Advanced Asphalt Technology and Mix Design

Posted in Engineering - Oil & Gas

Advanced Asphalt Technology and Mix Design

📅 Duration: 5 Days
🎯 Target Audience: Expert Road Engineers in Public Construction Authorities
👷 Skill Level: Advanced

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
✔ Understand asphalt material properties and selection criteria.
✔ Design and optimize asphalt mix compositions for various road applications.
✔ Apply Superpave, Marshall, and other advanced mix design methods.
✔ Evaluate asphalt binder performance and modification techniques.
✔ Implement innovative asphalt technologies like warm mix asphalt (WMA), polymer-modified asphalt (PMA), and high-recycled content mixtures.
✔ Perform laboratory and field tests for asphalt quality control.
✔ Develop durable, cost-effective, and sustainable asphalt pavement solutions.

Course Outline:

🟢 Day 1: Fundamentals of Asphalt Technology

🔹 Composition and properties of asphalt binders and aggregates.
🔹 Asphalt types: Conventional, polymer-modified, rubberized asphalt.
🔹 Performance grading (PG) and penetration grading of asphalt binders.
🔹 Asphalt aging and durability considerations.
🔹 Case study: Analysis of asphalt failure causes in a highway project.

🟢 Day 2: Asphalt Mix Design Methods and Performance Testing

🔹 Marshall mix design and volumetric analysis.
🔹 Superpave mix design: Selection of binder, aggregate gradation, compaction.
🔹 Stone matrix asphalt (SMA) and gap-graded asphalt mixtures.
🔹 Laboratory tests: Volumetrics, stability, flow, rutting resistance, fatigue life.
🔹 Case study: Comparing Marshall and Superpave mix designs for high-traffic roads.

🟢 Day 3: Advanced Asphalt Technologies and Modifications

🔹 Polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) for improved performance.
🔹 Warm mix asphalt (WMA) vs. hot mix asphalt (HMA).
🔹 Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS).
🔹 Additives: Anti-stripping agents, rejuvenators, fibers.
🔹 Case study: Designing an asphalt mix with high recycled content.

🟢 Day 4: Asphalt Pavement Performance and Quality Control

🔹 Field compaction techniques and density requirements.
🔹 Asphalt performance tests: Rutting, fatigue cracking, moisture damage resistance.
🔹 Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD).
🔹 Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for asphalt pavements.
🔹 Case study: Assessing asphalt pavement deterioration and proposing solutions.

🟢 Day 5: Case Study & Real-World Application

🔹 Hands-on case study: Designing an advanced asphalt mix for a high-performance road.
🔹 Group discussion: Challenges in implementing new asphalt technologies.
🔹 Presentation of proposed mix designs and performance evaluations.
🔹 Course assessment and feedback session.

🛠 Tools & Software Used:

✅ Superpave Mix Design Software – For asphalt grading and selection.
✅ Pave3D / Pavement ME Design – For performance-based asphalt design.
✅ Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) & Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) – For asphalt binder testing.