Investigation of the bonding properties of bitumen using a novel modified binder bond strength test

Zhou, Lu; Airey, Gordon; Zhang, Yuqing; Wang, Chonghui; Zhong, Haobai

Abstract

The binder bond strength (BBS) test can directly quantify the bonding of bitumen-stone joints. However, the index "bond strength" used in this method cannot provide a clear distinction when evaluating the performance of various bitumen, and some results do not correspond to the field feedback related to the bonding performance. This study introduces a novel modified BBS test using the universal testing machine (UTM). The results of the standard BBS test and the BBS-UTM test on six unmodified bitumens and a styrene-butadiene-styrene modified bitumen (SBSMB) are compared, with the Cantabro loss test to validate the accuracy of the BBS-UTM test. The results show that the "bond energy" can be considered the critical indicator for characterising the bonding performance of different binders. The force-displacement curve in the BBS-UTM test is analysed and provides a mechanistic explanation for the mechanical response of bitumen during pull-off. The four-component test is conducted to link the bitumen composition characteristics to its bonding performance. It is found that bitumen adhesion is correlated to the content of asphaltenes. A higher saturates content shows more contribution of tenacity in the total bond energy, and an excessively high ratio of asphaltenes to resins may result in low bond energy.

Citation

Zhou, L., Airey, G., Zhang, Y., Wang, C., & Zhong, H. (2024). Investigation of the bonding properties of bitumen using a novel modified binder bond strength test. Construction and Building Materials, 434, Article 136784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.136784

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 24, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 27, 2024
• Publication Date: Jul 5, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 10, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2024
• Journal: Construction and Building Materials
• Print ISSN: 0950-0618
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-0526
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 434
• Article Number: 136784
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.136784
• Keywords: Bonding properties, Adhesion, Tenacity, Binder bond strength tests
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/35445291
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061824019263?via%3Dihub