4/13/2017

EAL339
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

WARM MIX ASPHALT

Prof. Meor Othman Hamzah

Session 2016/17
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Bitumen is a crude oil derivative, price of crude oil has increased

July 3, 2008, crude oil price peaked at USD146 per barrel
Current bitumen price: RM1700/ton and fluctuating

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Ability of the oil industries to crack bitumen

ESCALATES PRICE OF BITUMEN!

Lobby by the concrete industries for more rigid pavements

MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL – To ensure well being

(sustainability) of the Malaysian asphalt industries

USM tagline - Transforming Higher Education for a

Sustainable Tomorrow

SARG at PPKA, USM

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Uncertainties in the crude oil industry

Intensive efforts to unravel alternative sources of energy other than crude
oil particularly from wind farms and solar energy
Looking at current developments in the oil industry, if the asphalt industry
do business as usual, THEN
.. bitumen supply will be extremely scarce….?
… or the price of bitumen will be too high such that concrete roads will be
more attractive
Or bitumen left behind will be those of low quality

Sustainable asphalt research at USM:

 Warm Mix Asphalt
 Asphalt Recycling (RAP)
 Porous asphalt
 Use of waste materials for instance crumb rubber, steel slag
 Use of natural asphalt

Also European research and practices related to sustainable

development in asphalt technology
The way forward

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WARM MIX ASPHALT (WMA)

Materials, advantages compared to hot

mix asphalt, WMA technologies that
encompasses organic, chemical additives
and foam techniques, properties, mix
design, production and construction
technique

Mixing temperature at 175oC (not greater than 180 and

not less than 140oC). The temperature not lower than
175oC because:
 Wet aggregates (especially during rainy days) to make
sure the material dry completely and enhance bonding
between sprayed bitumen with aggregates.
 Haul distance between plant to site, (to make sure the
premix can maintain the ideal temperature during
laying time, well insulated trucks?)
 Waiting time –(sometime machineries breakdown at
site/traffic jam)
 Environment (during raining day/winter season,
temperature will drop faster than usual)

The solution = WARM MIX ASPHALT

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ASPHALT MIX CLASSIFICATION

WMA are mixes that are manufactured and spread at lower
temperatures than HMA. This temperature reduction of 20-40 C
has led to the following temperature based classification of
asphalt mixes:
 HMA (190-150 C)
 WMA(100-140 C)
 Half-Warm Mix Asphalt or HWMA (60-100 C)
 Cold Mix Asphalt (0-40 C)

Air Voids
Mix Type
Range (%)
Dense asphalt concrete 4–5
Semi-dense asphalt
9 – 16
concrete
Half open top layer 16 – 19
Porous asphalt >19

THE MOTIVATION - KYOTO PROTOCOL

Important to take steps to reduce emissions since Malaysia had ratified the
Kyoto Protocol on September 4, 2002. Near universal acceptance.
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997
The Kyoto Protocol implemented the objective of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change to fight global warming by reducing
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to "a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system"

non-Annex B parties without binding targets

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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21

was held in Paris from 30 November to 12 December 2015.
It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the
Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th
session of the Meeting of the Parties to the 1997 Kyoto
Protocol.

Some facts from BBC website on climate issues

Average earth surface temperature has increased by 0.85oC
over the last 100 years since we began industrialisation
13 of the 14 warmest year in the 21st century took place during
year 2015
2015 is the warmest year on record
The concentration of CO2, the main GHG, in the atmosphere
reached a record high in May 2015.

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The effects:
Higher temperatures, extreme/unconventional weather
conditions,
Melting of the ice: since 1900, sea level has risen by 19 cm
globally.

End of October 2016, countries had submitted national

climate (binding) plans to curb emissions.
According to a UN report, submissions in the current form
will result in a 2.7oC temperature rise above pre-industrial
levels by the year 2100.
If temperature rises surpasses 2oC, this will lead to
substantial and dangerous climate impacts, which will hit
the worlds poor in particular.

