The diploma thesis deals with the use of recycled polymers in asphalt mixtures. In the theoretical part of the thesis there is discussed the global issue of plastic waste including the experience of foreign countries, where this technology has already been introducted and used. The practical part is devoted to the proposal of using recycled plastic in asphalt mixture, description of used laboratory tests and the evaluating the effect of low-density polyethylen (LDPE) on the asphalt mixture type AC. There were performed tensile strenght tests, water resistant tests and stiffness modulus tests in the laboratory (E). The output of this work is an evaluation of measured values, processing of results and their interpretation depending on the possible use of this technology in Czech republic.

One-layer mechanical fastening waterproofing systems are often used within the compositions of flat roofs. Although in case of plastic based systems it is a common solution, for asphalt felts it handles about a relatively new approach, since the application of asphalt has a long history in the building industry. There are some key factors which all of the one-layer mechanically fastening systems should meet, especially water-resistance and resistance against the suction of wind. The application of dynamic loads on the joints may damage the bonds, which may lead to leakage of water. In particular the most delicate locations are the anchoring points at places where the waterproofing sheets are not connected mutually and the wind is captured. The characteristics of mechanically fastening waterproofing membranes may be verified by a specific test which is able to simulate the winds suction force, nonetheless it is quite expensive. Throughout the solution of the presented work an equipment was designed to observe the behaviour of roof compositions on smaller segments while taking into account the fastening elements, thus bringing the results closer to reality. In the first phase the presented dissertation aims to look at the possibilities of comparison of mechanically fastening bitumen reinforced sheets in a way, that they would show the extent to which the joints depend on the parameters of bitumen sheet - like the quality of the bitumen mass, the type bearing linen, the thickness of the layer or just the width of strip overlap. In the next phase the research was focused on the extent at which the strength of the resulting mechanically fastened joints is affected by the placement of fastenings elements within the strip overlap, including the possibilities when the distances from the edges of the bitumen strip cannot be maintained or because of improper geometry of fastening elements. The measurements were performed on both variants of flat roofs, thermally insulated

Roads are assets to the society and an integral component in the development of a nation’s infrastructure. To build and maintain roads; considerable amounts of materials are required which consume quite an amount of electrical and thermal energy for production, processing and laying. The resources (materials and the sources of energy) should be utilized efficiently to avoid wastes and higher costs in terms of the currency and the environment. In order to enable quantification of the potential environmental impacts due to the construction, maintenance and disposal of roads, an open life cycle assessment (LCA) framework for asphalt pavements was developed. Emphasis was given on the calculation and allocation of energy used for the binder and the additives. Asphalt mixtures properties can be enhanced against rutting and cracking by modifying the binder with additives. Even though the immediate benefits of using additives such as polymers and waxes to modify the binder properties are rather well documented, the effects of such modification over the lifetime of a road are seldom considered. A method for calculating energy allocation in additives was suggested. The different choices regarding both the framework design and the case specific system boundaries were done in cooperation with the asphalt industry and the construction companies in order to increase the relevance and the quality of the assessment. Case-studies were performed to demonstrate the use of the LCA framework. The suggested LCA framework was demonstrated in a limited case study (A) of a typical Swedish asphalt pavement. Sensitivity analyses were also done to show the effect and the importance of the transport distances and the use of efficiently produced electricity mix. It was concluded that the asphalt production and materials transportation were the two most energy consuming processes that also emit the most GreenHouse Gases (GHG’s). The GHG’s, however, are largely depending on the fuel type and the electricity mix. It was also concluded that when progressing from LCA to its corresponding life cycle cost (LCC) the feedstock energy of the binder becomes highly relevant as the cost of the binder will be reflected in its alternative value as fuel. LCA studies can help to develop the long term perspective, linking performance to minimizing the overall energy consumption, use of resources and emissions. To demonstrate this, the newly developed open LCA framework was used for an unmodified and polymer modified asphalt pavement (Case study B). It was shown how polymer modification for improved performance affects the energy consumption and emissions during the life cycle of a road. From the case study (C) it was concluded that using bitumen with self-healing capacity can lead to a significant reduction in the GHG emissions and the energy usage.  Furthermore, it was concluded that better understanding of the binder would lead to better optimized pavement design and thereby to reduced energy consumption and emissions. Production energy limits for the wax and polymer were determined which can assist the additives manufacturers to modify their production procedures and help road authorities in setting ‘green’ limits to get a real benefit from the additives over the lifetime of a road. / <p>QC 20120926</p>

