance Grade for
Blending Chart Analysis X X
Mixing and Compaction Temperatures NA X
Binder Content X X
Continuous Performance Grade X X
Nominal Maximum Size X X
RAP
Gradation X X
Specific Gravity and Absorption X X
Specification Properties X X
Type X X
Anti-Strip Additives
Dosage Rate X X
WMA Process X NA
Additive Type X NA
WMA Additive Dosage Rate X NA
Production Temperature X NA
Compaction Temperature X NA

WMA process selection is best made by the producer in consultation with the specifying agency
and WMA process suppliers considering (1) available performance data, (2) cost of the required
warm mix additives, (3) planned production and compaction temperatures, (4) planned produc-
tion rates, (5) existing plant capabilities, and (6) plant and laboratory modifications required to
successfully use the WMA process.
For the purposes of mixture design, the various WMA processes can be grouped into four
generic categories:

1. Additives blended into the binder,

2. Additives added to the mixture,
3. Wet aggregate mixtures, and
4. Foamed asphalt.

Specimen fabrication techniques are somewhat different for each of these categories. Given that
viscosity-based mixing and compaction temperatures are not applicable to many WMA processes,
the planned production and compaction temperatures are used in the WMA mixture design
process to evaluate coating and the compactability/workability of the WMA. It should be empha-
sized that the optimal production and compaction temperatures are different for the various
WMA processes and should be carefully considered when selecting production and compaction
temperatures to be used in the WMA design process.

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

4 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Step 2. Select Asphalt Binder

The grade of binder used in WMA mixtures with less than 15% recycled binder is the same
as that for an HMA mixture designed for the same conditions. The change in the high- and low-
temperature properties of the binder due to lower WMA temperatures is not sufficient to warrant
a change in the grade of the binder used in the mixture. The binder grade used in WMA should
be either (1) the grade required by the specifying agency for HMA or (2) selected as discussed in
Chapter 8 considering

1. The climate at the project location,

2. High-temperature grade adjustment required for traffic level and speed, and
3. High-temperature grade adjustments for temporary construction.

When a recycled binder is used in WMA, it is recommended that the continuous high-
temperature grade of the recycled binder be equal to or lower than the planned compaction tem-
perature to ensure adequate mixing of the new and recycled materials. This recommendation will
generally not affect the use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in WMA. The high-temperature
grade of RAP in the United States ranges from about 82°C in colder climates to about 100°C in
hotter climates. Planned compaction temperatures for most warm mix processes are greater than
212°F (100°C). This recommendation will, however, limit the use of recycled asphalt shingles
(RAS) in many WMA processes. Many RAS binders have high-temperature grades exceeding
124°C, indicating that these materials should not be used in WMA processes where the planned
compaction temperature is less than about 255°F (124°C).
When adding more than 15% recycled binder to WMA, the blending chart analysis
described in Chapter 9 for HMA should also be used. If permitted by the specifying agency,
the low-temperature continuous grade of the new binder may be improved somewhat to
account for the lower WMA process temperatures. The recommended improvement depends
on the new binder grade and the production temperature. Table 3 presents recommended
low-temperature binder grade improvements developed in NCHRP Project 9-43 for some
common binder grades. For a WMA process having a production temperature of 250°F, the
low-temperature grade improvement ranges from 0.3 to 0.7°C. For a typical blending chart
analysis this translates to 5 to 10% additional RAP based on low-temperature binder grade
considerations. As discussed in Chapter 9, binder grade is one of several considerations affect-
ing the amount of RAP that can be added to a mixture.
In summary, the grade of binder used in most WMA mixtures will be the same as that used in
a comparable HMA mixture. When the WMA mixture incorporates a recycled binder, it is rec-
ommended that the high-temperature grade of the recycled binder be equal to or lower than the
planned compaction temperature to ensure adequate mixing of the new and recycled materials.
If permitted by the specifying agency, it is reasonable to improve the low-temperature grade of
the new binder somewhat when performing blending chart analyses for higher RAP content mix-
tures. Although small, this improvement may permit 5 to 10% additional RAP to be added, based
on low-temperature binder grade considerations.

Step 3. Determine Compaction Level

Although it is well documented that WMA mixtures are generally easier to compact than HMA,
the same design compaction level should be used with WMA and HMA. In NCHRP Project 9-43,
several mixtures with less than 1% binder absorption designed as WMA and HMA following the
procedures given in this manual had optimum binder contents and volumetric properties that
were essentially the same. The recommended design compaction levels for both WMA and HMA

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 5

Table 3. Recommended improvement in virgin binder low-temperature

continuous grade for RAP blending chart analysis for WMA
production temperatures.
Virgin Binder PG Grade 58-28 58-22 64-22 64-16 67-22
Average HMA Production Temperature, oF 285 285 292 292 300
Rate of Improvement of Virgin Binder Low-
Temperature Grade per oC Reduction in Plant 0.035 0.025 0.025 0.012 0.025
Temperature
Recommended Improvement in Virgin Binder Low-
WMA Production Temperature, oF Temperature Continuous Grade for RAP Blending Chart
Analysis, oC
300 NA NA NA NA 0.0
295 NA NA NA NA 0.1
290 NA NA 0.0 0.0 0.1
285 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2
280 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3
275 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3
270 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.4
265 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.5
260 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.6
255 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.6
250 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.7
245 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.8
240 0.9 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.8
235 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.4 0.9
230 1.1 0.8 0.9 0.4 1.0
225 1.2 0.8 0.9 0.4 1.0
220 1.3 0.9 1.0 0.5 1.1
215 1.4 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.2
210 1.5 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.3
205 1.6 1.1 1.2 0.6 1.3
200 1.7 1.2 1.3 0.6 1.4

are summarized in Table 4. As discussed in Chapter 8, these compaction levels are under review
and could be modified soon.

Step 4. Select Nominal Maximum Aggregate Size

The same nominal maximum aggregate size mixture should be used when designing the mix-
ture as WMA or HMA. Usually, the nominal maximum size is given by the specifying agency.
When it is not, the recommendations in Chapter 8 on the ratio of lift thickness to nominal maxi- Table 4.
mum aggregate size should be followed. These recommendations are reproduced in Table 5. As Recommended design
with HMA, smaller aggregate sizes should be used for wearing course mixtures and where extra compaction levels
durability is desired; this will help provide a mix that compacts easily, has low permeability, and for dense-graded
resists fatigue cracking. HMA mixtures.

Design
Traffic Ndesign
Step 5. Determine Target VMA and Design Air Voids Values (Million
ESALs)
In the design procedure presented herein, the target VMA and design air void content are < 0.3 50
0.3 to < 3 75
used to initially calculate the design binder content for the mixture using an assumed value 3 to < 10 100
for binder absorption. Trial mixtures are then prepared using the design binder content to deter- 10 to < 30 100
mine an aggregate gradation that provides the design air void content. Minor adjustments to the 30 125

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

6 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 5. Recommended nominal maximum aggregate sizes

for dense-graded HMA mixtures.
Application Recommended Minimum Lift Thickness, mm
NMAS, mm Fine-Graded Coarse-Graded
Mixtures Mixtures
4.75 15 to 25 20 to 25
Leveling course mixtures
9.5 30 to 50 40 to 50
4.75 15 to 25 20 to 25
Wearing course mixtures 9.5 30 to 50 40 to 50
12.5 40 to 65 50 to 65
19.0 60 to 100 75 to 100
Intermediate course mixtures
25.0 75 to 125 100 to 125
19.0 60 to 100 75 to 100
Base course mixtures 25.0 75 to 125 100 to 125
37.5 115 to 150 150
9.5 30 to 50 40 to 50
Rich base course mixtures
12.5 40 to 65 50 to 65

Table 6. VMA requirements for

dense-graded mixtures.
Aggregate Minimum Maximum Target
NMAS VMAA VMAA VMA
(mm) (%) (%) (%)
4.75 16.0 18.0 17.0
9.5 15.0 17.0 16.0
12.5 14.0 16.0 15.0
19.0 13.0 15.0 14.0
25.0 12.0 14.0 13.0
37.5 11.0 13.0 12.0
A
The specifying agency may increase the minimum and maximum
values for VMA by up to 1.0% to obtain mixtures with increased
asphalt binder content, which can improve field compaction, fatigue
resistance, and general durability. Care should be taken to ensure that
the resulting HMA mixtures maintain adequate rut resistance for their
intended application.

design binder content may also be necessary to account for differences between the initially
assumed binder absorption and the actual absorption in the trial mixtures.
For the design of WMA mixtures, the same minimum, maximum, and target VMA values
discussed in Chapter 8 for HMA should be used. These values are reproduced in Table 6. Higher
design VMA will increase the binder content of the mixture, thereby improving compactability,
durability, and resistance to fatigue damage, but decreasing the resistance to rutting. Decreas-
ing the design VMA will have the opposite effect on compactability, durability, resistance to
fatigue damage, and resistance to rutting. The target air void content for WMA mixtures
should be 4.0% with an acceptable range of 3.5 to 4.5%. Lower design air voids will increase
the design binder content of the mixture, thereby improving compactability, durability, and
resistance to fatigue damage, but decreasing the resistance to rutting. Higher design air voids
will have the opposite effect on compactability, durability, resistance to fatigue damage, and
resistance to rutting.

Step 6. Calculate Target Binder Content

The target binder content by volume for WMA is calculated in the same manner as described
in Chapter 8 for HMA: target VMA minus design air voids plus volume of binder absorbed. The
lower temperatures for WMA mixtures result in less binder absorption compared with HMA. In
NCHRP Project 9-43, the binder absorption for WMA mixtures was about 90% of that for HMA

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 7

mixtures designed using the same binder and aggregates. A reasonable estimate of the volume of
binder absorbed in WMA mixtures is 45% of the volume of water absorbed by the aggregates used
in the mixture. This estimate is given in Equation 1 and is used in the software program HMA Tools
(available for download at http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=967)
to estimate the binder content by volume for WMA mixtures.

⎛ VMA ⎞ ⎛ Gsb Pwa ⎞

Vb = VMA − VA + ⎜ 1 − ⎟⎜ ⎟ (1)
⎝ 100 ⎠ ⎝ 2.2 ⎠

where
Vb = total asphalt content by volume %
VMA = target voids in the mineral aggregate, vol. %
VA = design air voids, vol. %
Gsb = aggregate bulk specific gravity
Pwa = water absorption of the aggregate, weight %
As with HMA mixture design, the binder content by volume computed at this point is an esti-
mate that will be refined during Step 10, Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures, of the design process.
For batching, the binder content by volume must be converted to binder content by weight using
the specific gravity of the binder and the aggregates in the mixture. These calculations were pre-
sented in Chapter 8 and are performed by HMA Tools.

Step 7. Calculate Aggregate Content by Volume

The total aggregate content by volume is calculated in the same manner as described in
Chapter 8 for HMA: 100% minus target VMA. Determination of the total aggregate content by
weight will depend on the aggregate specific gravity values, and the specific blend of aggregates
used in each mixture. These calculations were presented in Chapter 8 and are performed by
HMA Tools.

