THE MAGAZINE OF THE ASPHALT INSTITUTE | FALL 2019 | VOL. 34, NO.

3
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTENTS FA L L 2 019

T
hose who know Asphalt Institute 1 ................ President’s Message
(AI) history will recall that 4 ................ Asphalt News
we moved our headquarters 35 .............. LCA study on binder
from New York City to the University 41 .............. Asphalt Academic
of Maryland, College Park campus in 42 .............. Lab Corner
January 1955 in a building the university 44 .............. Calendar of Events
built for our exclusive use. That facility,
in the center of campus, housed the headquarters staff and
our large materials testing facility and research center.
One of the hallmarks of the structure, later known as the
Potomac building, was the entrance hall containing the Asphalt FEATURES
Institute’s logo – surrounded by black and white marble tiles.

7
Flanked by a pair of curved rising staircases to the second floor, it
made a striking entrance. Scores of asphalt industry practitioners
walked over the floor and most recall the sizeable medallion.
Fast forward to the winter
of 2018 when Asphalt
Institute and University X-ray technology on Alaskan asphalt
of Maryland alumni Dr. Looking into the structure of fresh pavement can
Matt Witczak learned that show even the smallest defects that become potholes.
the Potomac building was Alaskans are using GPR systems to successfully measure
and map compaction as paving happens.
scheduled for demolition
later that year to make

13
way for a new facility. He
quickly contacted Professor
Chuck Schwartz, Chair
of the Department of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering at the Six changes to FAA specifications
University of Maryland, Revisions to the Federal Aviation Administration’s P-401
to express his dismay and construction specification contains some changes involving
quality control, asphalt mixtures, gradation bands, grade
urged him to inform us.
selection, mechanical test and density calculation.
Chuck did just that.
Given the demolition

25
schedule, would AI leaders
like one last look? One last glimpse of history? Of course!
On a cold and dreary day in late February of 2018, former
AI President Bernie McCarthy and I visited the Potomac
Building with Professor Schwartz and stood in the quiet
Writing the books on asphalt
building once more. It was filthy and in need of repairs. Alas,
it was coming down soon, but the medallion was still there. The Asphalt Institute has been publishing books about
asphalt for 100 years. We look back through the archives.
Could we save history? The medallion seemed embedded in the The literature chronicles asphalt from 3,000 B.C. to
concrete floor. I envisioned concrete saws, lifting tackle, cranes, present-day transportation and roofing applications.
flatbed trucks and an open checkbook. It seemed doomed.
Bernie thought otherwise and a quick call to Tony Kriech
of The Heritage Group, a longtime AI member based in
Indianapolis, Indiana, ignited the plan to save history. You
can watch the rest of the story in a short film created by
The Heritage Group in memory of the AI’s 1989 Chair Fred
31
M. Fehsenfeld, Sr. Find it by going to the AI home page and RAP, RAS, Rejuvenators
click on “History of AI” and then select “Saving History.” As recycled materials (RAP/RAS) are used more
If you visit our headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, you’ll often in asphalt pavements, the stiff, brittle, aged,
see the medallion proudly displayed on the wall thanks recycled binder often produce mixtures that may be
to the perseverance and creativity of a few individuals more prone to early-life failure due to cracking.
like Matt, Chuck, Bernie, Tony and others.

1
 ASPHALT INSTITUTE® MEMBERS
Fall 2019 Vol. 34, No. 3
Members as of September 15, 2019
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3
ASPHALT NEWS FALL 2019

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
EXPLORING THE LEGEND OF
THE ASPHALT CHEWING TEST
By Amma Wakefield, P.Eng.

I
f you have ever attended an asphalt mix design
course, you may have heard about the chewing
test as one of the first methods of characterizing
asphalt cement. You were likely told that the test
was conducted exactly as the name suggests.
And, if you sat in a mix design course that I taught, I may
have been chewing gum… you know, for effect. So, imagine my
surprise when I learned that there was a “chew machine.”
Specifically, it was called the Chew Ductility Machine, where
a sample of asphalt about one centimeter thick was pulled
apart utilizing a gear operated by a handwheel. A motor drive
was preferred for better uniformity in the rate of pull, but in
both cases, the sample was pulled until breaking, then the
distance it stretched before breaking was recorded. The test
and machine are referenced in a 1916 manual by Hubbard
titled “Laboratory Manual of Bituminous Materials.”
Does that mean there was never a test where a
person chewed asphalt to determine its quality? Where
is the fun in that? Is chewing asphalt a myth?
Well, not so fast... in a 1905 journal “The Modern Asphalt
Pavement” by Clifford Richardson, we find a reference to
the chewing test that we are more familiar with. Richardson
explains that the chewing test was used as a preliminary test
for asphalt cement. It involved chewing a small piece of asphalt
cement which had been cooled by pouring it into cold water.
Don’t try this at home kids! But a cooled asphalt cement
was placed in the mouth and worked between the teeth.
Through chewing, the asphalt cement rapidly assumes the
temperature of the mouth which, for normal body temperature
is 98.4oF (36.9oC) and consistent. Richardson explained in
the journal that the amount of effort needed to chew the
asphalt showed whether it was harder or softer than what
experience had taught about a proper consistency in asphalt. An
experienced chewer could determine if the asphalt was within
four or five points of the desired consistency. One reference
stated the chewing test was conducted for 15 minutes!
Another reference in 1911 from the American Society of
Municipal Improvement convention mentions the chewing
test, where an asphalt consultant J.W. Howard added that the
asphalt was of inferior quality “if it becomes like lard or slime.”
Who would have thought that there were actually two
“chewing” tests, one by mouth and the other by machine?
I must confess, I would have been incredibly disappointed if
I had learned that chewing asphalt to determine its quality
was never really a thing… but 15 minutes though?
Wakefield is an Asphalt Institute Regional
Engineer based in Ontario, Canada.

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

Mountain States Asphalt Inc.

4
ASPHALT
INSTITUTE
AND AVIATION
– 91 YEARS OF
COOPERATION
O
By Wayne Jones, P.E.
ne of the earliest presentations
on airfield paving in the
Asphalt Institute’s (AI) archives
appears to be in 1928 when
Col H. H. Blee, Chief of the
Airport Section, Aeronautics Branch, U.S.
Department of Commerce spoke at the
organizations’ co-sponsored 7th Annual
Asphalt Conference in December.
During his presentation entitled “Airports
and Airways”, Blee stated “the airplane has
emerged from the chrysalis of doubt and
uncertainty and has stretched forth its wings
and taken off over the airway of success
and now we are indeed standing on the
threshold of the era of air transportation.”
The latest technologies being developed to
aid flying and improve safety he mentioned
were airfield lighting, radio beacons for
navigation and double (parallel) runways to
facilitate growing air traffic demands. Finally
wrapping up his talk, he challenged those in
attendance, “calling for sound engineering…
we are currently building air transports that
weigh 15,000 pounds, in a few years we
will be building air transports that weigh
30,000 to 40,000 pounds or more.”
October 31, 1929
At the 8th Annual Asphalt Conference,
R. H. Simpson, City Engineer for the city
of Columbus, Ohio, reported that the
newly opened Port Columbus Airport was
paved with a 1.5 inches asphaltic concrete
on 90,200 square yards in 13 days.
November 20, 1930
With the establishment of the Civil
Aeronautics Administration (CAA),
the Asphalt Institute was asked to
conduct training on asphalt paving
for the construction of airfields.
September 1, 1940
Through AI’s Managing Director
W.R. Macatee’s promotional efforts,
the Washington National Airport
(Reagan) opened with one million
square yards of asphalt paving.
December 5, 1940
At the 19th Annual Asphalt Conference, in a
presentation entitled “Airports and National
Defense”, A.B. McMullen, Chief of the airport
section of the CAA commented “There no
longer can be any doubt that a nation’s best
insurance against aggression is superiority
of airpower. As paving technologists, you are
well aware that our great projected Air Force
cannot do the job of defending this country if,
at some critical hour, it is stuck in the mud.”
At the time there were only 1,857 civil
airports, and of this total, less than two
percent could handle the heaviest and
fastest military aircraft in all weather.
McMullen then goes on to forecast the
need for a system of 4,000 airfields over the
next six years to handle both the growth in
aviation as well as the military buildup.
As for the size of aircraft, McMullen said
“airplane engineers feel that under conditions
of present airline patronage, planes much
in excess of the present-day maximum of
65,000 pounds will be found uneconomical
to operate. However, there’s no economic
restriction on the size of military planes, in
the CAA we are envisioning the necessity of
building runways which 10 years hence will be
called upon to handle maximum gross loads
of 300,000 pounds at the largest airports.”
When the Army Corp of Engineers asked AI
to provide expertise about rock and asphalt
for heavy-duty pavements, AI engineer O.J.
Porter proposed the design that would allow
the new B-29 bomber to properly operate.
Present day
Since 2001, AI has partnered annually with
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
to conduct the three-day Airport Pavement
Technical Workshop (APTW). This workshop
provides the most up-to-date information
for those designing, constructing and
managing asphalt airport pavements.
In 2013, 84 years after its original construct,
Port Columbus opened its third full-depth asphalt
runway when RW 10R-28L became operational.
In 2018, AI introduced the 1.5-day Airfield
Paving Clinic (APC). The APC provides
guidance on constructing asphalt pavements
following FAA’s recently released Advisory
Circular 150/5370-10H and specifically
the P-401 asphalt specification.
2019 marks the 25th consecutive year that
AI’s Director of Engineering, Dr. Mark Buncher,
has served as chair of the Tri-service’s Airfield
Asphalt User-Producer Group (AAUPG).
The AAUPG meets every year during the
Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting
in Washington, D.C. to review the military’s
shared Unified Facilities Guide Specifications
(UFGS) pertaining to asphalt paving, as well as
to discuss the future specification changes.
AI continues to support the FAA and the
U.S. military through technical consultation
on issues that arise, new technologies
to be implemented and changes being
considered for specification updates.
Jones is an Asphalt
Institute Senior Regional
Engineer based in Ohio.
Airport Pavement Technical Workshop
Nov. 5-7, 2019
Newport Beach, California
Register at asphaltinstitute.org
5
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LOOKING INSIDE ROADS HELPS
ASSURE QUALITY

