Impact of rapid-hardening cements on mechanical properties of cement bitumen emulsion asphalt

Cement bitumen emulsion asphalt (CBEA) is obtained by mixing bitumen emulsion, cement, aggregates and filler at ambient temperature. CBEA is thought to be a promising substitute for hot mix asphalt because of its low environmental impact and cost-effectiveness. Disadvantages of this material are the long time required to reach its full strength and the inadequate understanding of the hardening mechanisms. This study aims at accelerating the development of mechanical properties of CBEA by using rapid-hardening cements while at the same time gaining a deeper understanding of the role of cement in CBEA. With this purpose, cold mix asphalt mixtures with cationic and anionic emulsions and different types of cement (ordinary Portland, calcium sulfoaluminate and calcium aluminate cement) were studied by means of isothermal calorimetry, measurements of water evaporation and Marshall tests. The results indicate that both anionic and cationic bitumen emulsions may affect the initial hydration rates of the cements used but have no significant influence on their degree of hydration after a few days. The addition of calcium sulfoaluminate and calcium aluminate cement to CBEA leads to mechanical properties after 1-day curing similar to those obtained with Portland cement after 1-week curing. Cement hydration dominates the strength gain, especially for rapid-hardening cements, and the type of cement influences both the amount of bound water and the rate of water evaporation from the CBEA.