Step 8. Proportion Aggregates for Trial Mixtures

Proportioning aggregates for trial WMA mixtures is the same as described in Chapter 8 for
design of HMA mixtures. The mix design procedure presented in this manual sets the binder
content at a value that will provide the proper VMA once the design air void content is met.
Therefore, proportioning aggregates can be thought of as determining the blend of aggregates
that will provide the proper air void content for the mixture. Note that the control points given
in Chapter 8 are considered guidelines and not specification requirements.
Chapter 8 presented a graphical procedure for aggregate blending that uses the continuous
maximum density (CMD) plot. This plot quantifies how much various aggregate gradations
deviate from the maximum density gradation and is effective at identifying those changes that
potentially affect the VMA of the mixture. This procedure should be followed when designing
new WMA mixtures.
Most WMA mixture design work will be able to adapt a specific WMA process to an existing
HMA design. For this type of design, there is no need to change the aggregate proportions from
those used in the HMA design; unless the binder absorption is very high, the volumetric prop-
erties of the WMA and HMA mixtures will be very similar. When performing a WMA design of an
existing HMA mixture in HMA Tools, enter the aggregate and RAP data (if used) in worksheets
“Aggregates,” and “RAP_Aggregates.” Then, the aggregate blend for the existing mix is entered

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8 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 7. Coarse aggregate fractured faces

(CAFF) requirements.
Percentage of Particles with at Least
One/Two Fractured Faces, for Depth
Design ESALs (million)
of Pavement LayerA, mm
0 to 100 Below 100
< 0.30 55 / --- --- / ---
0.3 to < 3 75 / --- 50 / ---
3 to < 10 85 / 80 60 / ---
10 to < 30 95 / 90 80 / 75
30 or more 98 / 98B 98 / 98B
A
Depth of pavement layer is measured from pavement surface to surface of
pavement layer.
B
The CAFF requirement for design traffic levels of 30 million ESALs or more may
be reduced to 95/95 if experience with local conditions and materials indicate that
this would provide HMA mixtures with adequate rut resistance under very heavy
traffic.

in worksheet “Trial_Blends.” The design then proceeds as described in Chapter 8 for HMA, deter-
mining the air void content and VMA for trial batches, and then making further refinements in
the aggregate gradation as needed, until the desired mix properties are met.
The aggregates used in WMA should meet the aggregate specification properties given in Chap-
ter 8 for HMA. There are four aggregate specification properties: (1) coarse aggregate fractured faces
(CAFF); (2) flat and elongated particles in the coarse aggregate; (3) fine aggregate angularity (FAA);
and (4) clay content of the fine aggregate (sand equivalent). These requirements are presented in
Tables 7 to 10. Note that the aggregate specification requirements apply to the blended aggregates
and should be measured on the final design blend of aggregates. For trial batches, they can be

Table 8. Criteria for flat and

elongated particles.

Maximum Percentage of Flat and

Design ESALs (million)
Elongated Particles at 5:1
< 0.30 ---
0.3 to < 3 10
3 to < 10 10
10 to < 30 10
30 or more 10
Criteria are presented as percent flat and elongated particles by mass.

Table 9. Fine aggregate angularity

(FAAAQ15) requirements.
Depth of Pavement Layer from
Design ESALs (million) Surface, mm
0 to 100a Below 100a
< 0.30 ---b ---
0.3 to < 3 40 ---
3 to < 10 45c 40
10 to < 30 45c 45c
30 or more 45c 45c
Criteria are presented as percent air voids in loosely compacted fine aggregate.
a
If Less than 25 percent of a construction lift is within 100 mm of the surface,
the lift may be considered to be below 100 mm for mixture design purposes.
b
Although there is no FAA requirement for design traffic levels below
0.30 million ESALS, consideration should be given to requiring a minimum
uncompacted void content of 40 percent for 4.75 mm nominal maximum
aggregate size mixes.
c
The FAA requirement of 45 may be reduced to 43 if experience with local
conditions and materials indicate that this would produce HMA mixtures with
adequate rut resistance under the given design traffic level.

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 9

Table 10. Maximum clay content requirements.

Design ESALs (million) Minimum Sand Equivalency Value

< 0.30 40
0.3 to < 3 40
3 to < 10 45
10 to < 30 45
30 or more 50
Criteria are presented as sand equivalent value.

estimated from the specification property values for the individual aggregates using HMA Tools.
These estimates should then be verified by measurements on the final design blend.

Step 9. Calculate Trial Mix Proportions By Weight and

Check Dust-to-Binder Ratio
This step in the design of WMA mixtures is identical to that described in Chapter 8 for HMA
mixtures. This step involves calculating the following for each trial blend of aggregates:
1. Bulk specific gravity of the aggregate blend,
2. Weight percentage of binder in the mixture,
3. Weight percentage of total aggregate in the mixture,
4. Effective binder content by weight,
5. Weight percentage of each aggregate in the mixture,
6. Weight percentage of mineral dust in the mixture, and
7. Dust to effective binder ratio.
These calculations are performed automatically by HMA Tools and when RAP is included in
the mixture, binder from the RAP is properly accounted for in the calculations. WMA mixtures
should meet the requirements for the ratio of dust to effective binder content given in Chapter
8 for HMA. These requirements are reproduced in Table 11.

Step 10. Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures

This step involves the preparation and evaluation of laboratory specimens of WMA. The pro-
cedure follows that described in Chapter 8 for HMA with slight modification. Table 12 summa-
rizes the steps for WMA and HMA design. The modifications required for WMA design are
1. For some processes, the WMA additive must be calculated.
2. Viscosity-based mixing temperatures are not used with WMA. Laboratory mixing is done at
the planned production temperature.

Table 11. Requirements for

dust/binder ratio.
Allowable Range for
Mix Aggregate Dust/Binder Ratio, by
NMAS, mm Weight
> 4.75 0.8 to 1.6A
4.75 0.9 to 2.0
A
The specifying agency may lower the allowable range for
dust/binder ratio to 0.6 to 1.2 if warranted by local
conditions and materials. The dust/binder ratio should
however not be lowered if VMA requirements are increased
above the standard values as listed in Table 13-6.

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10 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 12. Comparison of trial specimen fabrication procedures

for WMA and HMA design.
Step Description HMA WMA Comment
1 Calculate batch weights X X Must calculate WMA additive content for
some processes
2 Batch aggregates X X Must batch WMA additive for some
processes
3 Heat aggregates and X X Use planned production temperature for
asphalt binder WMA
4 Mix aggregates and X X Procedure is WMA process specific
binder
5 Mixture conditioning X X WMA uses lower temperature
procedures
6 Compact laboratory X X WMA uses lower temperature
specimens
7 Calculate volumetric X X
composition of
laboratory specimens
8 Adjust aggregate X X
proportions to meet
volumetric requirements
9 Evaluate coating and NA X Used in WMA design in place of viscosity-
compactability based mixing and compaction temperatures
10 Conduct performance X X Moisture sensitivity for all mixtures, rutting
testing resistance for design traffic levels of 3 m
ESALs or greater

3. The short-term conditioning temperature for WMA is the planned compaction temperature.
4. Viscosity-based compaction temperatures are not used with WMA. Laboratory compaction
is done at the planned compaction temperature.
5. WMA design includes an evaluation of coating and compactability using the planned pro-
duction and compaction temperatures.
These modifications are discussed in the sections that follow.

Calculate Batch Weights

Some WMA processes require an additive to be added either to the binder or to the mixture. The
amount of additive needed may be specified by the WMA process supplier as percent by weight of
binder or total mixture. The “Additive” sheet in HMA Tools allows the user to specify the dosage
rate for up to three additives and whether the dosage rate is based on binder or total mixture weight.

Batch Aggregates
For most WMA processes, aggregate batching is identical to that for HMA. HMA Tools pro-
vides a convenient tool for calculating batch weights for various specimens and degrees of aggre-
gate processing. In one WMA process, water is added to a portion of the fine aggregate, then this
wet, fine aggregate is added cold to the mixture during the mixing process. For this process, treat
the wet portion of the fine aggregate as a separate fine aggregate in HMA Tools. Compute the
dry aggregate batch weight for this aggregate, then add the required weight of water to the dry
aggregate, mix, cover, and let stand 2 hours before using it in the mixing process.

Heat Aggregates and Asphalt Binder

The most notable differences between the design of WMA and HMA occur in the specimen
fabrication process, which begins with this step and continues through the next three steps.
Viscosity-based mixing and compaction criteria cannot be used with the wide range of WMA

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 11

processes available. In fact, research in progress suggests that enhanced lubrication, not viscosity
reduction, is the primary mechanism governing the success of WMA processes.
The design of WMA mixtures is done using the planned field production and compaction
temperatures. The aggregates and binder that will be used are heated in an oven to approximately
27°F (15°C) above the planned production temperature. Aggregates may be heated overnight.
The asphalt binder and RAP, if used, should be heated the minimum time necessary to reach this
target temperature.

Mix Aggregates and Binder

For mixture design purposes, the various WMA processes can be grouped into the following
generic categories:
1. Additives blended into the binder,
2. Additives added to the mixture,
3. Wet aggregate mixtures, and
4. Foamed asphalt.
This section describes laboratory procedures for preparing each of these types of WMA
mixtures. Some WMA processes may include elements from two or more of these processes.
The laboratory equipment needed to produce the mixtures is generally the same as that
required for HMA. A mechanical mixer capable of mixing 10 to 45 lb (5 to 20 kg) batches is
needed for all WMA processes. The mixing times presented later are based on a planetary mixer
with a wire whip. Bucket mixers are less efficient than planetary mixers; therefore, the mixing
times may need to be increased. For WMA processes requiring the additive to be blended in the
binder, a low-shear mechanical stirrer with appropriate size impeller is needed to homoge-
neously blend the additive in the binder. Finally, for foamed asphalt mixtures, a laboratory-scale
foamed asphalt plant capable of producing consistent foamed asphalt at the water content used
in field production is needed. An example of such a device is shown in Figure 1. The device
should be capable of producing foamed asphalt for laboratory batches ranging in size from
approximately 20 to 45 lb (10 to 20 kg). Note that laboratory foaming plants designed for cold
mix applications will require a more precise flow controller to allow foamed asphalt production

Figure 1. A foaming device for preparing WMA

in the laboratory.

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12 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

at the lower water contents used in WMA. Also, because these machines are designed to produce
large quantities of foamed asphalt, it will be necessary to produce larger batches of WMA and
then split the material needed for the various tests required.

Additives Blended in the Binder

For WMA processes that require the WMA additive to be blended in the binder, the additive
must be blended into the binder before the WMA mixture can be produced. The required dosage
rate will be provided by the WMA process supplier who usually will also provide instructions for
blending the additive in the binder. HMA Tools will compute the mass of additive to add for a given
batch size. If instructions for blending the additive are not provided, use the following procedure:
1. Follow the manufacturer’s instruction for storage of the additive (e.g., temperature and
humidity) particularly after opening the manufacturer’s packaging.
2. Weigh the required amount of the additive into a small container. The additive is typically
specified as a percent by weight of binder. For mixtures containing RAP, determine the weight
of additive based on the total binder content of the mixture.
3. Heat the asphalt binder in a covered container in an oven set at 135°C until the binder is
sufficiently fluid to pour. During heating, occasionally stir the binder manually to ensure
homogeneity.
4. Add the required amount of additive to the binder and stir with a mechanical stirrer until the
additive is totally dispersed in the binder.
5. Store the binder with WMA additive at room temperature in a covered container until needed
for use in the mixture design.
Some binders are being supplied with the WMA additive pre-blended into the binder. For
these binders, it is not necessary to blend the additive, and the preparation of the WMA mixture
proceeds as outlined below.
Once the WMA additive has been added to the binder, the preparation of the WMA mixture
proceeds in a similar manner as that for HMA. The following steps summarize the mixture
preparation process:
1. Heat the aggregate, RAP, binder, and mixing tools to approximately 27°F (15°C) above the
planned production temperature. Aggregates may be heated overnight. The asphalt binder and
RAP should be heated the minimum time necessary to reach this target temperature.
2. If a liquid antistrip is required, add it to the binder per the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Place the hot mixing bowl on a scale and zero the scale.
4. Charge the mixing bowl with the heated aggregates and RAP and dry mix thoroughly.
5. Form a crater in the blended aggregate and weigh the required amount of asphalt binder into
the mixture to achieve the desired batch weight. If the aggregates and RAP have been stored
for an extended period of time in a humid environment, then it may be necessary to adjust
the weight of binder based on the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP as follows:
a. Record the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP, wi
b. Determine the target total weight of the mixture
wi
wt =
⎛ pbnew ⎞
⎜⎝ 1 − ⎟
100 ⎠
where
wt = target total weight
wi = oven dry weight from Step a
Pbnew = % by weight of total mix of new binder in the mixture
c. Add new binder to the bowl to reach wt