7
 magine being able to
the “dielectric constant” of a pavement’s surface
look into the structure of layer. For any PhDs reading this, dielectric constant

fresh pavement and see is defined by sciencedirect.com as, “dielectric

constant (ϵr) is the ratio of the electric permeability
even the smallest defects of the material to the electric permeability of
free space (i.e., vacuum) and its value can be
that will one day bloom derived from a simplified capacitor model.”

into potholes. Imagine More important than its definition is the fact
the dielectric constant has been shown to relate
being able to map defects to the density of asphalt pavements. Refinement
of the relationship of the dielectric constant to
right behind the paving density is typically improved by correlating to the

train as the asphalt is being core in the same way a density gauge is correlated
to cores. But even without this correlation, it
placed and compacted. can still be used to compare the product to see
how consistent the densification process was.

That’s been the dream of pavement inspectors
since the dawn of asphalt paving. But X-ray vision
for paving has only been the stuff of science fiction
for years. Recent technological advances may fulfill
these X-ray vision dreams for paving professionals.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has recently
been refined to accurately measure and map
compaction of freshly placed asphalt paving right
behind the paving equipment even faster than the
pavement can be placed. GPR systems measure
It is these facts that caught the attention of Rich
Giessel, State Quality Assurance Engineer for the
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities (AKDOT&PF). It is his goal to be able to move
from traditional spot testing using cores or nuclear
density gauges, to testing 100 percent of a paving
project’s compacted materials to locate any potential
deficiencies. If this is successful, distresses that arise
from inadequate compaction could be dramatically
reduced as locations that are deficient in density
can be corrected before traffic is released upon it.

Figure 1.
Playback
screen similar
to what the
operator sees
while using
a PaveScan
Rolling
Density Meter.

8
 All of the various GPR systems that are currently
available provide feedback to the technician via
an onboard monitor that allows for rapid visual
interpretation of the test data. Figure 1 provides
an example output of one such system.
The output seen in the figure displays a subset from
the larger project, in this case, a 100-foot section
from stations 188+00 – 189+00. Each colored block
in the map represents an area 6-inches long and
24-inches wide (one square foot of area). Three
tracks of these 24-inch wide paths are seen.
The percentage of compaction is color-coded as
seen in the legend located to the right with blues
being the lowest values and reds the highest. The
greens and yellows are the midrange values in this
example. For the AKDOT&PF at least 92 percent of
theoretical maximum density is the lower specification
limit in their percent within limits system. Therefore,
the level of compaction and its location is recorded
for each block. Segment length is user-selectable,
but 100 feet of paving data at a width of 6 feet is
default length displayed as data is collected.
In the example seen in Figure 1, a technician
can quickly see that path of the left sensor #60 is
showing some disconcerting data. Namely, roughly
the first half of the displayed section is shown to be
lower in density than is acceptable. The operator
will typically communicate this information to the
contractor allowing them to adjust their operation.
This example is from a two-inch mill and fill project
where the paved shoulder and rumble strip were left in
place. The left sensor was tracking 0.75 feet from the
old paved shoulder. The roller operator was running
roller overlapped on the old pavement to get a smooth
joint that matched the existing. Low compaction was
from bridging as the shoulder was higher than the
new pavement. The roller operator should have made
a second pass with the roller fully on the new mat.
After the data file has been collected and saved, the
operator can map and export defects by pushing the
“export” button shown on the menu bar at the bottom of
Figure 1. The entire project or any portion of the project
can also be exported. An example is seen in Figure 2
of using the “export range” function, in this case for a
300-foot lane segment from Station 822+00 to 825+00.
Note how it shows an edge defect at the shoulder
of this 12-foot lane as seen from the low-density
values. Low compaction against the outer rumble
strip shown by the bottom bar of the heat map at
top of the figure and the red line on the line chart.
The sensor collecting edge data was centered
0.75 feet inside the outer edge of the lane.
Figure 2. An
example of
an export for
a 300-foot
segment of
a project.
9
Figure 3. Low
compaction
area of
new, wider
pavement
from station
181 to 191
of Portage
Glacier Road
in Alaska.

Ground Penetrating Radar Using the “export defects” function, a Google Earth
KMZ file showing the Global Positioning Satellite
(GPR) has been refined (GPS) location of any defects that are collected
simultaneously with the compaction and station
to accurately measure location data is created. Station location data is
collected based on a starting location entered
and map compaction of by the operator from project survey markers in
conjunction with a digital measuring instrument
freshly placed asphalt integrated within the PaveScan Rolling Density Meter.
A Google Earth representation of the area defects in
paving right behind the a 6-feet-wide portion of a 1,000-foot lane segment
is shown in white in Figure 3. The AKDOT&PF’s
paving equipment. response to such an area is as explained above.

Training others in the operation of the GPR device

The Association of American Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has
published a provisional standard for the usage
of GPR on asphalt projects. This provisional
standard is entitled “Asphalt Surface Dielectric
Profiling System Using Ground Penetrating
Radar; AASHTO PP 98-19.” It will have to make
its way through the AASHTO process to become
an accepted method, but this is a vital first step.
has been relatively easy according to Giessel. With
minimal training, technicians can use the device
as seen in Figure 4. In this case, the contractor’s
quality control technician is using AKDOT&PF’s
device to check his crew’s success in achieving the
desired in-place density on an Alaskan project.
Giessel does not envision GPR as a stand-alone
technology. Rather, other advanced technologies
are also being explored and utilized. Namely,

10
 Figure 4. Ben
Lamirand, Granite
Construction
Quality Control,
operating
the device.

A number of competing
vendors offer the
technology discussed
in this article. The
Asphalt Institute does
not endorse any of
these. One such system
is the PaveScan Rolling
Density Meter from GSSI
and it is the tool the
Alaska Department of
Transportation & Public
Facilities (AKDOT&PF)
uses for exploring
enhancements to their
quality assurance efforts.

intelligent compaction rollers have seen increased
use in Alaska. A paver-mounted thermal profiler
have also been used on an enhanced-compaction
demonstration project. It is envisioned that
combining the data from these continuous, non-
destructive technologies in real-time will allow
for what Giessel calls continuous-full-coverage
compaction specifications for asphalt paving.
greatly reduce highway maintenance costs. It is also
believed that longer intervals between resurfacing
will result in better stewardship of capital resources.
The progression in the development of GPR and other
technologies is taking what was once only science
fiction to a state of scientific reality as they allow us
to peer into pavement layers as we build them.

