Comparison between the aging processes for asphalt mixtures and those for asphalt binders

The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) has proposed a short-term oven aging (STOA) process to simulate the aging effects of hot mixing and construction process on asphalt mixtures, and a long-term oven aging (LTOA) process to simulate the effects of additional aging of asphalt mixtures in service for 5 to 10 years. In the SHRP Superpave Binder Specifications, the conventional. Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) Test is used to simulate the effects of the hot-mix process on a binder, and the Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) is used to simulate additional aging of the binder in service. This study evaluated the effects of the SHRP STOA and LTOA by comparing their effects on the asphalt binders with those produced by the RTFOT and the PAV processes.