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 13

6. Remove the mixing bowl from the scale and mix with a mechanical mixer for 90 sec.
7. Transfer the mixture to a flat shallow pan at an even thickness of 1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm) for
short-term conditioning.
Additives Added to the Mixture
Some WMA processes specify that the additive be added to the mixture during plant mixing.
The additive dosage rate may be given as a percent of the total mixture mass or a percentage of
the binder in the mixture. If the mixture contains RAP and the dosage rate is as a percentage
of the binder, remember to include the RAP binder contribution when computing the amount
of additive. HMA Tools will compute the mass of additive to add for a given batch size. For these
processes, the following mixing procedure should be followed:
1. Follow the manufacturer’s instruction for storage of the additive (e.g., temperature and
humidity) particularly after opening the manufacturer’s packaging.
2. Weigh the required amount of the additive into a small container.
3. Heat the aggregate, RAP, binder, and mixing tools to approximately 27°F (15°C) above the
planned production temperature. Aggregates may be heated overnight. The asphalt binder
and RAP should be heated the minimum time necessary to reach this target temperature.
4. If a liquid antistrip is required, add it to the binder per the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Place the hot mixing bowl on a scale and zero the scale.
6. Charge the mixing bowl with the heated aggregates and RAP and dry mix thoroughly.
7. Form a crater in the blended aggregate and weigh the required amount of asphalt binder
into the mixture to achieve the desired batch weight. If the aggregates and RAP have been
stored for an extended period of time in a humid environment, then it may be necessary
to adjust the weight of binder based on the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP as
follows:
a. Record the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP, wi
b. Determine the target total weight of the mixture
wi
wt =
⎛ pbnew ⎞
⎜⎝ 1 − ⎟
100 ⎠
where
wt = target total weight
wi = oven dry weight from Step a
Pbnew = % by weight of total mix of new binder in the mixture
c. Add new binder to the bowl to reach wt
8. Pour the WMA additive into the pool of new asphalt binder.
9. Remove the mixing bowl from the scale and mix with a mechanical mixer for 90 sec.
10. Transfer the mixture to a flat shallow pan at an even thickness of 1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm) for
short-term conditioning.
Figure 2 shows a WMA additive being added to a mixture in the laboratory.

Wet Aggregate Mixtures

One WMA process uses cold, wet fine aggregate to produce asphalt concrete at significantly
lower discharge temperatures. In this process, a portion of the total aggregate is added wet. The
coarse aggregate and dry portion of the fine aggregate are mixed with the binder at normal HMA
production temperatures. The percentage of the fine aggregate that will be added wet, the mois-
ture content of that portion of the fine aggregate, and the initial mixing temperature are recom-
mended by the WMA process supplier. An additive is also added to the binder following the steps
described above for Additives Blended in the Binder. In HMA Tools, treat the portion of the fine

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14 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Figure 2. Adding a WMA additive to a mixture

in the laboratory.

aggregate that will be added wet as a separate aggregate. Compute the dry aggregate batch weight
for this aggregate, then the weight of water to add (based on the recommended moisture content),
and then proceed as follows:

1. Add the required moisture to the wet fraction of the aggregate, mix thoroughly, then cover
and let stand for at least 2 hours before mixing with the heated fraction.
2. Heat the aggregate, RAP, binder, and mixing tools to approximately 27°F (15°C) above the
initial mixing temperature. Aggregates may be heated overnight. The asphalt binder and RAP
should be heated the minimum time necessary to reach this target temperature.
3. Place the hot mixing bowl on a scale and zero the scale.
4. Charge the mixing bowl with the heated aggregates and RAP and dry mix thoroughly.
5. Form a crater in the blended aggregate and weigh the required amount of asphalt binder
into the mixture to achieve the desired batch weight. If the aggregates and RAP have been
stored for an extended period of time in a humid environment, then it may be necessary
to adjust the weight of binder based on the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP as
follows:
a. Record the oven dry weight of the heated aggregates and RAP, wi
b. Determine the target total weight of the mixture:

(w i + w dwf )
wt =
⎛ pbnew ⎞
⎜⎝ 1 − ⎟
100 ⎠

where
wt = target total weight
wi = oven dry weight from Step a
wdwf = oven dry weight of the wet fraction from the batch sheet
Pbnew = percent by weight of total mix of new binder in the mixture
c. Determine the target weight of the heated mixture:
w thm = w t − w dwf

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 15

where
wthm = target weight of the heated mixture
wt = target total weight
wdwf = oven dry weight of the wet fraction from the batch sheet
d. Add new binder to the bowl to reach wthm
6. Remove the mixing bowl from the scale and mix with a mechanical mixer for 30 sec.
7. Stop the mixer and immediately add the wet fraction.
8. Restart the mixer and continue to mix for 60 sec.
9. Transfer the mixture to a flat shallow pan at an even thickness of 1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm) for
short-term conditioning.
10. Check the temperature of the mixture in the pan. It should be between 90 and 100°C.

Foamed Asphalt
The preparation of foamed asphalt mixtures requires special asphalt binder foaming equip-
ment that can produce foamed asphalt using the amount of moisture that will be used in field
production. The procedure for preparing foamed asphalt mixtures is as follows:
1. Prepare the asphalt binder foaming equipment and load it with binder per the manufacturer’s
instructions.
2. If a liquid antistrip is required, add it to the binder in the foaming equipment per the manu-
facturer’s instructions.
3. Heat the aggregate, RAP, and mixing tools to approximately 27°F (15°C) above the planned
production temperature. Aggregates may be heated overnight. The asphalt binder and RAP
should be heated the minimum time necessary to reach this target temperature.
4. Prepare the foamed asphalt binder per the instructions for the foaming equipment.
5. Place the hot mixing bowl on a scale and zero the scale.
6. Charge the mixing bowl with the heated aggregates and RAP and dry mix thoroughly.
7. Form a crater in the blended aggregate and add the required amount of foamed asphalt
into the mixture to achieve the desired batch weight. If the aggregates and RAP have been
stored for an extended period of time in a humid environment, then it may be necessary
to adjust the weight of foamed binder based on the oven dry weight of the aggregates and
RAP as follows:
a. Record the oven dry weight of the aggregates and RAP, wi
b. Determine the target total weight of the mixture
wi
wt =
⎛ pbnew ⎞
⎜⎝ 1 − ⎟
100 ⎠

where
wt = target total weight
wi = oven dry weight from Step a
Pbnew = percent by weight of total mix of new binder in the mixture
c. Add foamed binder to the bowl to reach wt
The laboratory foaming equipment uses a timer to control the amount of foamed binder
provided. Make sure the batch size is large enough that the required amount of foamed binder
is within the calibrated range of the foaming device. This may require producing one batch
for the two gyratory specimens and the maximum specific gravity specimen at a given asphalt
content and then splitting the individual samples.
8. Remove the mixing bowl from the scale and mix with a mechanical mixer for 90 sec.

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16 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

9. Transfer the mixture to a flat shallow pan at an even thickness of 1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm) for
short-term conditioning.

Mixture Conditioning Procedures

AASHTO R 30 describes three different procedures for mixture conditioning in a forced draft
oven: (1) mixture conditioning for volumetric mix design; (2) short-term conditioning for
mixture mechanical property testing; and (3) long-term conditioning for mixture mechanical
property testing. The last procedure, long-term conditioning for mixture mechanical property
testing, is generally not used in the design and testing of WMA mixtures and is not addressed
here. WMA mixtures for both volumetric mixture design and mechanical property testing
(performance evaluation) should be conditioned for 2 hours at the planned compaction
temperature. The conditioning should follow AASHTO R 30, using a preheated forced-draft
oven, a mixture thickness of 1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm), and stirring of the mixture after 1 hour.
The conditioning procedure for volumetric mix design is essentially identical for WMA and
HMA, the only difference being in the definition of compaction temperature for the two types
of mixes. Short-term conditioning for performance testing differs in that only 2 hours is required
for WMA mixtures, while 4 hours is required when conditioning HMA. Also, WMA mixtures
for performance testing are conditioned at the planned compaction temperature, whereas
AASHTO R 30 specifies a conditioning temperature of 135°C for HMA mixtures for mechanical
testing.

Compact Laboratory Specimens

WMA specimens are compacted in the same manner as described in Chapter 8 for HMA using
a properly calibrated and maintained Superpave gyratory compactor (see Figure 3). Compact
duplicate specimens in accordance with AASHTO T 312.

Calculate Volumetric Composition of Laboratory Specimens

Volumetric analysis of compacted WMA specimens is the same as described in Chapter 8
for HMA. Recall that the procedure used in this manual sets the binder content at a value that

Figure 3. Compacting a WMA specimen in a

Superpave gyratory compactor.

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 17

will provide the proper VMA once the design air void content is met, and the gradation was
selected to provide an acceptable ratio of dust to effective binder content by mass. Thus the
air void content is the primary volumetric factor used to determine the acceptability of the
trial mixture. Given that the binder content was initially set using an assumed binder absorp-
tion, the effective binder content and VMA of the trial mixture should also be analyzed. The
following equations (which were derived in Chapter 5) are used to perform the volumetric
analysis.

Air Void Content

⎡ ⎛ G ⎞⎤
VA = 100 ⎢1 − ⎜ mb ⎟ ⎥ (2)
⎣ ⎝ Gmm ⎠ ⎦

where
VA = Air void content, volume %
Gmb = Bulk specific gravity of compacted mixture
Gmm = Maximum theoretical specific gravity of loose mixture

Total Binder Content by Volume

PbGmb
VB = (3)
Gb

where
VB = Total asphalt binder content, % by total mix volume
Pb = Total asphalt binder content, % by mix mass
Gmb = Bulk specific gravity of the mixture
Gb = Specific gravity of the asphalt binder

Absorbed Binder by Volume

⎡⎛ P ⎞ ⎛ P ⎞ ⎛ 100 ⎞ ⎤
VBA = Gmb ⎢⎜ b ⎟ + ⎜ s ⎟ − ⎜ ⎟ (4)
⎣⎝ Gb ⎠ ⎝ Gsb ⎠ ⎝ Gmm ⎠ ⎥⎦

where
VBA= Absorbed asphalt content, % by total mixture volume
Gmb = Bulk specific gravity of the mixture
Pb = Total asphalt binder content, % by mix mass
Gb = Specific gravity of the asphalt binder
Ps = Total aggregate content, % by mix mass, equal to 100 − Pb
Gsb = Average bulk specific gravity for the aggregate blend
Gmm = Maximum specific gravity of the mixture

Effective Binder Content by Volume

VBE = VB − VBA (5)

where
VBE = Effective asphalt content, % by total mixture volume
VB = Asphalt binder content, % by mix volume
VBA = Absorbed asphalt content, % by total mixture volume

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18 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Effective Binder Content by Mass

⎛ VBE ⎞
Pbe = Pb ⎜
⎝ VB ⎟⎠
(6)

where
Pbe = Effective asphalt binder content, % by total mass
Pb = Asphalt binder content, % by total mass
VBE = Effective asphalt binder content, % by total mixture volume
VB = Asphalt binder content, % by mix volume

Voids in Mineral Aggregate

VMA = VA + VBE (7)

where
VMA = Voids in the mineral aggregate, % by total mixture volume
VA = Air void content, % by total mix volume
VBE = Effective binder content, % by total mixture volume

Dust Proportion
P
D B = 0.075 (8)
Pbe

where
D/B = dust/binder ratio, calculated using effective binder content
P0.075 = mineral dust content, % by total mix weight
Pbe = effective binder content, % by total mix weight
HMA Tools performs the volumetric analysis using data on the bulk and maximum specific
gravity of the trial mixture. The design procedure in this manual provides acceptable ranges for
three volumetric factors: (1) air void content, (2) VMA, and (3) dust proportion. The acceptable
ranges are summarized in Table 13. These are the same ranges used for the design of HMA.

Adjust Aggregate Proportions to Meet Volumetric Requirements

Adjusting WMA mixtures to meet volumetric requirements is the same as discussed in
Chapter 8 for HMA. The procedure presented in this manual is designed to provide accept-

Table 13. Acceptable range for volumetric factors.