Development and deployment of continuous-full-

coverage compaction specifications for asphalt
Rich Giessel, P.E. and Dave Johnson, P.E. collaborated
paving could enhance project quality, pavement
on this article. Giessel is the State Quality Assurance
life and cost effectiveness. It is believed that this Engineer for Alaska DOT&PF. Johnson is an Asphalt
will produce higher quality pavements which will Institute Senior Regional Engineer based in Montana.
improve the ride quality for the travelling public and

11
Six substantial
changes in
the recent FAA
specification
revisions
A closer look
at the ‘P-401 Plant
Mix Bituminous
Pavements’ section
of ‘Advisory Circular
(AC) 150/5370-10H,
Standard Specifications
for Construction of
Airports’
By Danny Gierhart, P.E.

13
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 Charles Kettering, inventor and
founder of Delco, once said, “People are
very open-minded about new things, as
long as they’re exactly like the old ones.”
The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) recently released the latest
revision of their P-401 construction
specification and it contains some
changes that are markedly different
and improved from the old ones.
Although there were many changes,
this article will outline six of the most
important ones for asphalt contractors,
consultants, suppliers and testing labs.

Increased contractor
quality control
The FAA intentionally focused on the idea
of contractor quality control (QC) to a
greater degree than ever before, not only
in P-401, but throughout their Advisory
Circular (AC) 150/5370-10H, “Standard
Specifications for Construction of Airports.”

It’s important to The demands on asphalt airfield pavements

and the requirements for their safety and

understand why
longevity necessitate a focus on quality.
Lana Logan, Regional Engineer for the
FAA’s Southwest Airports Division says,

airfields often
“The FAA is so passionate about quality control that
we have now included a separate pay item for it.”

need a stronger
FAA has made a point to say that QC is more than
just test results. It also includes using proper materials,
workmanship, equipment, inspection, documentation and

asphalt mixture
communication. New verbiage has been inserted throughout
the specification addressing these key areas. The QC pay
item is “encouraged” for all projects and is “required” if

than highways.
the project includes over $500,000 worth of paving.

15
 Figure 1. Highway truck tire loads vs. aircraft tire loads

Truck Tire Load vs Aircraft Tire Load

80000

70000 Truck Aircraft

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000
6
5

00

00

00

00

00

00

80

0
D1

D7
2.

D3

D3

D5

D6

30
D1

-1

-1
D2

-8

-4

A3
D1

-
20

21
37

47

77
B7
B7

A3

More opportunity for
highway asphalt mixtures
The FAA has increased the
opportunities for highway asphalt
mixtures to be used in airfield
construction. Previously, there was
language in the specification that
said the stricter P-401 guidelines
had to be used if the pavement was
subject to aircraft loadings
of greater than 12,500
pounds. The new cutoff is 30,000 pounds,
which allows considerably more leeway to use
less stringent state highway specifications.
It’s important to understand why airfields
often need a stronger asphalt mixture than
highways. Aircraft loads can exceed one million
pounds, whereas it would be extremely rare for
even a very large truck to exceed one hundred
thousand pounds gross weight. Additionally,
aircraft tire pressures can exceed 300 psi, versus semi-
truck tire pressures that average around 100 psi.
The reasoning behind the FAA change is that
typical truck tire loads are similar to aircraft tire
loads up to about 30,000-pound aircraft loads.
B7
A3
Doug Johnson of the FAA created Figure 1, which
clearly demonstrates the differences between typical
highway truck loading and different aircraft loads.
It’s clear from the figure that loading from aircraft larger
than 30,000 pounds is significantly higher than typical
truck tire loads and requires a stronger asphalt mixture to
withstand the stresses generated by the larger aircraft.
Adjustment to
gradation bands
The aggregate gradation bands
have been adjusted since the last
version of P-401. Aggregate gradations
in mixtures from last year may not
meet the new gradation limits. It
should be noted that the gradation
bands are still called Gradation 1,
Gradation 2 and Gradation 3. The
adjustments modify the former FAA
limits to match Table 5 of the Department of Defense
Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS)
Section 32 12 15.13 asphalt mixture gradations.
For those more familiar with Superpave asphalt mix
gradations, FAA Gradation 1 is analogous to a 19.0mm
nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) mix. FAA
Gradation 2 is analogous to a 12.5mm NMAS mix, and
Gradation 3 is analogous to a 9.5mm NMAS mix.

16
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 New guidance on
grade selection
The FAA has provided additional
guidance regarding the selection of
asphalt binder grades in the new P-401.
This new guidance takes into account that
the binder in asphalt mixtures inherently
responds differently depending on
the amount of time it is loaded.
Asphalt Institute’s “MS-25 – Asphalt Binder
Testing Manual” says, “Asphalt binders tend
to behave more like viscous materials at high
temperature and when the load is applied for
a long period of time. When the loading time
is short, or the temperature very low, asphalt
binders tend to behave like elastic materials.”
With this concept in mind, the FAA has added a
column to their table in section 401-2.3 showing the
required grade bump in addition to the project area’s
environmental grade. Instead of selecting the high-
temperature grade bump based solely on the aircraft
gross weight, designers will now also need to use
different selection criteria if the pavement area has slow
or stationary aircraft. Note that the low-temperature
grade remains the same as the environmental
base grade – only the high-temperature grade is
changed. The new table is reproduced in Figure 2.
Figure 2. P-401 Binder Grade Bump Requirements
Required Grade Bump
High-Temperature Adjustment
to Asphalt Binder Grade
Pavement
Aircraft Gross Weight area with
All Pavement
slow or
Types
stationary
aircraft
≤ 12,500 lbs. (5670 kg) - 1 Grade
< 100,000 lbs. (45,360 kg) 1 Grade 2 Grade
≥ 100,000 lbs. (45,360 kg) 2 Grade 3 Grade
Figure 3. Asphalt Pavement Analyzer
New mechanical test
The FAA now requires a new mechanical
test for asphalt mixtures using the P-401
specification – the Asphalt Pavement Analyzer
(APA). As shown in Figure 3, the APA is a
Loaded Wheel Tester (LWT) used mainly for
evaluating permanent deformation, which
we call rutting. In its basic function (there are
other options), concave wheels pneumatically
load pressurized hoses on top of compacted
asphalt specimens for a given number of
passes at a chosen temperature. Rectangular slab or beam
specimens or cylindrical specimens can be tested at the same
time using gyratory, Marshall or vibratory beam samples.
The test method used for the APA is AASHTO T 340. APA
testing variables include the test temperature, magnitude of the
load applied, the hose pressure and the number of cycles. For
highways, AASHTO T 340 says to run the test at the specifying
agency’s standard high-temperature grade (environmental
grade). The hose pressure is set to 100 psi, the load is set
to 100 lbs., and the test is run for 8,000 cycles. The pass/
fail criterion is typically a maximum rut depth, often around
10mm, or even less for mixes using polymerized binders.
The FAA spec requires a test temperature of 64°C at a hose
pressure of 250 psi for 4,000 cycles. The manufacturer of the
APA, Pavement Technology Inc (PTI) has developed high-pressure
hoses capable of meeting the 250-psi criterion. However, the
FAA is allowing two other options if the testing laboratory is
currently incapable of performing the test with the hose pressure
criterion. The first is to use the standard 100 psi hose pressure,
but the pass/fail criterion moves to a maximum of 5mm
rutting after 8,000 passes. The second requires FAA approval
but allows the Hamburg wheel test to be used with a pass/
fail criterion of less than 10mm rutting after 20,000 passes.
19
 Because materials,
construction methods and test
methods are always changing,
specifications also need to
periodically change to keep up.
Density calculation
The new P-401 adapts the way pavement
density is calculated to be in line with
the method contractors, consultants
and laboratories use most often. Before
this latest revision, pavement density
was expressed at a percentage of the
average lab-molded bulk specific gravity
(Gmb) of the asphalt mixture. It is
now expressed as a percentage of the
theoretical maximum density (TMD).
The term “density” is only properly understood by the
context in which it is used. The term “density” is actually
defined as the mass per unit volume, or unit weight.
The units, for example, might be expressed in pounds
per cubic foot (pcf) or in grams per cubic centimeter (g/
cc). Additionally, previous FAA specifications determined
density in terms of specific gravity. One has to multiply
the specific gravity by the unit weight of water (usually
62.4 pcf or 1.0 g/cc) to get the material density.
What many people in the industry actually mean when
they use the term “density” would be more correctly
defined as “percent relative density.” That means that
the density of the pavement is expressed as a percentage
of the density of something else. Percent relative density
has no units since the pavement density is divided by
another density, mathematically canceling out the units.
For example, a pavement density might be 147.5 pounds
per cubic foot. The unit volume would include the aggregate,
the binder and the air voids in the mix. The TMD would
be the density if we could squeeze out all the air voids
and just leave the volume of the aggregate and binder,
without any air voids. Since the volume is smaller without
air, the TMD would be a larger number, for example, 156.1
pounds per cubic foot (pcf). The percent relative density, in
this case, would be 100 x (147.5/156.1) = 94.5 percent.
20
It’s important to note the difference between the way
percent relative density is calculated in the new P-401,
because the magnitude of the number will be different.
Using the same example, let’s suppose that the average
lab-molded specific gravity was 2.402. The lab-molded
density would be 2.402 x 62.4 pcf = 149.9 pcf. Using the
old specification, the reported density would be 100 x
(149.9/156.1) = 96.0 percent, which is 1.5 percent higher
than how the percent relative density is calculated in the
new specification for this example. The actual density didn’t
change. It’s just that now it’s expressed as a percentage
of TMD instead of the lab-molded specific gravity.
Summary
In summary, because materials, construction methods
and test methods are always changing, specifications
also need to periodically change to keep up. FAA’s newest
revision (10H) of AC 150/5370, “Standard Specifications for
Construction of Airports,” which includes Item P-401, “Asphalt
Mix Pavement,” was released on December 21, 2018.
The FAA made a lot of minor changes in the new spec,
but also some substantial ones. They all work together to
improve the ability of contractors, consultants, suppliers
and testing labs to understand exactly what the FAA wants
for its asphalt pavements. That better understanding also
increases the likelihood that the FAA will receive the asphalt
pavement quality they desire to meet their needs.
Gierhart is an Asphalt Institute Senior
Regional Engineer based in Oklahoma.
April 7-8, 2020 May 12-13, 2020
Denver, Colorado Nashville, Tennessee
Register at asphaltinstitute.org
21
 2019-2020 Asphalt Institute For course descriptions, agendas and class

