Design approach for epoxy modified bitumen to be used in antiskid surfaces on asphalt pavement

Antiskid surfaces are thin surface layers, are often applied to provide enough surface friction. They are optimally designed to meet specific mechanical requirements. These specific requirements mainly include surface friction, resistance to raveling and resistance to chemicals such as de-icing and fuel. To prevent aggregates from raveling, a suitable binder is needed for antiskid surfaces. The binder should have a good weather and ageing resistance, as well as a good adhesion to the asphalt mixture layer.This paper describes in detail a design approach that was developed to investigate potential binders for antiskid applications. A two-component Epoxy Modified Bitumen (EMB) was used as binder in this research. Dynamic Shear Rheometer tests (DSR) and relaxation tests were conducted on original binders, weatherometer aged and oxygen aged binders. Pull tests and shear tests were used to investigate the bonding strength between the newly designed antiskid layer and the underlying asphalt mixture layer.The test results show that the EMB has good high temperature resistance. Ageing can decrease its relaxation property. The complex shear modulus of the binder can increase due to oxygen ageing, while it decreases after long term weatherometer ageing at the high frequency range. The adhesion property at the interface is much higher than the adhesion in the asphalt mixture.

► A design approach was introduced to investigate binders for antiskid application.
► A two-component epoxy modified bitumen binder and its newly designed antiskid surface was studied.
► The self-designed Pull test and Leutner shear test can be used to investigate the interface adhesion properties.
► The epoxy modified bitumen has good ageing resistance and sufficient relaxation property at lower temperature.
► The antiskid surface with epoxy modified bitumen as binder gives acceptable performances.