Low-Temperature Requirements for Bitumen in Central East European Road Construction

The paper presents the proposition of special assessment of low-temperature requirements for bitumens in the region of Central and Eastern Europe where there is a moderate transitional area from sea to the continental type of climate. The results of the research program conducted on the road neat bitumens, Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene polymer and polymer-rubber modified bitumen, and multigrade bitumen types were presented and discussed. Based on the Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements Performance Grade procedure for low temperatures, climatic zones in Poland were developed and compared to analogous zones for other countries from the Central and Eastern Europe region as Estonia and Belarus. The results of functional Performance Grade tests and European standard test of bituminous binders were analysed. It was concluded that some of the bitumens were not meet the performance requirements in the range of low temperatures by Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements Superpave specification and the low-temperature properties of those bitumens should be improved.