Aggregate VMAA Air Voids Dust ProportionB

NMAS Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
(mm) (%) (%) (%) (%)
4.75 16.0 18.0 3.5 4.5 0.9 2.0
9.5 15.0 17.0 3.5 4.5 0.8 1.6
12.5 14.0 16.0 3.5 4.5 0.8 1.6
19.0 13.0 15.0 3.5 4.5 0.8 1.6
25.0 12.0 14.0 3.5 4.5 0.8 1.6
37.5 11.0 13.0 3.5 4.5 0.8 1.6
A
The specifying agency may increase the minimum and maximum values for VMA by up to 1.0% to obtain
mixtures with increased asphalt binder content, which can improve field compaction, fatigue resistance, and general
durability. Care should be taken to ensure that the resulting HMA mixtures maintain adequate rut resistance for
their intended application.
B
The specifying agency may lower the allowable range for dust/binder ratio to 0.6 to 1.2 for NMAS mixtures of 9.5
mm and greater if warranted by local conditions and materials. The dust/binder ratio should, however, not be
lowered if VMA requirements are increased using Note A above.

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 19

able volumetric properties when specimens of the trial mixture meet the design air void
content. After preparing trial specimens, it may be necessary to make minor adjustments
to the binder content to account for differences between the assumed and actual binder
absorption. If the air voids of the trial specimens are more than a few tenths of a percent out-
side the design range, then the aggregate gradation should be adjusted to change the VMA of
the mixture. The general rule for adjusting aggregate blends to meet VMA requirements is
that the closer an aggregate gradation is to a maximum density gradation, the lower will be
its VMA.

Evaluate Coating and Compactability

The viscosity-based mixing and compaction temperatures used in the design of HMA can-
not be used with the wide range of WMA processes currently available. For WMA, the design
procedure, therefore, includes an evaluation of coating at the planned production temperature
and an evaluation of compactability at the planned compaction temperature. The sections that
follow describe these evaluations.

Coating
Coating is evaluated at the planned production temperature by preparing loose mix of the
design mixture following the specimen fabrication procedures presented earlier and evaluating
the coating of the coarse aggregate particles using AASHTO T 195, Standard Method of Test for
Determining Degree of Particle Coating of Bituminous-Aggregate Mixtures. This test method
consists of separating out the coarse aggregates of the mixture and determining the percentage
of the coarse aggregate particles that are fully coated. The recommended criterion is 95% of the
coarse aggregates fully coated. It should be noted that this criterion and the mixing times given
earlier were developed using a planetary mixer with a wire whip. Bucket mixers are not as effi-
cient as planetary mixers; therefore, laboratory mixing times may need to be increased if a bucket
mixer is used.

Compactability
Compactability is evaluated by compacting two specimens at the planned compaction
temperature and two specimens at 30°C below the planned compaction temperature. The num-
ber of gyrations required to reach 8% air voids is determined for both sets of specimens. It is
recommended that the increase in gyrations to 8% air voids between the planned compaction
temperature and 30°C below the planned compaction temperature should be less than 25% of
the number of gyrations at the planned compaction temperature. The procedure is described in
detail below:
1. Prepare a sufficient quantity of the design mixture for four gyratory specimens and
one maximum specific gravity measurement using the appropriate WMA fabrication
procedure.
2. Determine the theoretical maximum specific gravity (Gmm) according to AASHTO T 209.
3. Compact duplicate specimens at the planned compaction temperature to Ndesign gyrations in
accordance with AASHTO T 312. Record the specimen height for each gyration.
4. Determine the bulk specific gravity of each specimen in accordance with AASHTO T 166.
5. Allow the mixture to cool to 30°C below the compaction temperature. Compact duplicate
specimens to Ndesign gyrations in accordance with AASHTO T 312. Record the specimen
height for each gyration
6. Determine the bulk specific gravity of each specimen in accordance with AASHTO T 166.
7. For each specimen determine the height at a relative density of 92.0% using Equation 9.

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20 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

⎛ %Gmmd ⎞
h92 = hd ⎜
⎝ 92 ⎟⎠
(9)

where
h92 = height at a relative density of 92%
hd = height at Ndesign, as measured by the gyratory compactor
%Gmmd = relative density at Ndesign
8. For each specimen, determine the number of gyrations to reach 92% relative density. This
can be done by looking at the output from the gyratory compactor giving specimen height
as a function of gyrations—simply find the number of gyrations at a height where the rela-
tive density is 92%, h92 as determined in Step 7 above.
9. Determine the gyration ratio using Equation 10.

( N 92 )T −30
Ratio = (10)
( N 92 )T
where
Ratio = gyration ratio
(N92)T-30 = gyrations to 92% relative density at 30°C below the planned compaction
temperature.
(N92)T = gyrations to 92% relative density at the planned compaction temperature
10. The compactability is acceptable if the gyration ratio is less than 1.25.

Conduct Performance Testing

Like HMA, the final stage of laboratory work in a WMA design is evaluating the performance
of the mixture. Performance evaluation for WMA is the same as HMA and includes evaluation
of the resistance to moisture damage for all mixtures and evaluation of rutting resistance for mix-
tures designed for traffic levels of 3 million ESALs and higher. As discussed above, the primary
difference between WMA and HMA is in mixture conditioning—HMA mixtures are condi-
tioned for 4 hours at 135°C, whereas WMA mixtures for performance testing are conditioned at
the planned compaction temperature for 2 hours. Otherwise, the procedure for short-term con-
ditioning for mixture mechanical testing as described in AASHTO R 30 should be followed when
preparing WMA specimens for performance testing.
The resistance to moisture damage is evaluated using AASHTO T 283, Resistance of Com-
pacted Asphalt Mixture to Moisture-Induced Damage. Like HMA, WMA mixtures have accept-
able resistance to moisture damage if the tensile strength ratio is equal to or greater than 80%
and there is no visual evidence of stripping in the conditioned test specimens. When redesign-
ing an existing HMA mixture using a WMA process that does not include an antistrip additive,
it is not uncommon to find that the WMA mixture is less resistant to moisture damage. For these
mixtures, the use of hydrated lime or an antistrip additive will usually provide acceptable results.
Many WMA processes include an antistrip additive. For these processes, consult the process sup-
plier for recommendations to improve resistance to moisture damage if unacceptable results are
obtained at normal WMA additive dosage rates.
The rutting resistance of WMA is evaluated for mixtures designed for 3 million ESALs and
higher using the flow number test, AASHTO TP 79, Determining the Dynamic Modulus and Flow
Number of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT).
The same testing conditions used for HMA are used with WMA.

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 21

Table 14. Flow number

criteria for WMA mixtures.
Traffic Level, Minimum Flow
Million ESALs Number
<3 NA
3 to < 10 30
10 to < 30 105
30 415

1. Specimens compacted to 7.0 ± 0.5% air voids,

2. Test temperature equal to the 50% reliability, 7-day maximum pavement temperature as
determined using LTPPBind version 3.1. For surface courses, compute the test temperature
at a depth of 20 mm. For intermediate and base courses, compute the test temperature at the
top of the layer.
3. Unconfined testing with a repeated deviator stress of 87 psi (600 kPa) and a contact deviator
stress of 4.4 psi (30 kPa).
Lower criteria are used for WMA compared with HMA because of the reduced short-term con-
ditioning. Recall that HMA used in making specimens for performance testing is conditioned for
4 hours at 275°F (135°C) while WMA used for making specimens for performance testing is con-
ditioned for only 2 hours at the planned compaction temperature, which is usually lower than 275°F
(135°C). The shorter conditioning time and lower condition temperature result in less aging for the
binder in the WMA specimens. The WMA flow number criteria are listed in Table 14.
The rutting resistance of WMA mixtures can be improved using the same adjustments
described in Chapter 8 for HMA. These include
• Increasing the binder high-temperature grade
• Adding RAP to the mixture
• If the binder is not modified, considering using a polymer-modified binder of the same grade
or one high-temperature grade lower
• If the binder is polymer-modified, trying a different type of modified binder
• Increasing the amount of mineral filler in the mix and adjusting the aggregate gradation if
necessary to maintain adequate VMA
• Decreasing the design VMA value, if possible, by adjusting the aggregate gradation
• Replacing part or all of the aggregate (fine or coarse or both) with a material or materials having
improved angularity
If a different asphalt binder is used in the mix, the volumetric composition should not
change. However, if other aspects of the mix design are changed, the volumetric composition
might change significantly which will require further refinement of the mix prior to further
rut resistance testing.

Step 11. Compile Mix Design Report

The mix design report is compiled in the same manner as described for HMA. In many states,
standard forms must be filled out by producers and submitted to the appropriate state agency
or office for approval. In some cases, engineers or technicians may wish to develop their own
mix design reports, for internal purposes or for use on private jobs. In such cases, the following
information should be included in the report:
• The organization that performed the mix design
• The name of the technician or engineer responsible for developing the mix design

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22 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

• The date the mix design was completed

• The name of the client for which the mix design was developed
• The name of the project for which the mix design was developed (if applicable)
• General mix design information, including the type of mix (surface course, intermediate
course, base course), the nominal maximum aggregate size, the design traffic level, the Ndesign
value, and any special requirements
• Complete aggregate information, including for each aggregate the producer, the size designation
of the aggregate, gradation, specific gravity, and all applicable specification properties
• Binder information, including the binder PG grade and the name of the supplier
• Composition of the mixture, including the design air void content, the design VMA, the
design VBE, the mineral filler content, the target dust/binder ratio and the estimated unit
weight for the mix
• The planned production and compaction temperatures
• The results of the evaluation of coating
• The results of the compactability analysis
• The results of moisture resistance testing
• The results of rut resistance testing, if applicable (generally for mixtures designed for traffic
levels of 3 million ESALs and over)
HMA Tools includes a comprehensive mix design report that contains all of this information
and additional information on the results of trial mixtures evaluated during the mix design
process. This HMA Tools report might be useful to some engineers and technicians for internal
purposes and might also serve as a template for those wishing to develop their own customized
mix design reports.

Example WMA Mix Design

A 12.5-mm WMA mix is to be designed, using a foaming process. The gradation of the aggregates
to be used is listed in Table 15; the table includes the gradation of the RAP to be included in the
mix design. Other test properties for the four aggregates are listed in Table 16. The RAP was
separated into fine and coarse fractions for testing, and the results are also included in Table 16.
The specified binder grade is PG 64-22, while the grade of the binder extracted from the RAP is
PG 76-16. Binder test data are given in Table 17. The binder content of the RAP is 5.2% by total
weight. The design traffic level is 6 million ESALs.
Referring to Table 1, the steps in a WMA mix design are as follows:
1. Gather information
2. Select asphalt binder

Table 15. Aggregate gradations for WMA example.

% Passing by Weight
Sieve No. 67
Size Stone 1B Stone Screenings Sand RAP
(mm)
19.000 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
12.500 72.0 91.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
9.500 48.0 48.0 100.0 100.0 95.0
4.750 8.0 10.0 81.0 100.0 76.0
2.360 6.0 5.0 45.0 91.0 56.0
1.180 4.0 3.0 30.0 48.0 42.0
0.600 4.0 3.0 20.0 36.0 28.0
0.300 3.0 3.0 16.0 21.0 19.0
0.150 3.0 2.8 8.0 12.0 14.0
0.075 2.6 2.2 5.8 7.1 11.4

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 23

Table 16. Aggregate test properties for WMA example.

No. 67 1B RAP, RAP,
Property Stone stone Screenings Sand Fine Coarse

Bulk Specific Gravity 2.635 2.639 2.771 2.630 2.631 2.605

Apparent Specific 2.699 2.702 2.856 2.760 2.682 2.694
Gravity
Water Absorption 0.90 0.88 1.07 1.79 0.72 1.27
CAFF, One Fractured 96.0 96.0 N/A N/A N/A 100.0
Face, %
CAFF, Two Fractured 91.0 93.0 N/A N/A N/A 95.0
Faces, %
Flat & Elongated, % 0.8 0.0 N/A N/A N/A 1.5
FAA, Uncompacted N/A N/A 48.0 43.0 44.2 N/A
Voids
Sand Equivalent N/A N/A 58.0 89.0 N/A N/A

Table 17. Binder properties for WMA example.