The top GHG emitters: USA (12%), EU(9%), India (6%),

Brazil (6%), Russia (5%), Japan (3%), Canada (2%),
Indonesia (1.5%)

THE NEED FOR WARM MIX ASPHALT

HMA is premier material for roadway construction for many years
Involves blending hot aggregates with hot binders
Transport to the site and compact while hot
Cool down and then open to traffic
However, for many years, industry has been looking for ways to reduce
temperature/energy consumption to produce HMA
Also reduce GHG emissions (construction sector emissions represented
only about 1.5% of overall greenhouse emissions in Australia in 1997–
1998. In total, 23% GHG comes from the transportation industry)

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THE NEED FOR WARM MIX ASPHALT

Possible if mixing and compaction temperatures are reduced –

Warm Mix Asphalt or WMA
WMA technologies allow asphalt production and field compaction
to be carried out at lower temperatures using conventional plants
and machineries
Every major conference has a dedicated session on WMA

One pillar of sustainable development is environmental

protection

Good reference spurce: http://www.warmmixasphalt.org/

GOALS FOR WARM MIX ASPHALT

Use existing hot-mix asphalt plants

Meet existing standards for HMA specifications
Focus on dense-graded mixes for wearing
courses
WMA quality= hot mix asphalt quality

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Currently, blending asphalt and

bitumen at 160oC
Lowering mixing and compaction
temperatures implicates:
 Reduce energy consumption cost
(for heating) to produce asphalt in
the mixing plant
 Up to 60% savings in diesel/burning
fuel
 50°F reduction in temperature results in
fuel savings between 30 to 35%

Reduce plant emissions

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 Reduce greenhouse gas production

 Reduce emissions (CO2, CO, SO2, Nox, CH4) hence
health/productivity of construction workers (paving crew)

According to estimates by Hanz and Bahia, (2011), each 10°C

reduction in the mixture production temperature decreases fuel oil
consumption by 1 litre and CO2 emission by 1 kg per ton
 Generation of Carbon Credit

According to Chantal (2009), depending on technique used, WMA

can save energy by 35%, CO2 and NOx emission reduced to 40% and
70%, respectively

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Half WMA

Volatile Organic Compounds Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

Fuel Consumption and Stack emissions

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Ability to place thick lifts and open to traffic in a short time

period
Improved compaction at lower temperatures
WMA more wore workable even when asphalt handled
manually

 Cooler working conditions

Paving crew like WMA because it is ‘less smelly’
– improved productivity
Workers working on HMA projects constantly exposed to fumes
behind pavers. Health effects from prolonged exposure to fumes
include headache, skin rash, fatigue, reduced appetite, throat and eye
irritation, cough and skin cancer

Paving at 145oC

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 WMA is needed for paving in tunnel area

 Longer haul distance
 Less time taken for asphalt to cool down and open (turn over) to
traffic. The greater the differential between the mix and ambient
temperatures, the faster the mix cools. WMA cools slower
 Able to extend paving window (technical weather)

Less temperature segregation

HMA WMA

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Longer Binder Life

Low temperature means lower oxidation
Softer binder compared to HMA implies lesser adverse effects
due to aging

Decrease equipment wear and tear (asphalt mixing plants and

machineries)
Asphalt production and field compaction to be carried out at lower
temperatures using conventional plants and machineries

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Significant research already completed

All applications of HMA have been tried:
 Dense-graded
 SMA
 Porous asphalt
 WMA plus RAP
Easier to market/convince road authorities to implement

The future looks warm!

WMA technologies began in Europe

1995-1996 - First European experiments
1997-99 – First pavements constructed in Europe
1997 - German Bitumen Forum in 1997. At that time, the Kyoto
protocol on greenhouse gas reduction was in the process of
being adopted by the EU.
Since then, a number of products and processes for HMA
temperature reduction was developed in Europe and USA.
Despite being a European invention, rapid application of WMA
took place in the USA beginning with European scan tour in
2002 and 2007. More than 75 field trials up to year 2008 on all
types of asphalt mixes
Regarded as the FUTURE OF ASPHALT MIX IN THE USA by
the then NAPA President
ADVANTAGES OUTWEIGH CONCERN

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In 2005: 3 technologies
In 2011: 30+ technologies
In 2015: more!
(difficult to find HMA?)