Seminars
details visit www.asphaltacademy.org.
Register online, by mail or fax.

Asphalt Binders
Basic Binder Technician Training 26.25 PDHs January 13 - 16, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Binder Technician Training 26.25 PDHs February 17 - 20, 2020 Lexington, KY** $1,295
Basic Binder Technician Training 26.25 PDHs March 30 - April 2, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Binder Technician Training 26.25 PDHs October 19 - 22, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
National Binder Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs January 21 - 23, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
National Binder Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs February 25 - 27, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
National Binder Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs April 21 - 23, 2020 Salt Lake City, UT $1,595
National Binder Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs October 27 - 29, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
Basic Emulsion Technician Training 26.25 PDHs January 6 - 9, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Emulsion Technician Training 26.25 PDHs February 10 - 13, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Emulsion Technician Training 26.25 PDHs March 9 - 12, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Emulsion Technician Training 26.25 PDHs April 6 - 9, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
Basic Emulsion Technician Training 26.25 PDHs November 9 - 12, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,295
National Emulsion Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs November 19 - 21, 2019 Lexington, KY $1,495
National Emulsion Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs March 17 - 19, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
National Emulsion Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs April 14 - 16, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
National Emulsion Technician Certification 10.25 PDHs November 17 - 19, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,595
Basic Roofing Technician Training 17.5 PDHs December 2 - 4, 2019 Lexington, KY $1,195
Basic Roofing Technician Training 17.5 PDHs January 27 - 29, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,195
Basic Roofing Technician Training 17.5 PDHs November 30 - December 2, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,195
Rheobit 30 PDHs November 4 - 8, 2019 Lexington, KY $1,995
Asphalt Mix Design
Basic Mixture Technician Training 28 PDHs February 4 - 7, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,495
Basic Mixture Technician Training 28 PDHs March 24 - 27, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,495
Basic Mixture Technician Training 28 PDHs November 10 - 13, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,495
Mix Design Technology Certification 22.5 PDHs October 29 - November 1, 2019 Phoenix, AZ $1,395
Mix Design Technology Certification 22.5 PDHs November 5 - 8, 2019 West St. Paul, Canada $1,395*
Mix Design Technology Certification 22.5 PDHs January 28 - 31, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,395
Mix Design Technology Certification 22.5 PDHs April 14 - 17, 2020 Sacramento, CA $1,395
Mix Design Technology Certification 22.5 PDHs December 15 - 18, 2020 Calgary, Canada $1,395*
Optimizing Volumetrics using the Bailey Method 30 PDHs February 17 - 21, 2020 Lexington, KY $1,795
Asphalt Airfields
Airport Pavement Technical Workshop 22 PDHs November 5 - 7, 2019 Newport Beach, CA $1,395
Airport Pavement Technical Workshop 22 PDHs October/November 2020 FAA Southern Region $1,395
Airfield Paving Clinic 11.25 PDHs April 7 - 8, 2020 Denver, CO $695
Airfield Paving Clinic 11.25 PDHs May 12 - 13, 2020 Nashville, TN $695
Asphalt Construction
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs January 21, 2020 Cincinnati, OH $295
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs January 23, 2020 Chattanooga, TN $295
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs February 4, 2020 Raleigh, NC $295
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs February 6, 2020 Columbia, SC $295
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs March 10, 2020 Oklahoma City, OK $295
New Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements 7.5 PDHs March 12, 2020 Austin, TX $295
Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) 101 13 PDHs November 13 - 14, 2019 State College, PA $425
Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) 101 13 PDHs November 2020 State College, PA $425
Asphalt Mix Design/Construction/Preservation
Maximizing Pavement Life 15 PDHs November 6 - 7, 2019 Frederick, MD $595
Maximizing Pavement Life 15 PDHs November 18 - 19, 2019 Sioux Falls, SD $595
Maximizing Pavement Life 15 PDHs November 21 - 22, 2019 Salt Lake City, UT $595

*All prices in USD. Applicable tax will be applied at time of registration. **Location subject to change.
 2019-2020 Asphalt Institute For course descriptions and webinar details

Webinars
visit www.asphaltacademy.org.
Register online, by mail or fax.
Discounted group registration is available.
• Webinars are pre-recorded • Webinars are live
AAPT/AI Webinar Series - Durable Asphalt Pavements
New Part 1: Durable Asphalt Pavements: Materials October 31, 2019 12:00 –1:30 PM EDT 1.5 PDHs • LIVE $75
New Part 2: Durable Asphalt Pavements: Design November 7, 2019 12:00 –1:30 PM EST 1.5 PDHs • LIVE $75
New Part 3: Durable Asphalt Pavements: Production & Construction November 14, 2019 12:00 –1:30 PM EST 1.5 PDHs • LIVE $75
New Part 4: Durable Asphalt Pavements: Preservation November 21, 2019 12:00 –1:30 PM EST 1.5 PDHs • LIVE $75
Asphalt Binders
Recovery & Testing of Asphalt Binder from Mixture, RAP & RAS 1 PDH • REC $50
Testing Modified Asphalt Binders 1 PDH • REC $50
Basics of Asphalt Binders 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Binder Series – Part 1 – Introduction to Asphalt Binders 2 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Binder Series – Part 2 – Asphalt Binder Testing & Spec 1 2 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Binder Series – Part 3 – Asphalt Binder Testing & Spec 2 2 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Binder Series – Part 4 – Modifications, Emulsions & Cutbacks 2 PDHs • REC $50
Introduction to Asphalt Rheology 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Certification: What You Should Know about Training Binder Technicians N/A • REC FREE
Using the MSCR Test in Asphalt Binder Specifications 2 PDHs • REC FREE

Asphalt Emulsions
Asphalt Emulsion Series – Session 1 – Introduction and Chemistry 2 PDHs • REC FREE
Asphalt Emulsion Series – Session 2 – Storage, handling & sampling testing, selecting the right grade 2 PDHs • REC FREE
Asphalt Emulsion Series – Session 3 – Surface treatment (chip seals, slurry, micro, etc.) 2 PDHs • REC FREE
Asphalt Emulsion Series – Session 4 – Emulsion aggregate mixtures 2 PDHs • REC FREE
Asphalt Emulsion Series – Session 5 – Asphalt pavement recycling, miscellaneous applications 2 PDHs • REC FREE

Asphalt Mix Design

Asphalt Mix Design with RAP 1 PDH • REC $50
Basics of Asphalt Mix Design 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Interpreting Asphalt Test Results 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Laboratory Performance Testing of Asphalt Mixtures 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
An Introduction to the Bailey Method 2 PDHs • REC $50