Property PG 64-22 Binder RAP Binder
Specific Gravity 1.030 1.030
Continuous high-temperature grade, °C 59.0 81.4
Continuous intermediate-temperature grade, °C 13.0 27.4
Continuous low-temperature grade, °C -30.1 -19.7

3. Determine compaction level

4. Select nominal maximum aggregate size
5. Determine target VMA and air voids values
6. Calculate target binder content
7. Calculate aggregate content
8. Proportion aggregate blends for trial mixtures
9. Calculate trial mix proportions by weight and check dust/binder ratio
10. Evaluate and refine trial mixtures
11. Compile mix design report
In this example, much of Steps 1, 2, and 4 have been completed and the pertinent infor-
mation listed above. The purpose of this example is to illustrate those parts of the mix design
process that differ from normal HMA mix design as outlined in Chapter 8 of this manual.
Therefore, those steps in the mix design that do not differ from standard HMA mix design
practice are not discussed in detail in this example; readers uncertain of these steps should
review Chapter 8.
One of the important differences in the WMA mix design process is the limits on production
and compaction temperatures. In this case, these limits have been established by the producer:
132°C for production and 124°C for compaction. In order to ensure proper compaction, the
high-temperature grade of the RAP binder (81.4°C) must be less than the specified WMA com-
paction temperature—124°C in this case, so the RAP binder is acceptable. The mix design in this
example requires the use of two liquid additives in the mix design: an antistrip additive and a
recycling agent. The antistrip additive has a specific gravity of 1.030 and is to be added at 0.50%
by binder weight. The recycling additive has a specific gravity of 1.020 and is to be added at 1.00%
by total mix weight.
After entering the binder grading data in HMA Tools, the blended binder grade is given as a
PG 64-22, with an intermediate grading temperature of 25°C. This meets the specified require-
ment. Note that HMA Tools includes the low-temperature grade adjustment as described in

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24 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 18. Aggregate

proportions of WMA example.
Aggregate Wt. % in
Aggregate Blend
No. 67 Stone 20
1B Stone 25
Screenings 10
Manufactured Sand 15
RAP (aggregate only) 30

Table 3. Details on the calculations used to estimate blended binder grades for HMA and WMA
containing RAP are given in AASHTO M 323.
At a traffic level of 6 million ESALs, Ndesign is 100 gyrations (Table 8-2). Given the NMAS
of 12.5 mm, the minimum VMA is 15.0% and the maximum 17.0%; therefore, a target VMA
of 16.0% is selected. A target air void content of 4.0% is also selected for the mix design. For
this example, an aggregate gradation somewhat below maximum density is selected, with
aggregate proportions as shown in Table 18. Calculation of the volumetric composition for
the trial blend is complicated by the use of liquid additives. The suggested procedure involves
working through the known composition by volume, and then working back and forth
between weight and volume calculations until the total binder volume and weight can be
calculated. Then, the weights of the additives can be calculated. The various steps are shown
in Table 19.
The volume compositions in Table 19 are given in percents, which are equivalent to cm3 per
100 cm3 total volume. The weights are then calculated simply by multiplying this volume by the
appropriate specific gravity. (Note that the component weights are not percentages but are in units

Table 19. Calculation of volume percentages and weights

for WMA example.

Step Calculation Formula Result

1. VMA Given 16.00
2. Volume % of air voids (VA) Given 4.00
3. Binder effective volume % (VBE) VBE=VMA–VA 12.00
4. Volume % of aggregate (VS) VS=100 VMA 84.00
5. Weight of aggregate (Ps), g/100 cm3 Ps = VS Gsb 222.06
6. Weight of RAP aggregate (Psr), Psr = Ps % RAP in 66.62
g/100 cm3 Aggregate Blend
7. Weight of RAP binder (Pbr), Pbr = Psr RAP binder 3.46
g/100 cm3 content
8. Volume % RAP binder (VBR) VBR=Pbr/RAP binder 3.36
specific gravity
9. Volume % of effective new binder and VBEN=VBE−VBR 8.64
liquid additives (VBEN)
10. Approximate weight of effective new Pben=VBA/specific gravity 8.86
binder and liquid additives (Pben), of new binder
g/100 cm3
11. Weight of absorbed binder (Pba), Pba=Ps water absorption 1.09
g/100 cm3 of aggregate 0.45
12. Weight of new binder, RAP binder and Pb=Pbr+Pben+Pba 13.42
liquid additives (Pb), g/100 cm3
13. Total weight of mix (Ptot), g/100 cm3 Sum all weights 235.47
14. Weight of antistrip additive, g/100 cm3 = (0.50/100) Pb 0.066
15. Weight of recycling additive, g/100 cm3 = (1.0/100) Ptot 2.309
16. Weight % of various components =Wt. in g/100 cm3 / Ptot Varies
100 %

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 25

of g/100 cm3 volume.) In the final step (Step 16), these weights are converted to percentages by divid-
ing by the total mix weight and multiplying by 100%. In order to simplify calculations, the volume
and weight of new binder and liquid additives are lumped together and assumed to have the same
specific gravity—that of the new binder. Because the amount of liquid additives should be very small
and their specific gravity values close to that of the binder, the error in this assumption is quite small.
Note that in the calculation of absorbed asphalt (Step 11), the water absorption is multiplied
by 0.45 to estimate the asphalt binder absorption; in HMA designs, water absorption is mul-
tiplied by 0.50 rather than 0.45. The last step in this procedure is calculation of composition
in weight percent, which is done by dividing the weight of the various components by the
total mix weight. The final volumetric composition of the trial mixture is summarized
in Table 20. Although this procedure appears complicated, it can be performed using HMA
Tools (or other similar spreadsheet programs), simplifying the calculations and reducing the
chance for errors.
In preparing laboratory specimens, parts of the procedure are similar to those for HMA
practice. Batch weights are calculated in the same way. Because this is a foamed asphalt, a
laboratory foaming unit is used to foam the binder (with antistrip additive) prior to mix-
ing it with the hot aggregate and RAP. In this case, the recycling additive is added to the hot
aggregate and RAP and mixed for a few seconds prior to the addition of the foamed asphalt
binder. The mixed WMA is short-term oven conditioned for 2 hours at the planned com-
paction temperature, 124°C. It is then compacted in the Superpave gyratory compactor for
100 gyrations.
Provided the volumetrics of the trial mix are acceptable, the WMA, just as for HMA, must be
evaluated for moisture resistance according to AASHTO T 283. However, the WMA must also be
evaluated for coating and compactability. For the particle coating test (ASTM T 195), some of the
freshly mixed WMA is set aside and spread out on a metal pan to cool. The coarse aggregate par-
ticles are then separated out and the degree of coating determined. The number of completely
coated, partially coated, and uncoated particles is counted. In this case, there are 145 completely
coated particles, 6 particles that are partially coated, and none that are completely uncoated. The
percentage of coated particles is then 145/(145 + 6) × 100% = 96%. Since this is greater than 95%,
this WMA passes the coating test.
Calculations for the compactability test are shown in Table 21. As explained previously,
four specimens are compacted—two at the planned compaction temperature of 124°C and
two at a temperature 30°C below this, 94°C. Then, the relative density and height and Ndesign are

Table 20. WMA mix composition by weight

percentage from volume percentage and specific
gravity values.
Percent by Bulk Percent by Percent by
Total Mix Specific Aggregate Total Mix
Mix Component Volume Gravity Weight Weight

Air 4.00 --- --- ---

New Asphalt Binder 7.34 1.026 --- 3.19
RAP Asphalt Binder 3.37 1.030 --- 1.47
Liquid Antistrip Additive 0.066 1.020 --- 0.028
Recycling Additive 2.31 1.030 --- 1.00
No. 67 Stone 16.67 2.635 20 18.86
1B Stone 20.81 2.639 25 23.58
Screenings 7.90 2.771 10 9.43
Manufactured Sand 12.36 2.630 15 14.15
RAP Aggregate 25.13 2.619 30 28.29
Note: Calculations may not agree exactly because of rounding.

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26 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 21. Calculation of gyration ratio for compactability test.

124 C 94 C
Property Specimen 1 Specimen 2 Specimen 3 Specimen 4
Density @ Ndesign 96.0 95.9 96.1 96.0
Height @ Ndesign, mm 116.7 115.3 114.1 113.0
Height @ Relative Density = 121.8 120.2 119.2 117.9
92%
Gyrations at 92% Relative 33 38 42 39
Density
Gyration Ratio 1.14 < 1.25 Pass

determined for each specimen. Then, Equation 9 is used to calculate the height at a relative den-
sity of 92%. The gyratory output files are then examined to determine the number of gyrations
required to reach a relative density of 92%, N92. The gyration ratio is then calculated as the ratio
of N92 at TC-30/TC:

( 42 + 39)
Gyration Ratio = 2 = 1.14 (11)
(33 + 38)
2

In this example, the gyration ratio is 1.14, which is below the maximum allowable value of
1.25 so the mix passes this test.
Because the design traffic level in this case—6 million ESALs—is greater than or equal
to 3 million ESALs, performance testing using the AMPT is required as a final step in the
mix design. After short-term oven conditioning for 2 hours at 116°C, two gyratory specimens
are prepared and tested for flow number. In this example, the 7-day maximum pavement
temperature at a depth of 20 mm and at 50% reliability is determined to be 58.5°C. The
two specimens are tested at this temperature and produce flow number values of 27 and
29, giving an average value of 28. Unfortunately, this is below the minimum required value
of 30 (Table 14). The mix must be adjusted to provide better rut resistance. A second
trial mix design is made, increasing the RAP content from 30% to 40%; given that the
asphalt binder in RAP is relatively stiff, this should increase the rut resistance of the mix. The
resulting mix meets all requirements for volumetric composition, moisture resistance,
coating, and compactability. Performance testing results in an average flow number of 33,
meeting the minimum requirements. The laboratory mix design is completed and a report
prepared.

A Note on Using HMA Tools to Perform WMA Mix Designs

HMA Tools has several features designed specifically for use in designing WMA. In work-
sheet “General,” there is a section for entering information generally required for WMA, such
as production and compaction temperature, and whether or not to allow adjustment in the
low-temperature grade of the virgin binder. If allowed, HMA Tools will make this adjustment
automatically. There is also a worksheet for recording data from the two mixture tests
required for WMA—the coating and compactability tests. The worksheet on liquid additives,
although not exclusively for use in designing WMA, allows for rigorous inclusion of such
materials in the volumetric analyses performed in HMA Tools.

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I. Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) 27

References
AASHTO Standards
M 320, Standard Specification for Performance-Graded Asphalt Binder
R 30, Mixture Conditioning of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA)
T 166, Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted Asphalt Mixtures Using Saturated Surface-Dry Specimens
T 209, Theoretical Maximum Specification Gravity and Density of Bituminous Paving Mixtures
T 283, Resistance of Compacted Asphalt Mixture to Moisture-Induced Damage
T 312, Preparing and Determining the Density of Hot-Mix Asphalt Specimens by Means of the Superpave Gyra-
tory Compactor
TP79, Determining the Dynamic Modulus and Flow Number of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Using the Asphalt
Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT)

Other Publications
Bonaquist, R., “Mix Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt,” NCHRP Report 691, National Cooperative
Highway Research Program, Washington, D.C., 2011.
Christensen, D. W., “A Manual for the Design of Hot Mix Asphalt with Commentary,” NCHRP Report 673,
National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Washington, D.C., 2010.
Prowell, B. D., and Hurley, G. C., “Warm-Mix Asphalt: Best Practices,” Quality Improvement Series 125, National
Asphalt Pavement Association, Lanham, MD, 2007.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture

Design Considerations and Methods
for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA)
Part I of this report describes recommended procedures for designing dense-graded, asphalt
concrete mixtures that will be produced using any one of several currently available WMA
processes. These WMA mix design recommendations are based on research conducted in
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 9-43, “Mix Design Practices
for Warm Mix Asphalt,” which concluded that only minor modification of current mix design
practice is needed to address WMA. Although the procedures described have been specifically
selected for use in designing dense-graded mixtures, most can be applied to the design of other
mix types with little or no modification.
The following sections of this Part II of the report are a commentary that presents supporting
information from the NCHRP 9-43 research report for the recommendations included in Part I.
Many of these sections also include recommended additional research, because NCHRP Project
9-43 was the first major study addressing WMA mixture design, and some of the findings require
further validation through additional research. Both Parts I and II are organized around the eleven
steps described in Chapter 8 of NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for the Design of Hot Mix Asphalt
with Commentary for the design of dense-graded HMA. Table 1 summarizes the differences
between WMA and HMA design for each of the eleven steps.

