The Use of Atomic Force Microscopy to Evaluate Warm Mix Asphalt (SJN: 134626)
Researcher: Munir Nazzal – Ohio University
Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) has received considerable attention in past few years due to its benefits in reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions during production and placement of asphalt mixtures, widening the paving season, and increasing the pace of the construction process. However, many concerns and questions are still unanswered regarding the performance and durability of WMA. One key issue is the moisture susceptibility of WMA. Although the results of standard laboratory tests indicated that WMA may be more susceptible to moisture damage than Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), data obtained from the field does not support those results. Some data also suggests that the resistance of WMA to moisture damage improves with time and may ultimately be equivalent to that of HMA. In addition, the healing characteristics of WMA have not yet been studied nor evaluated in a methodical, scientific manner. Research is needed to determine if the degree of healing in WMA is sufficient to increase their resistance to damage, and hence enhance their long term durability.
The objective of this research is to study the micro-scale behavior of WMA using the AFM and identify the testing parameters that can be utilized in the evaluation of its moisture susceptibility and healing characteristics.