Effects of Moisture and Aging on Asphalt Binder Adhesion Failure Using Pull-Off Tension Test

Moisture damage is mainly characterized by the loss of adhesion between asphalt binder and aggregate and the loss of cohesion within the asphalt binder. The binder holds the aggregates firmly together and acts as a sealant against moisture ingress. Additives are added to enhance the performance-related properties of asphalt mixtures under different climatic and environmental conditions. In this study, warm mix additive was used to modify the asphalt binder PG-64. The asphalt binder modified with chemical surfactant based additive was tested against pull-off tension force using limestone aggregate substrates. The specimens were conditioned using accelerated laboratory vacuum saturator (ALVS). The results showed that the percent adhesion failure increased when specimens were subjected to moisture conditioning. Furthermore, adhesion failure also increased with binder aging and enhanced further when the binders were long term aged.