Effect of cooling medium on low-temperature properties of asphalt binder

The characterisation of asphalt binder at low temperature is of fundamental importance for selecting and designing asphalt materials with good and durable performance in regions experiencing severely cold climates. The current specification addresses this issue based on the Performance Grading (PG) system, developed during the Strategic Highway Research Program, and on low-temperature creep tests performed on asphalt binder with the Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR). Recently, an alternative experimental method was proposed to relate the complex modulus, obtained with the Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) at low temperature, to the BBR creep stiffness. However, while DSR tests are performed in air, BBR relies on an ethanol bath for conditioning the binder specimens, making the relation between complex modulus and creep stiffness dependent on the specific cooling medium. In this paper, the effect of cooling medium on the low PG and on the rheological properties obtained from DSR and BBR tests is experimentally investigated and modelled. First, DSR and BBR tests, in ethanol and air, are performed on a set of different asphalt binders. Then, a relationship between the complex modulus in the time domain and the creep stiffness obtained both in ethanol and air is derived and the low PG for both cooling media is estimated. Finally, 2 Springs 2 Parabolic Elements 1 Dashpot and the Huet models are used to compare the effect of ethanol and air on the rheological properties of the asphalt binders. It is found that air results into higher creep stiffness and smaller m-values compared to ethanol. The two rheological models indicate that, only in the case of air, complex modulus and creep stiffness present the same kernel model parameters. This suggests that the low performance grade, obtained from BBR tests in ethanol, is strongly affected by the cooling medium, as well as the recently proposed procedure based on DSR tests. Based on the finding of the present research, the use of air for BBR creep tests is recommended.