Alternate uses of epoxy asphalt on bridge decks and roadways

• Epoxy asphalt possesses unique superior properties.
• Epoxy asphalt has wide applications beyond surfacing material for orthotropic deck.
• Epoxy asphalt is a suitable candidate material for long life pavements.
• The high cost of epoxy asphalt may be justified by its long service life.

In the last two decades, epoxy asphalt has seen its wide application as a bond coat and binder for an approximately 50 mm thick dense-graded epoxy asphalt concrete pavement on numerous orthotropic bridge steel decks around the world, particularly in East Asia. Bridges paved with this system include the Sutong Bridge, China’s longest main span cable-stayed bridge, the Xihoumen Bridge, China’s longest main span suspension bridge, and the new San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in the United States. However, efforts have also been spent to take advantage of the unique properties of epoxy asphalt to solve several other difficult pavement challenges. Some examples of these additional applications of epoxy asphalt include relatively thin dense-graded overlays on concrete bridge decks, durable open-graded surface mixtures on concrete bridge decks or roadways, and dense-graded mixtures for long-life roadway pavements. This paper describes problems faced and solved with epoxy asphalt surfacings on various projects other than the wide spread dense-graded wearing courses on orthotropic decks and discusses the potential application of epoxy asphalt in roadway pavements.