Sorigué researches the adherence mechanism of layers of asphalt mixtures to optimise performance
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Sorigué researches the adherence mechanism of layers of asphalt mixtures to optimise performance
December 1, 2020
The Barcelona School of Civil Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya is participating in the project funded by the CDTI.
Sorigué has launched the Smartlink project which aims to study and improve the performance of materials used to adhere ultra-fine asphalt mixtures to their support layers. The road surface, required for supporting traffic loads and allowing safe and comfortable circulation, is composed of several layers and its durability relies heavily on the adherence between these layers.
With a budget of €214,923.06, Smartlink has received the funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation’s Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), and can also rely on the participation of the Barcelona School of Civil Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya.
Using ultra-fine mixtures for the wearing course of road surfaces is increasingly common. These types of layers entail a reduction in economic and environmental costs compared to traditional solutions, and also offer improved surface performance with regards to tyre-road adherence, thus improving the safety of road users.
However, their physical characteristics cause a problem for the adherence interphase between asphalt layers, which increases their critical efforts against factors like temperature, traffic load, texture, and most of all durability. Knowing the adherence grade, whether in fine or ultra-fine wearing course layers, or in other layers, is of utmost importance as it influences the tension-deformation status of the road surface structure and therefore its behaviour towards fatigue, durability and future conservation operations during its service life.
The project sets out to research the phenomenon of adherence between layers from different perspectives, from the most experimental side, represented by the study of the characteristics of raw materials, to the most suitable measuring systems for evaluating its operation, in search of the mechanisms capable of maximising its performance. To do this, those emulsions normally used as track coats in the ultra-fine mix extension process will be researched, such as: hot and cold adhesive emulsions, and emulsions modified with different types of elastomers.
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