EFFECT OF AGGREGATE GRADATION ON POROUS ASPHALT

PROPERTIES

FARAHIYAH BINTI ABDUL RAHMAN

A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of the degree of

Master of Engineering (Civil - Transportation and Highway)

Faculty of Civil Engineering

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

JANUARY 2014

iii

Specialty dedicated to my beloved father and mother,

Abdul Rahman bin Wahab and Fatimah bt Jusoh

My siblings and all my families

All my friends

Thanks for your sacrifices and support……..

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Thanks to Allah SWT for his permission and blessings for me to complete my

Master Project in a timely manner.

My deepest appreciation goes to my supervisor, Dr. Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya for

his guidance and help. Thank for all the criticism and shared experiences to help me

preparing this thesis. Further thanks also go to technicians of Highway and

Transportation laboratories which is En Sahak and En.Azri and for all my friends

especially Thanwa, Nadhir and Ain,, for their assistance and cooperation.

Last but not least, thanks to my beloved family who never give up in giving me

encouragement and enthusiasm to finish my project. May ALLAH reward all of

them for their kindness and sincerity. All the helps and sacrifices from all parties

are unforgettable and really appreciated. I hope this project will be useful for future

use. InsyaAllah…………

v

ABSTRACT

Rainwater or storm water is very common in Malaysia and even at certain

time, several places in this country will face the flooding problem. This condition

will give a big trouble to the road in Malaysia as majority of them were made by

asphaltic concrete. The run off from the rain water if it is not discharge as soon as

possible will cause a lot of problem to the road user as well as for the condition of

road itself. Based on the previous study, one of this problem solving is by using

porous asphalt as wearing course of pavement. In order of that, this study was

conducted to evaluate the effect of aggregate gradation on porous asphalt properties.

The method is to compare the properties of Grading A and Grading B based on JKR

specification (JKR/SPJ/2008) and binder used is PG76 bitumen. The void ratio of

the test specimen was controlled in order to ensure the sufficient permeability of

porous asphalt. There are several tests was conducted to evaluate properties of the

specimen such as abrasion loss test, binder draindown test, resilient modulus test,

creep test, and stability test. The test results indicated that gradation affected the

performance and properties of porous asphalt mixtures. Grading B showed the best

result in term of the physical properties and performance of porous asphalt mixture.

The result from both gradations varies caused by difference of the aggregate size

proportion of them. The difference aggregate size proportion resulted in difference

arrangement of aggregate skeleton in mixture, thus affected the porosity of mixture.

It will also affect an ability of granular to resist cyclic load from the pavement

surface, and then affected the physical properties of them.

vi

ABSTRAK

Air hujan atau ribut air adalah perkara biasa di Malaysia dan juga pada masa

tertentu, beberapa tempat di negara ini akan menghadapi masalah banjir . Keadaan

ini akan memberikan masalah besar kepada jalan raya di Malaysia kerana

kebanyakkannya dibuat oleh campuran konkrit asfalt . Air hujan yang mengalir atas

jalan jika ia tidak dialirkan secepat mungkin akan menyebabkan banyak masalah

kepada pengguna jalan raya dan juga untuk keadaan jalan itu sendiri. Berdasarkan

kajian sebelum ini, salah satu penyelesaian masalah ini adalah dengan penggunaan

asfalt berliang sebagai turapan. Oleh itu, kajian ini telah dijalankan untuk menilai

kesan penggredan agregat ke atas sifat-sifat asfalt berliang. Kaedah ini adalah untuk

membandingkan sifat-sifat Penggredan A dan Penggredan B berdasarkan spesifikasi

JKR (JKR/SPJ/2008 ) dan bahan pengikat yang digunakan adalah bitumen PG76.

Nisbah lompang spesimen ujian telah dikawal bagi memastikan kebolehtelapan

yang mencukupi bagi asfalt berliang. Terdapat beberapa ujian telah dijalankan

untuk menilai sifat-sifat spesimen seperti ujian kehilangan lelasan, pengaliran

bitumen, ujian modulus berdaya tahan, ujian rayapan (Creep), dan ujian kestabilan.

Keputusan ujian menunjukkan bahawa penggredan menjejaskan prestasi dan sifat-

sifat campuran asfalt berliang. Penggredan B menunjukkan hasil yang terbaik dari

segi sifat-sifat fizikal dan prestasi campuran asfalt berliang. Nilai daripada kedua-

dua penggredan ini berbeza disebabkan oleh perbezaan pembahagian saiz agregat

mereka. Pembahagian saiz agregat mempengaruhi susunan agregat di dalam

campuran, dengan itu menjejaskan keliangan campuran. Ia juga akan memberi

kesan kepada keupayaan berbutir agregat untuk menentang beban dari permukaan

jalan raya, dan kemudian memberi kesan kepada sifat-sifat fizikal mereka.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE

