Chemo-Rheological Characterization of Aging Behaviors of Warm-Mix High-Viscosity Modified Asphalt

Today, high-viscosity modified asphalt (HVMA) is widely used in drainage asphalt pavements. However, due to its high construction temperature, HVMA is prone to thermal oxidative aging, which reduces its life cycle and increases the maintenance costs of asphalt pavements. In this study, the effects of warm-mix additives on the physical, rheological and chemical properties of HVMA were studied to determine optimum warm-mix conditions. First, the effects of warm-mix technologies (foam warm mix, Sasobit, Evotherm, and GLWBR at 3%, 3%, 0.8%, and 0.8%, respectively) on the physical and rheological properties of HVMA were studied. Then, two aging methods [thin film oven test (TFOT) and pressure aging vessel (PAV)] were applied to simulate the short-term and long-term thermal oxidation processes of HVMA and evaluate the influences of different warm-mix technologies on HVMA aging. The results showed that the four warm-mix technologies, especially foam warm mix and Sasobit, reduced the construction temperature of HVMA. In addition, warm-mix technologies also improved the high-temperature rheological properties of HVMA; however, they had adverse effects on the low-temperature cracking resistance of asphalt. Based on asphalt aging index fluctuations, it was evident that warm-mix technology was not conducive to the antiaging performance of HVMA, and foam warm mix had the weakest influence on the antiaging performance of high-viscosity asphalts. Furthermore, according to the results of an analysis of the carbonyl changes in aging asphalts, asphalt aging index can be applied to predicting the degree of aging of warm-mix HVMA.