Step 1. Gather Information

For the design of WMA, additional information must be collected on the WMA process that
will be used, additive rates, and planned production and compaction temperatures. The reason
that this information is needed is the design of WMA uses process-specific specimen fabrication
procedures. These specimen fabrication procedures were designed to simulate, in an approxi-
mate manner, the WMA process in the field. For the purposes of mixture design, the various
WMA processes can be grouped into four generic categories:

1. Additives blended into the binder,

2. Additives added to the mixture,
3. Wet aggregate mixtures, and
4. Foamed asphalt.

Specimen fabrication techniques are somewhat different for each of these categories. Given that
viscosity-based mixing and compaction temperatures are not applicable to many WMA processes,
the planned production and compaction temperatures are used in the WMA mixture design process
to evaluate coating and the compactability/workability of the WMA. It should be emphasized that
the optimal production and compaction temperatures are different for the various WMA processes
and should be carefully considered when selecting production and compaction temperatures to be
used in the WMA design process.
C-1

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C-2 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 1. Steps in design of dense-graded HMA and WMA.

Step Description Major WMA Differences
1 Gather Information 1. WMA process,
2. Additive rates,
3. Planned production temperature,
4. Planned compaction temperature.
2 Select Asphalt Binder 1. Recommended limit on high-temperature
stiffness of recycled binders.
2. May consider low-temperature grade
improvement when using blending charts.
3 Determine Compaction Level Same as HMA
4 Select Nominal Maximum Same as HMA
Aggregate Size
5 Determine Target VMA and Same as HMA
Design Air Voids Value
6 Calculate Target Binder Content 1. Lower asphalt absorption due to lower
temperatures.
7 Calculate Aggregate Volume Same as HMA
8 Proportion Aggregate Blends for Same as HMA
Trial Mixtures
9 Calculate Trial Mixture Same as HMA
Proportions by Weight and Check
Dust/Binder Ratio
1. WMA process-specific specimen fabrication
procedures,
10 Evaluate and Refine Trial 2. Lower short-term aging temperature.
Mixtures 3. Evaluate coating and compactability in lieu of
viscosity-based mixing and compaction
temperatures.
11 Compile Mix Design Report Same as HMA

Step 2. Select Asphalt Binder

Performance Grade
The same grade of binder should be used with WMA and HMA designed for the same envi-
ronmental and traffic conditions. This recommendation is based on recovered binder grading
data collected during NCHRP Project 9-43. These data showed only small differences in the
grade of the binder for WMA and HMA sections. Table 2 summarizes the recovered binder
data from NCHRP Project 9-43. Table 3 presents average differences in the continuous grade
between HMA and WMA. Excluding Sasobit, which increases the high-temperature grade of
the binder, an approximately 50°F (28°C) reduction in production temperature resulted in a
small average decrease in the high-temperature grade of −0.2°C, while an approximately 100°F
(56°C) reduction in production temperature resulted in approximately a one-half grade decrease
for one low energy asphalt (LEA) project. For the low-temperature grade, again excluding Sasobit,
an approximately 50°F (28°C) reduction in production temperature resulted in an average
improvement in the low-temperature grade of the binder of 1.5°C, while an approximately
100°F (56°C) reduction in production temperature resulted in 2.9°C improvement for one
LEA project.
The differences in the high- and low-temperature binder properties between WMA
and HMA are not large enough to warrant changing the grade of the binder when WMA is
used. For WMA processes with very low production temperatures, it may be necessary to
increase the high-temperature performance grade of the binder to meet rutting resistance
requirements. Additional recovered binder grade data should be collected and analyzed to
verify the conclusion from NCHRP Project 9-43 that binder grade changes are not necessary
for WMA.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-3

Table 2. Summary of continuous grading of

recovered binders.
Production Continuous Grade Temperature, C
Project Process Temperature,
High Intermediate Low
F
Specified NA 58.0 19.0 -28.0
Control 280 59.3 14.2 -30.6
Colorado I-70 Advera 250 60.0 13.7 -31.6
Evotherm 250 61.3 14.1 -31.1
Sasobit 250 63.9 15.1 -29.9
Specified NA 58.0 16.0 -34.0
Yellowstone Control 325 60.0 11.1 -34.1
National Park Advera 275 56.3 8.9 -36.2
Sasobit 275 60.7 10.1 -35.6
New York Specified NA 64.0 22.0 -28.0
Route 11 LEA 210 60.5 14.0 -31.1
Specified NA 64.0 25.0 -22.0
Pennsylvania
Control 320 67.7 22.0 -24.6
SR2007
Evotherm 250 67.2 22.0 -24.9
Specified NA 64.0 25.0 -22.0
Control 310 66.6 24.1 -22.5
Pennsylvania Advera 250 67.0 22.9 -24.1
SR2006 Gencor 250 67.5 21.7 -25.7
LEA 210 63.2 21.6 -25.4
Sasobit 250 72.9 23.3 -22.5
Monroe, North Specified NA 70.0 28.0 -22.0
Carolina Astec 275 71.5 23.7 -23.9

Maximum RAP Stiffness

Research completed in NCHRP Project 9-43 found that recycled asphalt pavement (RAP)
binders and new binders do mix at WMA process temperatures. Therefore, it is appropriate to
design WMA mixtures containing RAP in the same manner as HMA, accounting for the contri-
bution of the RAP binder to the total binder content of the mixture. From the research com-
pleted in NCHRP Project 9-43, the RAP and new binders continue to mix while the mix is held
at elevated temperature. To ensure that adequate mixing of RAP and new binders occurs, a limit
is placed on the maximum stiffness of RAP binders for WMA. That limit is based on the com-
paction temperature of the mixture given that this temperature will govern the temperature of
the mix during storage and transport. The RAP binder should have a high-temperature grade
that is less than the compaction temperature for the WMA.
This limit will have little effect on the use of RAP in WMA. RAP binders typically range from
PG 82 to PG 100, resulting in corresponding minimum WMA compaction temperatures ranging

Table 3. Summary of average differences in continuous

grade temperatures for WMA compared to HMA.
Average Average Difference in Continuous Grade
Difference in Temperature, C
Process Number Production
Temperature, High Intermediate Low
F
Advera 3 -46.7 -0.9 -1.3 -1.6
Evotherm 2 -50.0 0.8 0.0 -0.4
LEA 1 -100.0 -3.4 -2.5 -2.9
Plant Foaming 1 -60.0 0.9 -2.4 -3.2
Sasobit 3 -46.7 3.9 -0.3 -0.3

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C-4 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

from 180 to 212°F (82 to 100°C). The limit will, however, restrict the use of recycled asphalt shin-
gles (RAS) in WMA. RAS binders have high-temperature grades exceeding 125°C, limiting the
use of these binders in WMA to the highest temperature WMA processes.
NCHRP Project 9-43 included a laboratory mixing study where WMA and HMA mixtures
incorporating RAP were prepared in the laboratory and stored for various lengths of time at the
compaction temperature. The degree of mixing of the RAP and new binders was evaluated by
comparing dynamic moduli measured on mixture samples with dynamic moduli estimated
using the properties of the binder recovered from the mixture samples. The dynamic modulus
test is very sensitive to the stiffness of the binder in the mixture, and adding RAP increases the
dynamic modulus significantly when the RAP is properly mixed with the new materials. The
measured dynamic modulus values represent the as-mixed condition. The dynamic modulus for
the fully blended condition was estimated using the Hirsch model from the shear modulus of
binder recovered from the dynamic modulus specimens. If the measured and estimated dynamic
moduli are the same, there is good mixing of the RAP and new binders.
The findings of the laboratory mixing experiment are shown in Figure 1. At conditioning times
of 0.5 and 1.0 hours, there is little blending of the new and recycled binders. For all processes and
temperatures, the ratios of the measured to estimated fully blended moduli ranges from about
0.35 to 0.55. At the 2-hour conditioning time, the ratios of the measured to estimated fully blended
moduli reach values approaching 1.0 for the Control HMA, Advera WMA, and Sasobit WMA. The
effect of temperature is also evident for these processes, with the higher conditioning temperature
resulting in somewhat improved blending. The ratios of the measured to estimated fully blended
moduli for the Evotherm WMA remained low, even at the 2-hour conditioning time. This suggests
that either the particular form of Evotherm used in this study retards the mixing of the new and recy-
cled binders or that the extraction and recovery process stiffened the Evotherm modified binder.
Further evidence of the mixing of new and RAP binders at WMA process temperatures was
obtained from a mixture design study completed in NCHRP Project 9-43. In this study, six mix-
tures were designed as HMA and as WMA and various volumetric and engineering properties
were compared. Three of the mixtures included RAP. Table 4 summarizes the optimum binder

Control 255 Control 230 Advera 230 Advera 212

Evotherm 230 Evotherm 212 Sasobit 230 Sasobit 212

1.20
Average Ratio of Measured Modulus to
Estimated Fully Blended Modulus

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Conditioning Time, Hours

Figure 1. Comparison of the ratios of measured to fully blended

dynamic moduli.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-5

Table 4. Optimum binder contents for RAP mixtures

from the NCHRP 9-43 mixture design study.
Advera Evotherm Sasobit
Mixture HMA
WMA WMA WMA
50 gyrations, 25% RAP 6.4 6.5 6.1 6.3
75 gyrations, 25% RAP 5.5 5.3 5.2 5.3
100 gyrations, 25% RAP 6.0 6.1 5.8 6.2

content for the three mixtures containing RAP. As shown, the optimum binder content is the same
or lower for the WMA compared to the HMA, further supporting the conclusion that RAP and
new binders do mix at WMA process temperatures. In this study, the Evotherm mixtures do not
have higher optimum binder contents than the HMA or the other WMA processes, suggesting that
the RAP and new binder do mix in Evotherm mixtures and that the differences shown in Figure 15
for this process are due to the extraction and recovery process used in the mixing study.
Plant mixing studies similar to the NCHRP 9-43 laboratory mixing study are needed to con-
firm that RAP and new binders mix at WMA process temperatures for field conditions. NCHRP
Project 9-43 included one field project that used 30% RAP, the Astec Double Barrel Green WMA
process, and mixing and compaction temperatures 275 and 260°F (135 and 127°C). For this
project, the mixing analysis showed good mixing of the RAP and new binders. Additional stud-
ies of this type are needed.

Blending Chart Analysis

The NCHRP Project 9-43 recovered binder data (shown in Table 29) confirmed that binders
from WMA mixtures have improved low-temperature properties, probably due to the lesser
amount of aging that occurs during production. Although the improvement in low-temperature
properties is not large enough to warrant changing the low-temperature grade, the improvement
is large enough to affect the amount of RAP that can be added to a mixture when blending chart
analyses are used.
NCHRP Project 9-43 included a binder grade study where the Rolling Thin Film Oven Test
(RTFOT) was used to simulate the effect on binder properties of changes in production temper-
atures. Figure 2 shows that there appears to be a weak relationship between the rate of change
in low-temperature grade with RTFOT temperature and the low-temperature grade of the
binder. Binders with better low-temperature properties tend to show more improvement in low-
temperature properties when the RTFOT temperature is decreased. For the binders tested,
decreasing the production temperature by 95°F (53°C) only improved the low-temperature
grade of the binder by 1 to 2°C which is only 1/6th to 1/3rd of a grade level. As discussed earlier
this change is not sufficient to warrant changing the low-temperature grade for WMA mixtures;
however, this low-temperature grade improvement can be significant when considering mix-
tures incorporating recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). When RAP blending charts are used, the
low-temperature continuous grade of the binder changes approximately 0.6°C for every 10% of
the total binder in the mixture replaced with RAP binder. Thus, improving the low-temperature
properties of the virgin binder in the mixture 0.6°C by lowering the production temperature will
allow 10% additional RAP binder to be added to the mixture.
Using the relationship shown in Figure 16, for the middle of the low-temperature binder grade
temperature range, recommended improvements in virgin binder low-temperature continuous
grades for RAP blending chart analysis were developed as a function of WMA production temper-
ature for mixtures incorporating PG XX-16, PG XX-22, and PG XX-28. These recommended
improvements are summarized in Table 5 for some common binder grades. For a mixture

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C-6 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

0.045

Rate of Change of Low Temperature Grade

0.040

With RTFOT Temperature, oC/oC

0.035
y = -0.0019x - 0.024
0.030 2
R = 0.52

0.025

0.020

0.015

0.010

0.005

0.000
-34.0 -28.0 -22.0 -16.0
o
Low Temperature Grade, C

Figure 2. Effect of low-temperature binder grade on the rate of

change of low-temperature grade with RTFOT temperature.