Asphalt Construction
Asphalt Inspector Series – Session 1 – Inspector Responsibilities 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Inspector Series – Session 2 – Materials & Mix Design 2 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Inspector Series – Session 3 – Plants, Storage & Hauling 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Inspector Series – Session 4 – Paving & Compaction 2 PDHs • REC $50
Asphalt Inspector Series – Session 5 – Sampling, Testing & Acceptance 2 PDHs • REC $50
Best Practices for Longitudinal Joints 2 PDHs • REC $50
Tack Coat Best Practices 1.5 PDHs • REC FREE
Intelligent Compaction – A Quality Control Tool for Constructing Asphalt Pavement 1.5 PDHs • REC FREE
Asphalt Pavement for Recreational Facilities 1.5 PDHs • REC $50

Preservation – Maintenance and Rehabilitation

Cold Mix Paving – If we can make HMA warm, can we make it cold? 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Introduction to Cold In-Place Recycling 1.5 PDHs • REC $50
Pavement Management Systems 1.5 PDHs • REC $50

For more webinars on Pavement Preservation visit www.asphaltacademy.org

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24
 WRITING
THE BOOKS
ON ASPHALT
A look back at
Asphalt Institute publications
By Robert Horan, P.E. and
Jacqueline Bartek

25
 I
Ready to Upgrade? n certain parts of the country, people
sometimes call asphalt pavement
Emulsion Viscosity Testing
“macadam.” The term macadam is
AUTOMATED something that has been passed down
through the generations from the
Meets AASHTO Emulsion
Standard TP 121 early 20th century when asphalt pavements
were often called…macadam.
The story of John McAdam (and his ideas about
improving pavement performance) is just one of
TE-DPV Rotational Paddle Viscometer the interesting storylines you can find when delving
into the history of the use of asphalt materials for
• Replaces manual Saybolt method pavements in the United States. Publications from
the Asphalt Institute have a long (100-year) history
• Simple, unattended testing of providing an authoritative resource for readers.

• Automated mixing and Communication and education

temperature monitoring If you explore the Asphalt Institute (AI) website, you
will quickly see that education is a major focus to
• Reduces operator support the mission and vision statements. This focus
on education goes way back to the early days of AI.
associated variability
Education can take many forms, but it is widely known that
one of the best ways to communicate with key components
• No difficult tube cleaning
of your target audience is through publications. Since its
formation a century ago, the development, promotion and
• Compact, self-contained wide distribution of AI publications have been a major
and portable focus. AI publications tend to be technical in nature.

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2139 High Tech Road | State College, PA 16803
814-353-8000 | 800-676-6232 | Fax 814-353-8007

26
 In 2018 alone, Asphalt Institute sold over 3,700
publications with the some of the best-selling being
“MS-2 Asphalt Mix Design Methods” and “MS-22
Construction of Hot Mix Asphalt Pavements.”
Besides the large library of technical manuals,
another AI publication that is highly valued is
“Asphalt” magazine. The first version of the magazine
was published in 1949 – making 2019 the 70th
anniversary of the publication. The magazine is
mailed to over 18,000 subscribers in 114 countries.
It is interesting to note that in the 1928 AI Annual
Meeting minutes, there is a mention of the need to
have an asphalt industry magazine. “There should be
a magazine issued by and for the industry, but as yet
we have not been able to secure the needed support
for such an undertaking.” Today that desire is a reality.

Early publications
Archival documents show that getting the word out
about asphalt pavements in the form of publications
was a major focus in the early years of AI. For instance,
an excerpt from the 1922 AI Annual Meeting minutes
states: “During the past year, we have distributed in
the neighborhood of 100,000 publications covering
practically every phase of asphalt paving work.
These publications have won a high place in the
estimation of engineers, officials and teachers and
they have done much to make asphalt better known
to those who have to deal with paving subjects.”
Many of the publications were created primarily to
educate those directly involved with road building.
In 1920, Wallace Craig, an Asphalt Institute District
Engineer in the Chicago office, prepared a handbook
on the proper use of asphalt which later was used
as a model for the first “Asphalt Handbook.” To this
day, almost 100 years later, AI still publishes that
manual and it is one of their best-selling books.
In the 1929 AI minutes, it was reported that: “During
this calendar year, we issued 18 new publications
and five reprints of articles appearing in magazines,
bringing the total number of distinct publications
since the formation of the association to 200
brochures, circulars, pointers and reprints. It is worthy
to comment that about 15 percent of our requests
for publications came from foreign countries.”
Besides the technical publications, in the early
days of the organization there was an effort to
educate the general public on the use of asphalt as
an important road-building material. The reason for
the outreach to the general public was that the use
of asphalt surfacing was relatively new in the 1920s
and public acceptance was vitally important.
We noticed in each of the annual minutes, articles
published in magazines and the number of clippings
in newspapers were closely tracked. For instance, in
the 1929 annual meeting minutes, it was reported that
“…203 articles from the association were published
in 3,211 newspapers for a total of 847 pages. In
addition, 230 articles appeared in engineering and
trade magazines covering a total of 310 pages.”
Again, a decision was made that it was critical
to promote asphalt pavements to both technical
and non-technical folks as a viable alternative to
concrete pavement.
Training materials
Some of the most popular AI publications in the
1920s were educational brochures which included
15 primary brochures that covered a wide variety
of topics related to the use of asphalt in highway
and street pavements.

27

One of the more popular ones was entitled “Asphalt a
world old material.” This document evolved and the AI
archives include editions one through five. It includes
a summary of the history of human’s use of asphalt
that dates as far back as about 3,000 B.C. including
the evolution of its use as an important highway
building material all the way through “modern times.”
(1925) A section on the future of asphalt featured
this quote: “Experience urges the use of asphalt.
From ancient Assyria to modern America it has
rendered increasing service to mankind. Its sources of
supply are practically unlimited. It is stored away in
enormous quantities deep within the earth and only
awaits the hand of man to fashion it to his services.”
In 1932, AI began publishing specification booklets
written by Prevost Hubbard. Low-cost road construction
increased significantly with the continued promotion
and distribution of these booklets. State highway
engineers benefited from this information to learn the
proper technical methods for their road construction.
28
Asphalt Institute
publications are geared
to not only educate those
involved with pavement
design, production,
construction and
maintenance of asphalt
pavements but also the
non-technical users of
roadways.
Promotion
Not surprisingly, the early publications contained
content promoting the use of asphalt pavement
as an alternative to concrete pavement. Many
times, the text would include direct or indirect
comparisons to concrete pavements.
Here is an example: “Its (asphalt pavement)
pleasing appearance, easy-riding qualities,
low tractive resistance, general freedom
from cracks and rough joints, cleanliness and
the fact it is easy on tires, have made it the
most popular pavement in existence.”
Technology trends
The early years of AI (the 1920s) were a time
of major transformations in the asphalt industry
and in how asphalt pavement materials were
used in construction and maintenance. Much
of the efforts in the early publications were
focused on explaining those changes to both the
professionals involved with highways and also,
in more simple terms, to the general public.
One major change was the move from the use
of naturally occurring asphalt sources to the
production of asphalt materials through the
petroleum refining process. At the same time, AI
 All States
Materials Group
®

engineers were working with other organizations toward

the goal of reducing the number of asphalt grades being
specified and this was accomplished in 1923 with a
reduction from 102 grades to nine standard grades.
There was also an evolution in the basic types of asphalt
pavement applications. One effort that was highlighted in
the publications was explaining the various types of asphalt
pavement applications for base/foundation mixtures and
surface mixtures which are defined in Brochure #5 “Terms
Used in Connection with Asphalt for Highway Work.”
The brochure listed three types of surface mixtures
used for new construction and overlays which were
laid on the roadway at that time. They were:

1. Sheet asphalt – a mixture of sand and fine

aggregate treated with petroleum asphalt SERVING THE
2. Asphalt (penetration) Macadam – a broken-
NORTHEAST FOR
stone wearing surface layer that liquid asphalt
material is poured into for the purpose of OVER 60 YEARS
filling the voids in the pavement layer
3. Asphalt concrete – a mixture of asphalt
with broken stone, broken slag or gravel and
often with sand or mineral filler as well

Continued legacy
To this day, Asphalt Institute publications are geared Asphalt Supply Point
to not only educate those involved with pavement Other ASMG Operation

design, production, construction and maintenance of

asphalt pavements but also the non-technical users of
roadways. This philosophy is essential to ensure that with over 60 years in the asphalt
asphalt pavements are viewed as a quality product industry and facilities strategically
that play a vital role in the world’s infrastructure. located throughout the northeast ,
A great example of AI’s focus on sharing publications we continue to grow and expand our
occurred in 2018 when the Asphalt Institute Foundation
liquid asphalt capabilities. we offer
distributed 130 print books and 248 eBooks to college
students studying pavement engineering. Colleges included a full suite of pg asphalts , polymer
Auburn University, California State Polytechnic (Pomona), modified asphalt , and pre - blended
Iowa State University and the University of Idaho. warm mix asphalt to meet the needs
It certainly seems that the expression “The more things of customers throughout the region .
change; the more things stay the same” applies to a
historical look at Asphalt Institute’s publications. Whether
we have also continued to expand
it be in 1919 or 2019, AI has always put a premium
on developing and marketing quality publications as a our product offering to include
method in ensuring that asphalt is always recognized liquid asphalt additive options for
as the construction material of choice. customers across the country .