Although foamed bitumen has been widely applied in pavement construction some of its aspects are still not yet understood. In this study, some of these aspects including: effects of the foaming process on binder chemistry, characterization of foamed bitumen and development of a rational method to optimize foam characteristics, evaluation of aggregate particle coating within foamed bitumen treated materials, and development of a gyratory compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen were addressed. The effects of the foaming process on bitumen chemistry were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Also, foam characteristics of three binders were established and a rational method to optimize foam characteristics proposed. Aggregate particle coating with foamed bitumen was studied using the concepts of surface energy and Rice density. In addition a gyratory laboratory compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen was established using the modified locking concept. Infrared techniques have shown that foaming does not cause any changes in the binder chemistry, suggesting that foaming may be a physical process. Further, foam characteristics are greatly influenced by binder viscosity. Also, the equiviscous temperature seems to produce foam with optimum foam characteristics. Rice density results showed that aggregate size fraction, binder expansion ratio and viscosity influenced aggregate particle coating. Surface energy results revealed that foamed bitumen exhibited better coating attributes than neat bitumen. A new compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen based on the modified locking point was developed. / QC 20110427

Det här arbetet handlar om asfaltbetongblandningar och hur variationen av dessa vid projektering påverkar vägarnas dimensionering i överbyggnaden mer specifikt bärlagret. Arbetet är baserat på litteraturstudier av den senaste teorin kring dimensionering av asfaltbetongblandningar i väglager samt tillhörande kravskrifter både från svenska och amerikanska myndigheter. Den inledande delen i examensarbetet omfattar bakgrunden till vägdimensionering. Inledningsvis behandlas materialet asfaltbetong och derss egenskaper för att sedan gå vidare till allmänt om vägar, hur de utformas, vägens funktionella egenskaper och skador som kan uppstå. Detta ska ge läsaren tillräckligt med bakgrund för att följa med i resten av arbetet där man kan läsa mer ingående om deformationsskador och vilka parametrar som är till stor vikt när man studerar skador som uppstår i asfaltbetongen samt relationen till dem egenskaper bitumen har. Rapporten avslutas med att resonera kring eventuella problem kring dimensioneringsmetoder samt betydelsen av blandningens hållfasthetsegenskaper och hur de påverkar vägarnas tjocklek. Slutsatsen i rapporten är att asfaltbetongblandningen har en betydelse för dimensionering av bärlager och att det kan vara någonting att beakta oftare vid vägdimensionering speciellt vid blandningar som skiljer sig mycket från standardvarianterna. / This essay is about bitumen concrete pavement mixtures and how the variation of these affects the design of the superstructure of the road during the design-stadium, more specifically the pavement. The essay is based upon studies of literature written about the latest theory of asphalt concrete design for roads as well as the texts with regulations from Swedish and American government agencies. The introductory parts of the essay consist of the background to road design. Initially bitumen concrete and its characteristics are discussed and move on to general information about roads, how they are designed, the roads serviceable characteristics and finally the damage that can develop. This is meant to give the reader enough background to follow the rest of the essay where you can read more about deformation and which parameters that are of importance when you study deformation in bitumen concrete as well as the relation between the characteristics of bitumen concrete and bitumen. The essay is then finished with a argumentation about eventual problems with design methods and the significance of the bitumen concrete mixture’s strength parameters and how they affect the thickness of the road superstructure. The conclusion is that the asphalt concrete mixture has an impact on the design of the pavement of the road and that it should be something to take into account more often in road design, especially when you are using a mixture that differs much from the standard mixtures.

The possibilities of double layer porous asphalt usage and rules for design of porous asphalt mixtures are introduced in this work. The porous asphalt mixtures PA 8, PA 11 and PA 16 are designed with different content of asphalt-rubber according to Marshall Test method. The water sensitivity, drainability, particle loss of these PA are determined. The permanent deformation and drainability of double layer PA 8 and PA 11 were also determined. The possibility of usage of this double layer porous asphalt with expected decreasing of traffic noise was proved.

