Possibility of using epoxy modified bitumen to replace tar-containing binder for pavement antiskid surfaces

Tar-containing antiskid surface, which is a ultra-thin surface dressing constructed with tar-containing binder and aggregates with high polished stone value. It was widely used for the runways in airfields in the Netherlands. Tar-containing binder can provide excellent adhesion between the antiskid surface and the underlying layer, also between binder and aggregate particles, and an extremely high fuel resistance. However, tar-containing binder has a high Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) content, which makes it toxic to humans. Because of the environmental concerns, tar-containing antiskid runways are not allowed anymore in the Netherlands. Therefore alternatives need to be developed. Epoxy modified bitumen (EMB), which is considered as a potential alternative binder, was therefore investigated in this research. The relaxation at low temperature and rheology properties of EMB were studied by means of relaxation test and Dynamic Shear Rheometer measurements respectively. EMB based antiskid surface layer was designed in the lab. The adhesion characteristics at the interface between the antiskid surface layer and underlying asphalt mixture layer were evaluated and compared to the tar-containing antiskid surfaces, by means of pull test and Leutner shear test. Results indicate that the tested epoxy modified bitumen could be used to replace the tar-containing binder for antiskid surfaces. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.