The impact of aging on water and frost resistance of asphalt concrete with low-temperature bitumen

The application of low-viscosity (low-temperature) bitumen in asphalt concrete results in an improvement of its mechanical properties (Marshall stability and deformation, static creep modulus and indirect tensile strength). The tests conducted with the procedures LTOA (long term aging) and STOA (short term aging) according to SHRP methodology prove that use of low-temperature bitumen results in slowing down the aging process of asphalt concrete. The dynamics of this process is slower than in case of traditional bitumen. The measurements of water and frost resistance (according to AASHTO T283) of asphalt concrete and of its resistance to low-temperature cracking (according to PANK 4303) have showed that the use of low-temperature bitumen results in higher resistance to weathering than that of the road bitumen 35/50 as a binder.