Horan is an Asphalt Institute Senior Regional Engineer based in Virginia.

Bartek is the Asphalt Institute Library Services and Resource Specialist. (800) 343-9620 | WWW.ASMG.COM

29
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30
Using the three Rs to realize the three Es in Recycled Asphalt Pavements (RAP)
RAP
RAS
Rejuvenators
W
By Amy E. Martin, Ph. D
hat motivates the continuing
increased use of recycled
materials in asphalt pavements?
According to the National Asphalt Pavement
Association (NAPA) in 2017, it was a savings of over $2
billion and a 99 percent recycling rate of approximately 76
million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Recycled
asphalt shingles (RAS) are also utilized by some states
with approximately one million tons recycled in 2017.
However, as the recycled materials (RAP/RAS) content
increases, the stiff, brittle, aged, recycled binder often result
in mixtures that may be more prone to early-life failure due
to cracking. Thus, to ensure adequate performance, agencies
typically limit the RAP content to 15-20 percent and the
RAS content to 3-5 percent, both by weight of the mixture
and sometimes allow softer virgin base asphalt binders.
Recent efforts have sought to double the recycled
materials content in asphalt mixtures through the use of
mitigation strategies that include utilizing a softer virgin
base asphalt binder and/or adding a rejuvenator to partially
restore the rheology of the binder blend (recycled binder
and virgin base asphalt binder) in an effort to provide
adequate mixture cracking performance. With those
efforts comes the recognition that every combination of
Economics
Environmental Sustainability
Engineering Performance
virgin base asphalt binder, virgin aggregate, RAP, RAS
and rejuvenator (and other additives) is unique and must
be engineered to provide adequate performance.
A standard method for selecting an appropriate rejuvenator
dose is needed, as are recommended guidelines for component
materials selection and evaluation tools for binder blends and
mixtures that consider aging and laboratory performance
thresholds needed for successful materials combinations.
A recently completed research project sponsored by the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
– identified as NCHRP 09-58 – developed a draft AASHTO
standard practice that includes these methods, guidelines
and tools as shown in Equation 1 and Tables 1-3.
The draft AASHTO standard practice is a starting point
and implementation through field demonstration projects is
recommended as the next step. Other aspects of performance
also need to be evaluated for asphalt mixtures with high
recycled materials contents, such as durability in terms of
moisture susceptibility. Interactions and compatibility with other
additives such as warm mix compaction aids and antioxidants
also need to be explored – further highlighting the need for
performance-based evaluation tools. Finally, the availability of
the recycled binder and subsequent blending with the virgin
base asphalt binder is still unknown and will continue to be a
subject of interest to asphalt researchers and practitioners alike.
31
Equation 1. Recycling Agent (%) = (PGHBlend − PGHTarget) / Slope Rate
where:

PGHTarget = continuous PGH of target climate; and

continuous PGH of the recycled binder blend (°C) calculated as follows:

PGHBlend = (RAPBR × PGHRAP) + (RASBR × PGHRAS) + (BBR × PGHBase)
where:

PGHBlend = continuous PGH of the recycled binder blend (°C);

RAPBR = RAP binder ratio;
PGHBlend = PGHRAP = continuous PGH of the RAP binder (°C);
RASBR = RAS binder ratio;
PGHRAS = continuous PGH of the RAS binder (°C);
BBR = base binder ratio = 1 – RBR; and
PGHBase = continuous PGH of the base binder (°C).

Note: For tall oils (T), vegetable oils (V), or reacted bio-based oils (B); a recommended slope rate or rate of reduction in PGH of 1.82
can be utilized based on the materials evaluated in NCHRP Project 9-58. For aromatic extracts (A), a lower slope rate of 1.38 is
recommended. Blending charts of recycling agent dose (0, 2, 5, and 10 percent) versus PGH can also be utilized to determine slope rate.

Table 1. Component Materials Selection and Proportioning Guidelines

Test Parameter Component Material

Base Binder RAP RAS Recycling Agent

High-Temperature, Short-Term Aginga

DSR PGH < 64°C < 100°C < 150°C —

Low-Temperature, Short- and Long-Term Agingb

BBR ΔTc > −3.5°C > −7.5°C — —

Proportioning

< 0.5 RBR

RBR — < 0.15 RASBR —
(RAPBR+RASBR)

Dose — — — < 8–10%c

a Original binder and rolling thin film oven (RTFO) aged by AASHTO T 240.
b 20-hour PAV aging @ 100°C by AASHTO R 28.
c Percent of total binder in the blend/mixture.

32
Table 2. Binder Blend Evaluation Tools for Use with High Recycled Materials Content and Recycling Agents

Test Parameter Suggested Performance Threshold

High-Temperature, Original and Short-Term Aging

DSR PGH Target Climate

Intermediate-Temperature, Track with Aging

< 180 kPa after 20-hour PAV

DSR G-R
< 600 kPa after 40-hour PAV
< 32°C after 20-hour PAV
DSR Tδ=45°
< 45°C after 40-hour PAV

Low-Temperature, Short- and Long-Term Aging

BBR ΔTc > −5.0 after 20-hour PAV

Table 3. Mixture Evaluation Tools for Use with High Recycled Materials Content and Recycling Agents

Test Parameter Suggested Performance Threshold

High-Temperature, Short-Term Aging

> 5,000 for PG 58-XX

> 7,500 for PG 64-XX in cold climate
HWTT or APA N12.5
> 10,000 for PG 64-XX in warm climate
> 15,000 for PG 70-XX

Intermediate-Temperature, Track with Aging

< 8,000 MPa after STOA

|E*| G-Rm
< 19,000 MPa after LTOA

Intermediate-Temperature, Short-Term Aging

SCB FI > 7 after STOA

Low-Temperature, Short- and Long-Term Aging

BBRm Sm and mvaluem < Romero (2016) threshold on m-valuem vs. Sm after STOA

UTSST CRIENV > 17 after LTOA

STOA = short-term oven aging; LTOA = long-term oven aging; UTSST = uniaxial thermal stress and strain test.

For more information on this research and its findings, please visit the NCHRP Martin is a professor and research engineer
09-58 project page at http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay. at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

asp?ProjectID=3645 or the project page on Research Gate.

