Degradation of Bituminous Sealants due to Extended Heating Before Installation: Case Study

Bituminous sealants are applied to cracks and joints in pavements, bridges and other civil engineering structures. The sealants are generally applied at 180°C to 200°C, a temperature at which the sealant can degrade. In an effort to better understand the effect of installation on sealant properties, a sealant was collected at regular interval during its installation and analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG), and dynamic shear rheometry (DSR). The analysis of the aged sealants showed that the sealant was in its most degraded state early in the morning due to long pre-installation heating times around 150°C, which caused non-oxidative degradation. The degradation occurred at temperatures below the recommended installation temperatures. The degradation led to sealant stiffening, which was found to arise from a change in polymer structure, and from a loss in bitumen and polymer contents. This loss of organic material led to a relative increase in filler content. It is concluded that sealant preparation conditions, prior to installation, should be better controlled to optimize sealant performance.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Al-Qadi, Imad L
  • Masson, Jean-Francois
  • Collins, Peter
  • Bundalo-Perc, Slaðana
  • Woods, John R
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2006-1-22 to 2006-1-26
• Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 18p
• Monograph Title: TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bituminous coatings; Bituminous mixtures; Gel permeation chromatography; Heat; High temperature; Infrared spectroscopy; Pavement cracking; Seal coats; Thermogravimetric analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dynamic shear rheometry
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01025694
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 06-0759
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 8 2006 11:26AM