BITUMINOUS MATERIALS

Bitumen is defined as an amorphous, black or dark-

colored, (solid, semi-solid, or viscous) cementitious

substance, composed principally of high molecular
weight hydrocarbons, and soluble in carbon disulfide.

IMPORTANCE AND
BACKGROUND
essential component of any pavement
the building block
strongly bind and hold the other pavement components

together and provide a smooth and leveled surface

used as a sealant and adhesive material
used in the water proofing of boats and ships as it is
insoluble in water.

THE HISTORY OF BITUMEN ENGINEERING

Bitumen is described as mankinds oldest engineering

material.
Nearly 3000 years BC, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia
used bitumen to fasten ivory or pearl into the eye sockets
of their statues.
About 600 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon rebuilt
the city wall, which he intends to restrain the water of the
Euphrates with burnt bricks and bitumen because the old
wall which is made of dried clay bricks had failed to keep
the waters at the bay.

PROPERTIES OF BITUMINOUS MATERIALS

Adhesive: Binds together all the components without bringing about

any positive or negative changes in their properties.

Water proof: Bitumen is insoluble in water and can serve as an
effective sealant
Strong: Though the coarse aggregates are the main load bearing
component in a pavement, bitumen or asphalt also play a vital role in
distributing the traffic loads to the layers beneath.
Durable: Bitumen lives upto twenty years if maintained properly
throughout the pavement life.
Versatile: Bitumen is a relatively easy to use material because of its
thermoplastic property. It can be spread easily along the underlying
pavement layers as it liquefies when heated making the job easier
and hardens in a solid mass when cooled.
Economical: It is available in cheaper rates almost all over the world

TEST OF FLOW OF PROPERTIES

The viscous or flow properties of bitumens are of

importance, both at the high temperatures encountered in

processing and application and at the low temperatures to
which bitumens are subjected in service. Flow properties
are complex, and as a result, tests have been formulated
to measure the consistency of the materials at
temperatures comparable to those encountered during
the service life of the bitumen.

TEST OF FLOW OF PROPERTIES

The Penetration Test
Measures the depth of penetration in tenths of millimeters of a weight needle into
a bitumen during a period of time at a given temp.
Softening Point Test

Measures the temperature degrees Celsius at which a steel ball falls a known
distance through the bitumen
Ductility Test
Are conducted to determine the amount a bitumen will stretch at temperatures
below its softening point
Viscosity Tests

Are used to determine the flow characteristics of asphalts in the range of

temperatures used during application
Flash Point Test
Indicates the temperature to which asphalt cement can be safely heated without
danger of flash. A brass cup is partially filled with cement and heated at a prescribed
rate. A small flame is place over the surface of the sample
Thin Film Oven Test

Test is used to obtain a general indication of the amount of hardening which may
be expected to occur in an asphalt cement during the plant operation.

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Cutback Bitumen:

Cut-back bitumens are

those which are prepared
with the addition of a
volatile to reduce the
thickness of the binder.

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Bitumen emulsions
Frequently the bitumen that
been applied to mineral
aggregates substrates in road
construction is in the form called
bitumen emulsion. Bitumen
emulsions are the dispersion of
bitumen in an aqueous
continuous condition and been
stabilized by the addition of
emulsifier

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Multi-grade Bitumen
This type of bitumen is chemically modified bitumen. It

has multi properties that are properties of hard paving

bitumen at high service temperature with the properties of
soft paving grades bitumen at low temperature. Multigrade bitumen gives improvement in resistance to
deformation

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Industrial bitumen
Industrial bitumen also known

as oxidized bitumen. This

bitumen is made by blowing
air through hot paving grade
bitumen called blowing
process. The result from
blowing process is a product
that softens bitumen at higher
temperature than provide by
paving grade bitumen softens.

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Fluxed Bitumen
Fluxed bitumens are those

bitumen which are

prepared by the addition
of relatively non volatile
oils to reduce the viscosity
of the binder.

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Modified Bitumen
Modified bituminous binder

are those whose properties

such as cohesive strength,
adhesive property, elasticity
or viscosity have been
modified by the use of one or
combined chemical agents.

TYPES OF BITUMENOUS
MATERIALS
Asphalt
Asphalt is a mixture of

aggregates both fine (sand and

filler) and coarse (stone) and a
bituminous binder. It typically
contains approximately 4-7% of
bitumen. Asphalt is primarily
used in road construction and its
properties depend upon the type,
size and amount of aggregate
used in the mixture, all of which
can be adjusted to provide the
required properties for the
desired application.

USES OF BITUMENS
Waterproof coating and membranes
Used to provide a waterproof coating for walls and to make

waterproof membranes in buildings

Asphalt pavement
Asphalt cutbacks and emulsions have their greatest use in

road construction
Accounts for about 85% of amount produced in North
America
Asphalts in pavements acts as a binder for the aggregates, in
this capacity as a cement, the asphalts are usually semisolid
Before it can be mixed with the aggregate the asphalt must
be made liquid by heating, and cutting with solvent or by
emulsifying with water

USES OF BITUMENS
Asphalt shingles
Asphalt shingles are made from heavy rag felt, saturated with asphalt and

coated with high melting point flexible asphalt

Ceramic coated mineral granules are pressed into the asphalt coating on
the exposed face to provide a fire resistant surface.
Built up roofing
Built up roofing is term applied to a type of roofing made by building up

successive layers of felt paper and asphalt over a solid roof deck
Five types
Type 1 consists of asphalted felt paper, asphalt and gravel or slag
Type 2 consists of tarred felt paper pitch and gravel
Type 3 consists of asbestos felt, asphalt felt and a smooth flood coat
of asphalt
Type 4- requires heavy slate surfaced roofing paper as well as asphalt
saturated felts
Type 5 called cold process felts are cold process felts saturated with
cold asphalt emulsion and the asphalt top coating is applied cold.

USES OF BITUMENS
Rolled roofing
Rolled roofing consists of very heavy asphalt saturated felt

paper, with or without finely crushed slate embedded in one

surface put up in rolls.

Sprayed on asphalt roofing

A new technique for the application of asphalt roofing

involves the use of special equipment for apply the material

A special gun with three nozzles and a fiber cutting chamber
is used
Glass fibers are fed into the chamber where they are cut to
predetermined lengths and blown out through a center
nozzle

USES OF BITUMENS
Asphalt flooring
Asphalt mastic flooring is made by mixing an emulsifed

asphalt with Portland cement, sand and gravel or crushed

stone to form a plastic mixture. This is spread over the floor
screened compacted and floated to a depth of in.
Asphalt tile are composed of fibers bond together by a
blend of selected asphalt binders
Fiberboard
Insulation boards composed of asphalt impregnated wood

fibers used in built up roofing systems