01025694

Component

Bituminous sealants are applied to cracks and joints in pavements, bridges and other civil engineering structures. The sealants are generally applied at 180°C to 200°C, a temperature at which the sealant can degrade. In an effort to better understand the effect of installation on sealant properties, a sealant was collected at regular interval during its installation and analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG), and dynamic shear rheometry (DSR). The analysis of the aged sealants showed that the sealant was in its most degraded state early in the morning due to long pre-installation heating times around 150°C, which caused non-oxidative degradation. The degradation occurred at temperatures below the recommended installation temperatures. The degradation led to sealant stiffening, which was found to arise from a change in polymer structure, and from a loss in bitumen and polymer contents. This loss of organic material led to a relative increase in filler content. It is concluded that sealant preparation conditions, prior to installation, should be better controlled to optimize sealant performance.

01020180

06-0759

English

18p

2006

Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting

CD-ROM

Figures (16) ; References (14) ; Tables (2)

Bituminous coatings; Bituminous mixtures; Gel permeation chromatography; Heat; High temperature; Infrared spectroscopy; Pavement cracking; Seal coats; Thermogravimetric analysis

Dynamic shear rheometry

Highways; Materials; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2006 Paper #06-0759

BTRIS, TRIS, TRB

Mar 3 2006 10:27AM