33
 Road in 2019

34
AI completes LCA study on asphalt binder
By Dr. Mark Buncher, Ph.D., P.E.
I
n March 2019, the Asphalt Institute (AI) released
its industry average life cycle assessment (LCA)
report on asphalt binder produced in North
America. The study was conducted by Thinkstep
AG, an international consulting firm well-known for
its expertise in sustainability and life cycle assessment.
Not to be confused with life cycle cost analysis
(LCCA) that only examines costs, LCA is a science-
based method to quantify the environmental impacts
of products, accounting for burdens throughout the
supply chain of a given product. LCA is governed by
international standards ISO 14040 and 14044.
Background
Driven by green building standards (e.g., LEED, Living
Building Challenge, IgCC) and other initiatives, the demand
for accurate life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact
assessment (LCIA) data has increased for products used in
the construction sector, including pavement. Transportation
agencies, such as the Illinois Toll Road Authority and the California
Transportation Department, are starting to look at how they
can use such information in their project plans and designs.
Therefore, the Asphalt Institute undertook this project
to ensure the published LCI data on asphalt binder is as
accurate as possible and representative of North American
industry conditions. Along with aggregate, asphalt
binder is the major component of asphalt mixtures.
The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has an
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program for asphalt
mixtures (asphaltpavement.org/EPD). The declared unit and
reported impact categories in AI’s study align with NAPA’s EPD
program and associated Product Category Rules (PCR). NAPA
plans to incorporate the new AI LCI datasets into their EPD.
Scope
The scope of the study was cradle-to-gate: including raw material
sourcing and extraction, transportation to refineries, refining of
crude oil into asphalt, transport to the terminal, and final blending
of the asphalt binders at the terminal. Only those refinery processes
associated with asphalt production were included in the assessment.
The final result is publicly available LCI datasets for four
asphalt binder products:
• without any additives
• with 3.5 percent styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)
• with 8 percent ground tire rubber (GTR) blended at the terminal
• with 0.5 percent polyphosphoric acid (PPA).
Information was collected from twelve AI-member refineries
(from nine companies) and eleven terminals (from four
companies) in the U.S. and Canada for 2015 and 2016.
The data represented 27 percent of annual production in
the U.S. and Canada for 2016. Geographical and technical
representativeness was assessed and considered to be good.
Allocation
Since asphalt is only one product stream in a complex multi-
product system (refinery), it is crucial that the allocation
methodology appropriately captures only that share of the total
impacts of the system that can be attributed to the asphalt
binder. For this study, the main material and energy inputs that
needed to be allocated were crude oil input, thermal energy
consumption (including associated emissions) and electricity.
Mass allocation was selected for the electricity because the
density of products is directly related to the electrical demand for
pumping the products. Energy content of the co-products (using the
net calorific value a.k.a. lower heating value) was selected as the
allocation methodology for crude oil input, as it accounts for the
fact that the majority of co-products are used as fuels. The thermal
energy demand for asphalt production was calculated based on the
sensible heat of asphalt in the system, i.e., based on the temperature
differential between the crude tank and the asphalt going to storage
in combination with the specific heat capacity of the asphalt.
Finally, the total direct emissions of thermal energy production
were allocated based on the ratio of thermal energy use (excluding
recovered heat) calculated for asphalt production and the refinery’s
total thermal energy consumption during asphalt runs only.
Crude oil slate
The production stage starts with the extraction of crude oil and
delivery to the refinery. Crude oil was modeled based on Thinkstep’s
crude oil supply model, which considers the whole supply chain of
crude oil (i.e., extraction, production, processing, the long-distance
transport and the regional distribution to the refinery) and forms
the basis of all refinery product inventories in their GaBi databases.
Companies were asked to provide crude name, the region of
origin, extraction technology and mode of transportation. In many
cases, primary information on the extraction technology was not
available, in which case it was selected and modeled based on
the crude name. When the name alone did not provide enough
information to select an extraction technology, it was modeled
using the region of origin’s average crude slate mix as a proxy.
35
 Table 1: Crude oil extraction method of AI asphalt binder
Category of extraction technology Percentage (by mass)
Crude from oil sands 44%
Primary extraction 22%
Secondary extraction 16%
Tertiary extraction, steam injection 15%

Asphalt Distributors Tertiary extraction, CO2 injection 1%

Tertiary extraction, nitrogen injection 1%
Tertiary extraction, natural gas injection 1%
Other (refinery products) <1%

The resulting average crude oil slate for North

American asphalt binder was used and represents
a mix of conventional (primary, secondary and
ChipSpreaders tertiary production) and unconventional (oil sands,
in-situ) extraction technologies (Table 1).
AI member’s asphalt binder products are manufactured
in Canada and the United States, with 85 percent
of crude oil sourced from those nations.

Asphalt production
Crude oil refinery activities begin with the input of
crude oil. Crude is fed to the desalter where it is partially
Asphalt Transports heated and mixed with water to dissolve salts. The water
is separated and removed. The crude oil then enters
the atmospheric distillation unit, where it is heated
and distilled. All products lighter than heavy gas oil
vaporize and the energy required for vaporization is fully
attributable to those lighter products. The residue from
the atmospheric distillation is introduced to the vacuum
distillation unit. The atmospheric residue is heated and
further distilled under a vacuum, vaporizing all gas oils
Live Bottom Trailers and any remaining diesel, with asphalt remaining as a
hot liquid in the bottom of the vacuum distillation tower.
The hot asphalt passes through heat exchangers
alongside other refinery feeds, mostly in the crude
and vacuum distillation units, to return heat to
the process, before going to asphalt storage.
While process-specific electricity, thermal energy, water
usage and emissions would have been preferred, these
data points were not available. Therefore, refinery-level
Heavy Duty Trailers data were collected for site-wide consumption of electricity,
thermal energy, and water as well as direct emissions and
allocated to the asphalt product as described earlier.

Asphalt terminal
E. D. Etnyre & Co. The processes within each refinery were vertically
www.etnyre.com aggregated first and then combined into one
800-995-2116 production-weighted average. This average asphalt
email: sales@etnyre.com production process then provided the input of
asphalt to the average terminal process.

36
 Table 2: Impact assessment, per kg (IPCC 2013, EPA 2012)
Asphalt binder, Asphalt binder, Asphalt binder, Asphalt binder,
Impact Category Unit
no additives with 8% GTR with 0.5% PPA with 3.5% SBS
IPCC AR5
Global warming potential [GWP100] kg CO2 eq 0.637 0.621 0.654 0.765
Global warming potential [GWP20] kg CO2 eq 0.766 0.745 0.786 0.918
TRACI 2.1
Acidification potential (AP) kg SO2 eq 1.78E-03 1.69E-03 1.96E-03 2.12E-03
Eutrophication potential (EP) kg N eq 1.66E-04 1.57E-04 1.69E-04 1.82E-04
Smog formation potential (SFP) kg O3 eq 0.0360 0.0347 0.0365 0.0427
Fossil fuel consumption (FF) MJ (NCV) 5.32 4.98 5.36 5.66
Total use of non-renewable primary energy
MJ (NCV) 53.2 52.2 53.5 55.2
resources (PED)
Use of net fresh water (excl. rain water) L 1.01 0.92 1.06 1.44
Use of net fresh water (incl. rain water) L 1.68 1.57 1.76 2.40

At the asphalt terminal, hot liquid asphalt is stored, additives
(GTR, SBS, or PPA) are mixed or milled into the asphalt, and
the asphalt is then stored. The terminals consume electricity
(mainly used for milling) and thermal energy (used for
storage). Terminals can be either co-located with the refinery
or off-site. For the study, all participating companies were
located off-site. Inbound transportation from the refinery
to the terminal is a production weighted average of the
distances and modes collected from the companies.
Results
The reported impact categories represent impact potentials,
i.e., they are approximations of environmental impacts that
could occur if the emissions (a) followed the underlying impact
pathway and (b) met certain conditions in the receiving
environment while doing so. In addition, the inventory only
captures that fraction of the total environmental load that
corresponds to the chosen functional unit (relative approach).
Results are therefore relative expressions only and do not
predict actual impacts, the exceeding of thresholds, safety
margins, or risks. Table 2 presents the total cradle-to-gate
environmental impact results for all four products.
Figure 1 presents the relative results of asphalt without
additives leaving the terminal, broken down by crude oil
extraction and transport refinery operations, and terminal
operations (including transport to the terminal).

Figure 1: Overall impacts of asphalt binder, no additives [TRACI 2.1, except PED (non-renew.) and Water (incl. rain)]