PAGE

DECLARATION

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

ABSTRAK

TABLE OF CONTENT

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF ABREVATIONS

LIST OF SYMBOLS

LIST OF APPENDIX

i

ii

iii

iv

v

vii

xii

xiii

xv

xvi

xvii

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background

1.2 Problem Statement

1.3 Background of Study

1.4 Scope Of Study

1.5 Aim And Objective

1

2

2

3

3

viii

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Implementation of Porous Asphalt in Malaysia

2.3 Porous Asphalt

2.3.1 Characteristic of Porous Asphalt

2.3.2 Porous Asphalt Properties

2.3.3 Advantages of Porous Asphalt

2.3.4 Disadvantages of Porous Asphalt

2.4 Aggregate Material

2.4.1 Physical Properties of Aggregate

2.4.2 Aggregate Gradation Of Porous Asphalt

2.5 Recommended Procedure for Porous Asphalt

2.5.1 Selection of Aggregates

2.5.2 Mineral Filler

2.5.3 Selection Of Bituminous Binder

2.5.4 Selection of Design Aggregate Gradation

2.5.5 Determination of Design Binder Content

2.6 Binder Draindown Test

2.7 Cantabro Test

2.8 Permeability

2.9 Marshall Stability

2.10 Resilient Modulus

2.11 Dynamic Creep

2.12 Effect of Aggregate Gradation on Asphalt

Properties

5

6

7

7

9

9

11

13

13

18

18

18

20

21

21

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

31

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 33

3.1 Method and Specification

3.2 Material Used

3.2.1 Aggregate

3.2.2 Bitumen

3.2.3 Filler

33

35

35

36

37

ix

3.3 Aggregate Properties Test

3.3.1 Specific Gravity Test of Coarse Aggregate

3.3.2 Specific Gravity Test of Fine Aggregate

3.4 Preparation of Compacted Specimen

3.5 Optimum Binder Content (OBC)

3.5.1 Abrasion Loss Test

3.5.2 Binder Draindown Test

3.6 Porous Asphalt Properties Test

3.6.1 Marshall Stability Test

3.6.2 Resilient Modulus Test

3.6.3 Dynamic Creep Test

3.6.4 Determination of Air Void Content

3.6.4.1 Treoretical Maximum Density Test

3.6.4.2 Bulk Density Test

37

37

38

39

40

40

41

42

43

45

45

47

49

4 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Aggregate Properties Test

4.2.1 Specific Gravity Test of Coarse Aggregate

4.2.2 Specific Gravity Test of Fine Aggregate

4.3 Optimum Binder Content

4.3.1 Abrasion Loss Test

4.3.2 Binder Drain down Test

4.3.3 Obtaining Design Binder Content

4.4 Porous Asphalt Properties Tests

4.4.1 Determination of Air Void Content in

Mixture

4.4.2 Marshall Stability Test

4.4.3 Resilient Modulus Test

4.4.4 Dynamic Creep Test

4.5 Summary of Result

50

50

51

51

52

52

52

54

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

x

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 64

5.1 Conclusion

5.1.1 Optimum Binder Content of Porous Asphalt

Mixture

5.1.2 Effect of Aggregate Gradation on Porous

Asphalt Properties

5.2 Recommendation

64

65

65

66

REFERENCES 68

Appendices A-G 73

xii

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE

2.1 Aggregate gradation envelope of porous asphalt

22

2.2 Gradation that previously used on the Malaysian

Road

22

3.1 Grading A gradation recommended by JKR

specification 2008

35

3.2 Grading B gradation recommended by JKR

specification 2008

36

4.1 Specific Gravity and Water Absorption of coarse

aggregate for each gradation

51

4.2 Optimum binder content value of Grading A and

Grading B

57

4.3 Properties summary of Porous Asphalt Mixture for

each gradation

63

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE

2.1 Principle of Porous Asphalt pavement

8

2.2 Example of Porous Asphalt construction

8

2.3 Illustration of void between porous asphalt

particles

16

2.4 Permeameter to measure permeability

26

2.5 Marshall Stability Test apparatus

28

2.6 Elastic range of stress-strain plot

29

2.7 Dynamic Creep curve

31

3.1 Flow of the laboratory works for this study

34

3.2 Abrasion Loss test that was conducted for this

study

40

3.3 Specimen of binder drain down test placed in the

oven

42

3.4 Marshall Stability test

44

3.5 Arrangement of Resilient Modulus test equipment

45

3.6 Arrangement of Dynamic Creep test equipment

46

xiii

3.7 Arrangement of Theoretical Maximum Density test

equipment

48

4.1 Abrasion Loss test result of Grading A.

53

4.2 Abrasion Loss test result of Grading B.

53

4.3 Range of Abrasion Loss difference between the

gradations

54

4.4 Binder Draindown test result for Grading A.

55

4.5 Binder Draindown test result for Grading B

56

4.6 Binder drainage properties of Grading A and

Grading B

57

4.7 Optimum binder content of Grading A and Grading

B

58

4.8 Bulk specific gravity of porous asphalt mixture

59

4.9 Maximum specific gravity of porous asphalt

mixture

59

4.10 Air void content in porous asphalt mixture

60

4.11 Marshall Stability test result of porous asphalt

mixture

61

4.12 Resilient Modulus test result of porous asphalt

mixture

62

4.13 Dynamic Creep test result of porous asphalt

mixture

63

xiv

LIST OF ABREVATIONS

AASHTO - American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Official

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Material

HMA - Hot Mix Asphalt

JKR - Jabatan Kerja Raya

OBC - Optimum Bitumen Content

PG - Performance Grade

TMD - Theoretical Maximum Density

VTM - Void Total Mix