Table 5. Recommended improvement in virgin binder low-temperature

continuous grade for RAP blending chart analysis for WMA
production temperatures.
Virgin Binder PG Grade 58-28 58-22 64-22 64-16 67-22
Average HMA Production Temperature, oF 285 285 292 292 300
Rate of Improvement of Virgin Binder Low-
Temperature Grade per oC Reduction in Plant 0.035 0.025 0.025 0.012 0.025
Temperature
Recommended Improvement in Virgin Binder Low-
WMA Production Temperature, oF Temperature Continuous Grade for RAP Blending Chart
Analysis, oC
300 NA NA NA NA 0.0
295 NA NA NA NA 0.1
290 NA NA 0.0 0.0 0.1
285 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2
280 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3
275 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3
270 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.4
265 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.5
260 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.6
255 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.6
250 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.7
245 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.8
240 0.9 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.8
235 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.4 0.9
230 1.1 0.8 0.9 0.4 1.0
225 1.2 0.8 0.9 0.4 1.0
220 1.3 0.9 1.0 0.5 1.1
215 1.4 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.2
210 1.5 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.3
205 1.6 1.1 1.2 0.6 1.3
200 1.7 1.2 1.3 0.6 1.4

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-7

using PG 64-22 virgin binder and a WMA production temperature of 250°F, the virgin binder
low-temperature continuous grade would be improved 0.6°C to account for the lower WMA
production temperature. This would allow approximately 10% additional RAP binder to be
added to the mixture through the blending chart analysis. The ability to use 10% additional
RAP binder without changing the grade of the virgin binder may be significant in some areas
of the United States.
These recommended binder grade improvements are reasonable, based on the recovered
binder grading data presented earlier in Tables 29 and 30. Recovered binder tests on WMA with
RAP should be conducted to verify the suggested improvements in low-temperature properties
for blending chart analyses.

Step 3. Determine Compaction Level

The same compaction levels are recommended for designing WMA and HMA mixtures.

Step 4. Select Nominal Maximum Aggregate Size

The same aggregate requirements are recommended for designing WMA and HMA mixtures.

Step 5. Determine Target VMA and Air Voids Values

The same target VMA and air voids values are recommended for designing WMA and HMA
mixtures.

Step 6. Calculate Target Binder Content

Asphalt absorption is somewhat lower in WMA compared to HMA. NCHRP Project 9-43
included a mixture design study designed to assess the difference in volumetric and engineering
properties between WMA and HMA mixtures. Six combinations of binder and aggregate were
designed as HMA and then again as WMA using three different processes. The HMA and
WMA mixtures prepared at mixing/compaction temperatures of 270/260°F were made using
a PG 64-22 binder, while the WMA mixtures prepared at mixing/compaction temperatures
of 225/215°F were made using a PG 70-22 binder. The RAP content was 25% for mixtures
made with RAP. All mixtures were prepared using short-term conditioning for 2 hours at the
compaction temperature. Table 6 summarizes the design of this experiment.

The experimental design for the NCHRP mix design study was a paired difference experiment.
This design is commonly used to compare population means, in this case the properties of prop-
erly designed WMA and HMA mixtures for the same traffic level, using the same aggregates with
the same gradation. In this design, differences between the properties for WMA and HMA are
computed for each mixture included in the experiment. If the two design procedures produce
mixtures with the same properties, then the average of the differences will not be significantly
different from zero. The difference for an individual mixture may be positive or negative, but the
average difference over several mixtures should be zero. A t-test is used to assess the statistical
significance of the average difference as summarized below:
Null hypothesis: µWMA − µHMA = 0
Alternative hypothesis: µWMA − µHMA > 0 or µWMA − µHMA < 0 (as appropriate)

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C-8 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 6. Mix design experiment.

Mixing/Compaction Temperature, °F,

Mixture Identification
for Process:
Aggregate
No. Evotherm
Water Advera Sasobit
Ndesign RAP HMA 3G
Absorption, WMA WMA
WMA
%
1 50 1.5 Yes 320/310 225/215 225/215 270/260
2 50 0.8 No 320/310 270/260 270/260 225/215
3 75 1.0 Yes 320/310 270/260 225/215 270/260
4 75 1.6 No 320/310 225/215 270/260 225/215
5 100 1.2 Yes 320/310 270/260 270/260 225/215
6 100 1.3 No 320/310 225/215 225/215 270/260

d
Test statistic: t=
⎛ sd ⎞
⎜⎝ ⎟
n⎠
Rejection region: Reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis if
t > tα for n-1 degrees of freedom.
where
µWMA = population mean for WMA mixtures
µHMA_ = population mean for HMA mixtures
d = average of the differences between WMA and HMA mixtures
sd = standard deviation of the differences
n = number of mixtures compared
One way to present the results is to develop 95% confidence intervals for the mean differ-
ence in the properties for WMA compared to HMA. If the 95% confidence intervals capture
zero, the properties are statistically the same for WMA and HMA. The paired difference com-
parisons for design binder content and binder absorption are shown in Figures 3 and 4,
respectively.
Figure 3 shows that the average design binder content for the WMA mixtures was 0.05%
lower than that for HMA mixtures made with the same aggregates and binder. This difference,
however, was not statistically significant. Figure 4 shows that the binder absorption was sig-
nificantly less for the WMA mixtures. The average difference was 0.1%. The average absorp-
tion for the mixtures tested was approximately 1.0%. Thus, absorption for WMA was about
90% of that for HMA. Based on these data it was recommended to use 45% of the water
absorption as the initial estimate binder absorption in WMA compared to 50% of the water
absorption for HMA.

Step 7. Calculate Aggregate Content by Volume

These calculations are identical to those for HMA.

Step 8. Proportion Aggregates

for Trial Mixtures
These calculations are identical to those for HMA.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-9

Average Difference in Design Binder Content, wt. % 0.40

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.00
Advera Evotherm Sasobit All WMA

-0.10

-0.20

-0.30

-0.40
Mixture

Figure 3. Average difference in design binder content (WMA-HMA)

from the NCHRP 9-43 mix design study (error bars are ± 95% one-sided
confidence intervals).

0.40
Average Difference in Binder Absorption, wt %

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.00
Advera Evotherm Sasobit All WMA

-0.10

-0.20

-0.30

-0.40
Mixture

Figure 4. Average difference in binder absorption (WMA-HMA) from the

NCHRP 9-43 mix design study (error bars are ± 95% one-sided confidence
intervals).

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C-10 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Step 9. Calculate Trial Mixture Proportions by Weight

and Check Dust-to-Binder Ratio
These calculations are identical to those for HMA.

Step 10. Evaluate and Refine Trial Mixtures

This step involves the preparation and evaluation of laboratory specimens of WMA. The pro-
cedure follows that for HMA with slight modification. Table 7 summarizes the steps for WMA
and HMA design. The modifications required for WMA design are
1. For some processes, the WMA additive must be calculated.
2. Viscosity-based mixing temperatures are not used with WMA. Laboratory mixing is done at
the planned production temperature.
3. Process-specific specimen fabrication procedures are used to prepare laboratory mixtures.
4. The short-term conditioning temperature for WMA is the planned compaction temperature.
5. Viscosity-based compaction temperatures are not used with WMA. Laboratory compaction
is done at the planned compaction temperature.
6. WMA design includes an evaluation of coating and compactability using the planned pro-
duction and compaction temperatures.
Supporting data from NCHRP Project 9-43 for these modifications are discussed in the
sections that follow.

Additive Dosage
The computation of WMA additive dosage rates is straightforward. The amount of additive
needed may be specified by the WMA process supplier as percent by weight of binder or total

Table 7. Comparison of trial specimen fabrication procedures

for WMA and HMA design.
Step Description HMA WMA Comment
1 Calculate batch weights X X Must calculate WMA additive content for
some processes
2 Batch aggregates X X Must batch WMA additive for some
processes
3 Heat aggregates and X X Use planned production temperature for
asphalt binder WMA
4 Mix aggregates and X X Procedure is WMA process specific
binder
5 Short-term oven X X WMA uses lower temperature.
conditioning
6 Compact laboratory X X WMA uses lower temperature
specimens
7 Calculate volumetric X X
composition of
laboratory specimens
8 Adjust aggregate X X
proportions to meet
volumetric requirements
9 Evaluate coating and NA X Used in WMA design in place of viscosity-
compactability based mixing and compaction temperatures
10 Conduct performance X X Moisture sensitivity for all mixtures, rutting
testing resistance for design traffic levels of 3 m
ESALs or greater

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-11

mixture. For wet aggregate processes, water is added to a portion of the fine aggregate, and then
this wet, fine aggregate is added cold to the mixture during the mixing process. The proportion
of the aggregate that is added wet and the moisture content are provided by the WMA technol-
ogy provider.

Mixing Temperatures
Viscosity-based mixing temperatures cannot be used with the wide range of WMA processes
currently available. Laboratory specimens are mixed at the planned production temperature, and
coating is evaluated to determine the acceptability of the WMA process.

Process-Specific Specimen Fabrication Procedures

For mixture design, the various WMA processes were grouped into four generic categories:
1. Additives blended into the binder,
2. Additives added to the mixture,
3. Wet aggregate mixtures, and
4. Foamed asphalt.
The procedures in the report address laboratory mixing. These were developed based on
recommendations from various WMA technology providers and verified during the mix design
experiment completed in NCHRP Project 9-43. Once mixing is complete, specimen fabrication
for all processes continues with short-term conditioning and specimen compaction. These steps
are the same for all processes and the same as done with HMA.
WMA mixture designs will require additional equipment. Since coating is used in lieu of
viscosity-based mixing and compaction temperatures, a mechanical mixer is required. During
NCHRP Project 9-43, it was observed that planetary mixers and bucket mixers do not have the
same mixing efficiency. Planetary mixers are more efficient. The specimen fabrication proce-
dures were developed in NCHRP Project 9-43 using a planetary mixer. For WMA processes
where the additive is blended in the binder, a mechanical stirrer is needed. For designing mixtures
for plant foaming processes, a laboratory foamed asphalt plant that can produce foamed asphalt
at the moisture content used by the field equipment is also needed. NCHRP Project 9-43 demon-
strated that it is feasible to perform foamed asphalt WMA mixture designs in the laboratory. In
NCHRP Project 9-43, a modified Wirtgen WLB-10 laboratory foaming plant was used to simu-
late the Gencore Ultrafoam GX process using 1.25% water by weight of binder and the Astec
Double Barrel Green process using 2.0% water by weight of binder. The modification that was
required was to the replace the flow controller with a smaller, more precise flow controller to
accommodate the water contents used in WMA mixtures.

Short-Term Conditioning
Short-term conditioning for WMA was set at 2 hours at the planned compaction temper-
ature to represent the absorption and binder stiffening that occurs during construction. This
level of conditioning is used for the volumetric design and for the moisture sensitivity and
rutting evaluation. These conditions were selected based on comparisons of properties of
laboratory-mixed, laboratory-compacted specimens with those from field-mixed, laboratory-
compacted specimens.