37

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A critical review of the completed study report was conducted
by a panel of three outside experts. Their findings were that:
• the approach, described in the report, used to
carry out the LCA is consistent with the ISO
14040:2006 principles and framework and the ISO
14044:2006 requirements and guidelines,
• the methods used in the LCA are scientifically and
technically valid as much as the peer-reviewers were
able to determine without having access to the LCA
model and the data collection information,
• the interpretations of the results reflect the limitations
identified in the goals of the study, and
• the report is transparent concerning the study steps and
consistent for the purposes of the stated goals of the study.
Conclusions
The extraction of the crude oil is the primary driver of all
potential environmental impacts, due most significantly to
the use of crude oil from oil sands or crudes extracted via a
tertiary method. At the refinery itself, electricity is the most
significant single driver of impact followed by on-site thermal
energy generation and associated direct emissions. Terminal
operations can contribute up to 20 percent of potential
environmental impacts without additives, driven primary
by thermal energy and inbound transport of the asphalt.
This study achieved its goals in creating an LCI that fairly
represents the asphalt binder industry in North America. By
combining the primary data collected from participants with
the secondary data available through the Gabi database,
the Asphalt Institute and Thinkstep have created the
most accurate and representative LCI data for the region
available at the time of the report publication. Updates
to these datasets are expected on a periodic basis.
Dr. Buncher is the Director of Engineering
for the Asphalt Institute.
References
ISO. 2006. ISO 14040: Environmental management – Life cycle
assessment – Principles and framework. Geneva: International
Organization for Standardization.
ISO. 2006. ISO 14044: Environmental management – Life cycle
assessment – Requirements and guidelines. Geneva: International
Organization for Standardization.
EPA. 2012. Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and
other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) – User’s Manual. Washington,
D.C.: U.S. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/tool-reduction-
and-assessment-chemicals-and-other-environmental-impacts-traci.
IPCC. 2013. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Genf,
Schweiz: IPCC.
More information on AI’s LCA Study, including the final
report and LCI datasets, are available at asphaltinstitute.
org/engineering/lca-study-on-asphalt-binders/
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Dr. Kamal Hossain, Ph.D., PEng is an Assistant Professor at Memorial University in Canada.
What drew
you to
transportation
engineering?
During my undergraduate study in civil
engineering in Bangladesh, I chose the
structure and transportation option
and completed several transportation
courses. I still remember Dr. Moazzem’s
pavement design and Dr. Zakaria’s
asphalt classes. I found those educa-
tional, informational and the materials
we covered were very practical and
we see those applications every time
we walk outside. During my graduate
studies at the University of Waterloo in
Canada, the courses I took in the trans-
portation field also drew my interest.
My doctoral project was very practi-
cal – investigating the performance of
various alternative and conventional
anti-icing materials to improve winter
road conditions. From there, I fell in love
with understanding material behavior,
developing performance models and
practical applications from research.
What are you learning
about North American
weather and how it affects
asphalt pavements?
By living in Ontario, Illinois and New-
foundland over the past eight years, I
can tell you how much the climate can
change between the regions and even
within a small geographic area. For ex-
ample, you can not imagine, how much
precipitation we see in Newfoundland - it
is either rain, drizzle, fog deposition in
summer or snow and flurries in winter.
And, you know water is the enemy of
asphalt. As the climate can significantly
vary, I strongly recommend that every
distinct jurisdiction should develop their
own asphalt and mix characterization
systems. And, they should develop con-
struction specifications relative to their
own climate to enhance pavement du-
rability and reduce maintenance costs.
Which performance
prediction models
are you finding work
best with asphalt?
Being an early-career researcher,
I feel like there are already many
developments and models in asphalt
performance analysis and the asphalt
community is continuously trying to
further these developments. This is
excellent but can easily be confusing to
select “the best.” I think the pavement
community needs to continuously review
and publish those models in each sector
of pavement engineering for greater
benefits of the whole community, stake-
holders and beyond - to have an impact
worldwide. Remember, infrastructure
is the highest consumer of tax dollars.
How will energy harvesting
in smart asphalt pavements
change the way we
construct roads?
The world has over 64 million kilometers
of road. I like the idea that we need to
We talk with leading
educators and researchers
to learn more about the
people and topics of
asphalt technology.
try to use these roads for a secondary
purpose. Harvesting energy from the
road, although it is a relatively new idea,
is the right direction to move forward in
my opinion. Therefore, the government
sector should undertake more research
initiatives to advance this idea and
generate knowledge in this area. Ques-
tions to ask include “how can we adapt
our asphalt mixture to accommodate
piezoelectric semiconductors”, “can we
use ‘larger aggregates’ in the surface
mixes”, “what will be the pavement
maintenance implications on mixtures
with semiconductors” and – above all
“what will be the cost-benefit analysis?”
Lots of questions need to be asked and
then answered through research before
this becomes a mass scale initiative.
Where should today’s
students focus their
asphalt research?
From a topical perspective, I think
today’s researchers should work on the
further development of technologies that
can help understand asphalt perfor-
mance better, quicker and more eco-
nomically. In addition, I think we need to
research how to design pavements to be
more resilient to the impacts of climate
change. Another area is the adaptation
of our pavement design, construction
and management system for a new gen-
eration of autonomous and electric ve-
hicular traffic. And, whatever the topics
they work on, they need to couple their
research with practical applications.
41
LAB CORNER
By Mike Anderson, P.E.
E
arlier articles have already
established my nerdy tendencies
as a youth, so I’ll spare you
the recap. Just suffice it to
say that when a show came
out on Netflix about strange
happenings in a small Indiana town in the 1980s
centered around a group of kids who loved
playing Dungeons and Dragons – I was all in.
In “Stranger Things” there is a weird other
dimension with scary things that had properties
the characters didn’t understand. There were
unusual powers that challenged the characters’
understanding of the world. There was a
reference to New Coke, which, as a Coca-Cola
fan in the eighties, I hated with a passion.
All good stuff. The nostalgia was acute...
...and reminded me of my start in the asphalt
industry with the Kentucky Department of Highways
in 1987. I still remember being introduced then to our
first project using polymer modified asphalt (PMA). I
knew what to expect with asphalt cement but had no
idea how this PMA behaved. It definitely was gooey
(that’s a technical term, by the way) and stretchy and
tough to get off mixing tools easily. It was almost
other-worldly to me. It challenged my (admittedly
limited) understanding of the basic asphalt world.
42
Polymer
olymer modified asphalt wasn’t really new
in the late 1980s, but it was certainly not widely
used in North America. The SHRP (Strategic
Highway Research Program) recognized the
potential future of PMA and set about trying to
develop a performance-based grading system for
asphalt binders that would be equally usable for
unmodified and modified asphalt binders. Thus,
the PG Asphalt Binder Specification was born.
While the PG Asphalt Binder Specification
was a definite advancement it was not
perfect – particularly in characterizing the
properties of PMA. This led user agencies to
add tests to the PG Specification specifically to
characterize the elastic behavior of PMA.
The most common of the added elastic behavior
tests was the Elastic Recovery (ER) test described
in AASHTO T301 and ASTM D6084. It was run in a
manner similar to the Ductility test – a procedure
used in previous grading systems – so familiarity
was a key for those user agencies who chose it. The
specimen molds looked the same, just substituting
flat, parallel side pieces for the standard v-shaped
side pieces. Instead of seeing how far the asphalt
binder sample would stretch, the test was performed
by pulling the specimen to a fixed distance (10 or
20 cm) then stopping the displacement, cutting the
 The most common
specimen in the middle and waiting an hour for the
elastic behavior to do its thing, drawing the cut ends of the added elastic
behavior tests was
back like a rubber band that has been stretched
and released. The final step was to manually push
the cut ends back until they touched and measure
the displacement from the original position. The
closer the final displacement was to the starting the Elastic Recovery
point the more elastic recovery had transpired.

The problem was that the amount of elastic

recovery measured in the ER test was not really
related to performance – at least not directly.
It told the asphalt technologist that there was
elastic behavior present, which was what most
users wanted to know, but that was about it. An
asphalt binder with an ER of 85 percent may or
may not perform better in service than an asphalt
binder with an ER of 75 percent. Other tests like
Force Ductility and Toughness & Tenacity tried to
take that recovery a bit further by measuring the
force that was sustained by the asphalt binder
as it was stretched. The Multiple Stress Creep
Recovery (MSCR) test took a different approach
by using the DSR, with multiple cycles of shear
stress (1-second loading) followed by recovery (nine
seconds). The shear strain at the end of the loading
(creep) portion and the shear strain at the end of
the recovery portion were used to determine the
amount of recovery exhibited by the asphalt binder.
(ER) test.
The bottom line is that if you want to
understand the elastic behavior of PMA you
may need to stretch the asphalt binder in some
way - whether by pulling axially or by applying
repeated shearing. You may find it helps you
understand stretchier things better.
For information on Asphalt Institute’s laboratory
training, research, and testing services please
contact Mike Anderson (manderson@asphaltinstitute.
org) or Gary Irvine (girvine@asphaltinstitute.org).
We’ll respond promptly and truthfully because we
like to think we’re your friends in the asphalt lab
world. And friends don’t lie.
Mike Anderson is the Director of Research and Laboratory Services at the Asphalt Institute.

43
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2019
October 23-24 » Portland, Maine
NEAUPG Annual Fall Meeting
neaupg.uconn.edu
November 5-7 » Newport Beach, California
Airport Pavement Technical Workshop
asphaltinstitute.org
November 18-21 » Baton Rouge, Louisiana
SEAUPG Annual Meeting
seaupg.org
December 11-12 » Richmond, Virginia
Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Expo & Conference
midatlanticasphaltexpo.vaasphalt.org
2020
January 12-16 » Washington, D.C.
2020 TRB Annual Meeting
trb.org
February 4-6 » Dallas, Texas
International Roofing Expo
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February 17-21 » San Antonio, Texas
AEMA-ARRA-ISSA Annual Meeting
roadresource.org
44
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