Today’s society is highly reliable on a working road infrastructure, which is because of collective efforts already built in terms of main net of roadways, and the attention is now paid to its service life primarily from a point of view of a climate change which is causing more frequent temperature extremes. This thesis sets its goal to perform basic tests for bitumen, especially ones dealing with low temperature properties, on types of bitumen usually used in out day to day world and asphalt mixtures made with those types of bitumen. The theoretical part talks about the basic definition of bitumen and studies performed on the similar issue. Practical part of the thesis is focused on performing the tests of bitumen and asphalt, which include but are not limited to, penetration test, softening point test, critical temperature detected by method by Fraasse and the bending beam rheometer and the test to set critical temperature of asphalt by using TSRST. At the end of the thesis the evaluation of results and its mutual correlation is performed.

The diploma thesis deals with the use of recycled polymers in asphalt mixtures. In the theoretical part of the thesis there is discussed the global issue of plastic waste including the experience of foreign countries, where this technology has already been introducted and used. The practical part is devoted to the proposal of using recycled plastic in asphalt mixture, description of used laboratory tests and the evaluating the effect of low-density polyethylen (LDPE) on the asphalt mixture type AC. There were performed tensile strenght tests, water resistant tests and stiffness modulus tests in the laboratory (E). The output of this work is an evaluation of measured values, processing of results and their interpretation depending on the possible use of this technology in Czech republic.

In the course of a little over a year, from January, 1950, to March, 1951, core samples of bottom sediments were collected at three different stations in the Dundas Marsh, Hamilton, Ontario. A number of the samples were analysed for total carbon content, bitumen, pectins, hemicelluloses, and cellulose and lignin content. This study is part of a larger investigated by the Department of Zoology to ascertain the relationships between the biological productivity in lakes and the rate of mineralization of the organic detritus in lake bottom sediments. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Yes / Transport and storage vessels in Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware (RLWm ware) were traded across a large area of the eastern Mediterranean for approximately 300 years (c. 1500–1200 BCE) during the Late Bronze Age (c.1600–1000 BCE). The extreme consistency of the ceramic, in form, fabric, chemistry and mineralogy, points to a single production source for the ware, which, although no kiln sites have been identified, is generally accepted to have been on Cyprus. The aim of this study was to determine whether organic residues were present in this very fine, dense ware, and to characterise the contents of RLWm ware vessels from different sites, contexts and periods, and of different forms, to improve our understanding of the trade in this ceramic type. To that end, 101 RLWm ware sherds, together with three visible residues, were examined from sites in Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt and Syria. Residues were identified in more than half of the samples, indicating that organic material is absorbed into and preserved in this very fine fabric. Four commodities were identified: fat (probably plant oil), which in four residues was identified further as castor oil; beeswax; bitumen; and Pinaceae spp. resin. The commodities were found alone or, occasionally, one of the latter three was combined with the fat or oil. Fatty material was the only commodity present at all sites and its wide distribution may indicate that generally the vessels were used for a mixture or mixtures based on plant oils, in some cases containing castor oil. It was impossible to determine whether the beeswax, bitumen and resin formed part of this mixture or represented post-firing treatments of the ceramic to make it less porous. The identification of more than one type of residue indicates that RLWm ware vessels did not always contain the same commodity. No significant correlation could be detected between the vessel forms, and the dating of many of the sherds was not precise enough to reveal any variation through time. The type of residue present did vary depending on the geographical location of its final use. Beeswax was, with two exceptions, only present in samples from Turkey, while bitumen was found exclusively in samples from Cypriot sites. The occurrence of at least one example of every commodity in the samples from Cyprus is consistent with the theory that this ware was manufactured on Cyprus, and indicates that the vessels could also have been filled and exported from there. The variation in content of the vessels found in different geographical areas could highlight a special trading relationship between the Hittite heartland in Turkey and the Cypriot potters who produced the ware, and a possible trade in bitumen as a raw material between the north Syrian coastal area of Ugarit and Cyprus. / This research was funded by an AHRC PhD studentship (number 110786), awarded to V. Steele.