Field Performance Characteristics Of Warm Mix Asphalt (Wma) With Various Additives

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies are the greatest advancement in asphalt technology that allows mixing and compaction at significantly lower temperatures than regular hot mix asphalt (HMA). Though laboratory characterization of WMA technologies were addressed in numerous past studies, the long-term field performance characteristics are not clearly understood. This study evaluates long-term field performances of various WMA technologies in comparison to regular HMA. The study utilized the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) specific pavement studies (SPS-10) project. The LTPP SPS-10 project includes (1) control HMA, (2) foaming, (3) Evotherm, (4) Cecabase 1, and (5) Cecabase 2 mixtures. Cecabase 2 mixture consists of a polymer modified binder (PG 70-28+), where the other mixtures consist of PG 70-28 binder. Field performances such as rutting, moisture damage, cracking, individual distress index (IDI), international roughness index (IRI), and pavement condition rating (PCR) were evaluated based on Mandli.s pavement profile scanner, a laser-based distress evaluation technology. The study found that WMA exhibits slightly higher rutting but lower cracking compared to HMA. The overall conditions of WMA mixtures were found as equivalent as regular HMA based on IRI and PCR.