VFB - Void Filled Mix

Mm - Milimeter

xv

LIST OF SYMBOLS

Gmb - Bulk Specific Gravity

Gmm - Theoretical Maximum Density

g - Gram

°C - Degree Celsius

% - Percent

€ Strain

xvi

LIST OF APPENDIX

APPENDIX NO. TITLE PAGE

A Specific Gravity And Water Absorption Of

Aggregate

74

B Abrasion Loss Test Result

76

C Binder Draindown Test Result

78

D Air Void Determination

81

E Marshall Stability Test Result

83

F Resilient Modulus Test Result

84

G Resilient Modulus Test Result 87

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Porous asphalt, also known as pervious, permeable, "popcorn," or open-

graded asphalt, is standard hot-mix asphalt with reduced sand or fines and allows

water to drain through it. Porous asphalt over an aggregate storage bed will reduce

stormwater runoff volume and rate, thus reduce pollutants that carrying by the

runoff water. The interconnected void space in the porous asphalt allows

stormwater to flow through the asphalt, and enter a crushed stone aggregate bedding

layer and base that supports the asphalt while providing storage and runoff

treatment. When properly constructed, porous asphalt is a durable and cost

competitive alternative compared to conventional asphalt (U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, 2009).

1.2 Problem Statement

The seasonal wind flow patterns coupled with the local topographic features

determine the rainfall distribution patterns over the country. During the northeast

2

monsoon season, the exposed areas like the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia,

Western Sarawak and the northeast coast of Sabah experience heavy rain spells

(Malaysian Metrological Department, 2012). However this condition is not very

good for the pavement condition in Malaysia as major of road and highway in this

country is flexible pavement. Flexible pavements deteriorate under traffic loads and

climate effects (Incegull and Ergun, 2011). Water on the road surface must be

drained as soon as possible because it may contribute to accidents and reduce the

service life of the material (Nursetiawan et al, 2008).

The weather also has an influence on road safety. Weather conditions partly

determine the road conditions and the driver's behavior. Most studies into the

relation between weather and road safety are about the situation during rainfall.

Various measures have been taken to increase road safety, such as compulsory rear

fog lamps, porous asphalt, and the introduction of slipperiness warning systems

(Institute for Road Safety Research, 2012). However in this study porous asphalt

pavement is taken into account to solve this particular problem.

1.3 Background Of Study

This study is focused on using the asphaltic porous pavement to solve the

deteriorate pavement problem that cause by the water that coming from heavy rain.

The pavement problem that caused by the climatic condition in Malaysia can be

solve by using the asphaltic porous pavement.

Scientists and engineers who observe the complicated relationship between

water and roadways have long understood the need for a sustainable method to

simulate the natural filtration process of water or specifically rain water on road

(pavegreen, 2012). In urban or other high-population areas, rainfall becomes runoff

water and can contribute to flooding on roads and parking lots.

3

Porous asphalt is natural material that contains aggregate and bitumen that

are bond together in certain condition, but there are a bit different from the usual

asphalt. The difference is this type of pavement use is mostly coarse aggregate, so

the spaces between them allow water to flow through it. Under this situation,

porous asphalt pavement surface act as recharge bed that built of stones with a large

spaces between them. Rainwater sinks through the pavement surface into the

recharge bed, where it is retained until it can slowly filter out into the subsurface

drain

1.4 Scope Of Study

The focus of this study is to compare the physical properties of porous

asphalt pavement based on different gradations of aggregate. The test samples are

made of the following material:

1. Grading A aggregate of Porous Asphalt that has nominal maximum

aggregate size 14 mm that bind with PG76 bitumen.

2. Grading B aggregate of Porous Asphalt that has nominal maximum

aggregate size 20 mm that bind with PG76 bitumen.

1.5 Aim And Objective

The aim of this study is to compare the properties of the porous asphalt

based on the two different gradation of aggregate as mention on the scope of study

above. From this study, the type of porous asphaltic pavement that has the value of

design and in place air void 18% to 25% in the range will be identified to ensure

drain-ability of the porous pavement (JKR Specification, 2008). It will be the best

choice for the implementation of the porous asphalt pavement to solve the problem

4

mention in problem statement above. From the aim that mention above, there are

several numbers of objective for this research:

1. To determine the optimum bitumen content of porous asphalt based on

gradation of aggregate

2. To determine and compare the physical properties of porous asphalt at

different gradation of aggregate

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