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C-12 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Figures 5 and 6 summarize the results of comparisons of maximum specific gravity and
indirect tensile strength for the field sections tested in NCHRP Project 9-43. The error bars shown
in Figure 5 are the single operator D2s precision from AASHTO T 209. These data show that
the maximum specific gravity of the lab and field mixtures are the same, indicating that the
binder absorption is the same for the lab and field mixtures. The aggregate water absorption
ranged from 0.5% for the Pennsylvania SR2007 mixtures to 2.5% of the Yellowstone National
Park mixtures.
Figure 6 shows average differences in indirect tensile strength for the field mixtures minus
the laboratory mixtures. The error bars in this figure are 95% confidence intervals for a paired
t-test comparison. If the error bars do not capture zero, then the difference in the tensile strength
of the field- and laboratory-mixed specimens is different from zero. Figure 6 shows that several
mixtures have significantly different tensile strengths. The differences are not consistently in
one direction except for the Pennsylvania SR2006 project, where the field-mixed specimens
always have significantly higher tensile strengths compared to the laboratory-mixed specimens.
Given that one-third of the mixtures were from this project, this difference biased the results.
The average difference for all projects was 7 psi (48 kPa); not considering the Pennsylvania
SR2006 project, the average difference was essentially zero.
Short-term conditioning for performance evaluations, moisture sensitivity, and rutting was
one of the areas where additional research was recommended in NCHRP Project 9-43. This addi-
tional research was recommended because it appears that the current HMA short-term condition-
ing procedure for performance evaluation, 4 hours at 275°F (135°C), represents the stiffening that
occurs during construction and some short time in service.

Compaction Temp 2 Hours Field Mix

Monroe NC Astec

PA SR2006 Sasobit

PA SR2006 LEA

PA SR2006 Gencor

PA SR2006 Advera

PA SR2006 Control
Mixture/Process

PA SR2007 Evotherm

PA SR2007 Control

YNP Sasobit

YNP Advera

YNP Control

CO I-70 Sasobit

CO I-70 Evotherm

CO I-70 Advera

CO I-70 Control

2.300 2.400 2.500 2.600

Maximum Specific Gravity

Figure 5. Comparison of maximum specific gravity

between field mixes and laboratory mixes short-term
conditioned 2 hours at the compaction temperature.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-13

55

45
IDT Strength Differences, psi

35

25

15

YNP Sasobit

PA SR2006 Sasobit
CO I-70 Sasobit

YNP Advera
YNP Control

Average
PA SR2007 Evotherm

PA SR2006 Gencor
PA SR2006 Advera
CO I-70 Evotherm
CO I-70 Advera

PA SR2007 Control

PA SR2006 Control
CO I-70 Control

PA SR2006 LEA

Monroe NC Astec
-5

-15

-25
Mixture/Process

Figure 6. Differences in indirect tensile strength between field mixes

and laboratory mixes short-term conditioned 2 hours at the compaction
temperature.

Compaction Temperatures
Viscosity-based compaction temperatures cannot be used with the wide range of WMA
processes currently available. Laboratory specimens are compacted at the planned compaction
temperature. Additionally a compactability evaluation is conducted to ensure that the mixture
is compactable at the planned compaction temperature.

WMA Evaluations
Four evaluations are conducted on WMA mixtures at the design binder content: (1) coating,
(2) compactability, (3) moisture sensitivity, and (4) rutting resistance. The sections below
describe the supporting information from NCHRP Project 9-43 for these evaluations.

Coating
Coating is one way to evaluate proposed WMA production temperatures that is relevant to all
WMA processes. In NCHRP Project 9-43, coating was evaluated on a number of HMA and WMA
mixtures using AASHTO T 195. AASHTO T 195 counts the percentage of the coarse aggregates in
the mixture that are fully coated. This is a strict criterion. When a planetary mixer was used, coat-
ing was always found to be nearly 100 percent for both WMA and HMA. When a bucket mixer was
used with a smaller number of WMA mixes, the coating was much lower. This indicates that the
bucket mixer is less efficient than the planetary mixer. The criterion of 95% was based on the plan-
etary mixer data. Though bucket mixers are less efficient than planetary mixers, they are signifi-
cantly less expensive and likely more readily available in mix design laboratories. Until additional
research is conducted to develop appropriate mixing times for bucket mixers, technicians and engi-
neers will have to develop mixing times for their WMA mixtures based on coating evaluations for
HMA mixtures produced using the traditional viscosity-based mixing temperatures.

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C-14 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Compactability
The compactability evaluation is used in lieu of the viscosity-based mixing temperature used
for HMA. Compactability is evaluated by compacting specimens to Ndesign at the planned field
compaction temperature and again at 54°F (30°C) below the planned field compaction temper-
ature. The number of gyrations to reach 92% relative density is then calculated from the height
data. The ratio of the gyrations to 92% relative density at the lower temperature to the higher
temperature should be less than 1.25.
The methodology for the compactability evaluation resulted from a workability study conducted
in NCHRP Project 9-43. The workability study evaluated the feasibility of using various workabil-
ity devices and the gyratory compactor to measure WMA workability during the mixture design
process. The workability study demonstrated that it is possible to measure differences in the
workability and compactability of WMA compared to HMA. The differences, however, were only
significant at temperatures that are below typical WMA discharge temperatures. Figures 7 and 8
show the effect of WMA process and temperature on workability and compactability.
Given that the workability devices were not able to discriminate more precisely than compaction
data obtained from a standard Superpave gyratory compactor, the method for evaluating the tem-
perature sensitivity of the compactability of WMA was developed for assessing WMA workability
and compactability. The method involves determining the number of gyrations to 8% air voids at
the proposed compaction temperature and a second temperature that is approximately 54°F
(30°C) lower than the proposed compaction temperature. A tentative limit allowing a 25% increase
in the number of gyrations when the temperature is decreased was developed. This limit was inves-
tigated using data from nine WMA field mixture projects sampled in NCHRP 9-43. The increase
in gyrations for the WMA processes ranged from 0 to 20%. Workability and compactability was
not reported to be a problem on any of the projects.

Moisture Sensitivity
Moisture sensitivity is evaluated using AASHTO T 283, the same as HMA. The criterion for
AASHTO T 283 is the same as that for HMA.

Control Advera Sasobit

450

400

350

300
Torque, in-lb

250

200

150

100

50

0
300 250 190 150
Temperature, F

Figure 7. Effect of temperature and WMA additive on

torque measured in the UMass workability device.

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II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-15

Control Advera Sasobit

45

40

35

30
Gyrations

25

20

15

10

0
300 250 190
Temperature, F

Figure 8. Effect of temperature and WMA additive on gyrations

to 92% relative density.

Tests conducted during NCHRP Project 9-43 showed that the moisture sensitivity will likely be
different for WMA and HMA mixtures designed using the same aggregates and binder. WMA
processes that included antistrip additives improved the tensile strength ratio of some of the mix-
tures included in the NCHRP Project 9-43 testing and analysis. Of the nine WMA mixtures that used
a WMA process that included an antistrip additive, the tensile strength ratio remained the same or
improved in 67% of the mixtures. For WMA mixtures produced using processes that do not include
antistrip additives, the tensile strength ratio never improved and decreased in 79% of the mixtures.

Rutting Resistance
Rutting resistance is evaluated using the flow number test, AASHTO TP 79. The same testing
conditions that are used for HMA flow number testing are used with WMA:
• Air voids of 7.0 ± 0.5%
• 50% reliability high pavement temperature from LTPPBind 3.1 for the project location,
20 mm below the pavement surface, or 20 mm below the top of the sub-surface pavement layer
of interest
• Unconfined
• Repeated deviator stress of 87 psi (600 kPa), contact deviator stress of 4.4 psi (30 kPa),

Minimum flow numbers as a function of traffic level are provided and these are lower than
those for HMA. Table 8 compares the recommended flow numbers for WMA and HMA. The

Table 8. Flow number criteria for WMA

and HMA mixtures.
Traffic Level, Minimum Flow Number
Million ESALs WMA HMA
<3 NA NA
3 to < 10 30 50
10 to < 30 105 190
30 415 740

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C-16 Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt

Table 9. Summary of average

difference in flow number of WMA
compared to HMA for the NCHRP 9-43
field validation sections.
Process Number Average Average
Difference in Difference
Compaction in Flow
Temperature, Number,
F %
Advera 3 -46.7 -39
Evotherm 2 -50.0 -38
LEA 1 -80.0 -50
Sasobit 3 -48.3 +38

recommended WMA flow numbers are approximately 55% of those recommended for HMA.
The different criteria are needed because of the different short-term conditioning used for WMA
compared to HMA. WMA flow number specimens are conditioned 2 hours at the planned field
compaction temperature while HMA flow number specimens are conditioned 4 hours at 275°F
(135°C). NCHRP Project 9-43 included comparisons of flow number data for 10 pairs of WMA
and HMA sections. Table 9 summarizes the difference in flow numbers obtained for field
validation mixtures. The Sasobit process increases the rutting resistance because it increases the
high-temperature grade of the binder.
Additional research is needed on the development of a short-term conditioning procedure for
specimens used for the evaluation of moisture sensitivity and rutting resistance that is equally
applicable to both WMA and HMA. Research completed in NCHRP Project 9-43 concluded that
2 hours of oven conditioning at the compaction temperature reasonably reproduces the binder
absorption and stiffening that occurs during construction for both WMA and HMA mixtures.
Current criteria for evaluating moisture sensitivity and rutting resistance are based on mixtures
that have been aged to a greater degree. The conditioning originally specified in AASHTO T 283
for moisture sensitivity testing was 16 hours at 140°F (60°C). Additionally, most rutting criteria
are based on 4 hours of conditioning at 275°F (135°C). In NCHRP Project 9-13, mixtures were
conditioned for 2 hours at 275°F (135°C), 4 hours at 275°F (135°C), and 16 hours at 140°F
(60°C). Analysis of these data in NCHRP Project 9-43 concluded that 16 hours at 140°F (60°C)
resulted in somewhat more aging than 4 hours at 275°F (135°C). The difference in aging between
2 and 4 hours at 275°F (135°C) was not statistically significant. To simulate both WMA and
HMA, a two-step conditioning process should be considered for specimens used for evaluation
of moisture sensitivity and rutting resistance. In the first step, the mixture would be conditioned
for 2 hours at the compaction temperature to simulate the binder absorption and stiffening that
occurs during construction. In the second step, the mixture would be further conditioned for an
extended time at a representative high in-service pavement temperature to simulate a short
period of time in service. Only specimens used to evaluate moisture sensitivity and rutting resist-
ance would receive the second conditioning step. Volumetric design would be based on only the
first step.

Step 11. Compile Mix Design Report

This step is the same as that for HMA with some additional information provided. The additional
information for WMA is that needed in Step 1 of the mix design process:

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Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm-Mix Asphalt: A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673: A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt ...

II. Commentary on Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) C-17

• WMA process,
• WMA additive rate,
• Planned production temperature, and
• Planned compaction temperature.

References
Bonaquist, R., “Mix Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt,” NCHRP Report 691, National Cooperative
Highway Research Program, Washington, D.C., 2011.
Christensen, D. W., “A Manual for the Design of Hot Mix Asphalt with Commentary,” NCHRP Report 673,
National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Washington, D.C., 2010.
Prowell, B. D., and Hurley, G. C., “Warm-Mix Asphalt: Best Practices,” Quality Improvement Series 125, National
Asphalt Pavement Association, Lanham, MD, 2007.

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Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications:

AAAE American Association of Airport Executives
AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials
AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America
ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
APTA American Public Transportation Association
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
ATA Air Transport Association
ATA American Trucking Associations
CTAA Community Transportation Association of America
CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DOE Department of Energy
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
FRA Federal Railroad Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials
NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program
NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program
NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board
PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration
SAE Society of Automotive Engineers
SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:
A Legacy for Users (2005)
TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program
TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998)
TRB Transportation Research Board
TSA Transportation Security Administration
U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation

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