Speech and Award Ceremony, 5th Eurasphalt and Eurobitume Congress, Istanbul,
13-15 June 2012 by Mr. Jean-Louis Marchand, President of EAPA

“Some American friends came to Europe in 2002. They discovered

the warm mixes we had invented. They understood immediately that
it was the right answer to reduce fumes”
“They produced about 100 million tons of warm mixes last year
(2011), 30% of their production, while in Europe we produce less
than 2% of warm mixes” Jean-Louis Marchand

From email communications with Professor Ray Brown:

2009: 6.3% of mixes were WMA

2010: 15.0% of mixes were WMA
2011: 23.5% of mixes were WMA
2012: 30.8% of mixes were WMA

“More Than a Third of All Asphalt Mixes Made With Warm

Mix”

One day, WMA will overtake HMA in terms of production?

NAPA first brought warm-mix technology to the United States from
Europe in 2002 (International Scan Tour)
http://www.asphaltpavement.org/

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Regarded as a very potential material to contribute towards

sustainability
Will be placed in abundance in the near future
In France, from 57,000 tons in 2005 to 600,000 tons in 2008
representing 1.5% of annual asphalt production (40 m ton)
In 2013, 3.55 million tons of WMA

Impressive record considering research and field trial of

WMA only begun in 2000 and 2002, respectively.

EUROPEAN BITUMEN CONSUMPTION IN 2015

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EUROPEAN WMA PRODUCTION FROM 2013 TO 2015 (100 - 150°C )

EUROPE (WMA BIRTH PLACE) VERSUS USA

The benefits of WMA are obvious, especially

significant reduction of fumes and improved working
environment, reduced energy consumption and carbon
footprinting,… many other (perceived) benefits

Quality equal to Hot Mix Asphalt

So why is Europe (on average) struggling to implement
and the US succeeding?

Widely implementation requires a wanted shift in the

industry

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HOW TO SUCCEED WITH IMPLEMENTATION

The need for national specifications

The need for change must be understood and accepted and
broad involvement of key stakeholders is necessary
Key customers/purchasers of asphalt products play a very
important role -support
Willingness and plan to implement. Strategic targets.
If possible, economic incentives will boost implementation
Specifications on temperatures can be a barrier to
implementation

HOW TO SUCCEED WITH IMPLEMENTATION

"Warm-mix asphalt is a tool in the tool box, but it's

not yet ready for prime-time. The technology will
prove very useful if environmental regulations
become tighter in defining limits for greenhouse
gases. In ozone-non-attainment areas, for
example, warm mix may be a way for plants to
operate longer on a daily basis. Warm mix also
could allow contractors to extend their paving
season, or to haul greater distances from plants.”

Dave Newcomb- NAPA 3/1/2007

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DISADVANTAGES

 Slight higher cost (lacking in volume) because

there are still reservations to using them/no
home grown additives but compensated with
RAP
 Lack of data concerning their long-term
performance
 Lack of environmental awareness (asphalt
production cost versus environmental
conservation)
 Greater moisture susceptibility due to lower
temperatures/use of granites
 Coating and bonding problems

LONG TERM PERFORMANCE OF WMA

Evidently if WMA does not perform well throughout its life cycle,
there will be no benefits or energy savings. Due to the relative
newness of these products, field test sections are still few in
number, and they also have a short life (seven years in the USA
and over ten years in certain European countries). For this reason,
it is not as yet possible to talk about-long term performance. To
date, in the USA no significantly negative long term performance
has been reported (Chowdhury and Button, 2008), and in Europe
the trial sections of WMA have performed as well as or better than
HMA overlays (D’Angelo et al., 2008). It is important to highlight
that, whereas in the USA tests have been performed by public
organisms (Departments of Transportation), in Europe they have
been carried out by the private companies that market the
products. Evidently, this means that at least in certain cases, the
evaluation of WMA technologies is somewhat less objective.

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THANK
YOU

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