Characteristics of Warm Mix Asphalt Mixture and Its Development in China

Warm mix asphalt independently developed in China is represented by Highway Research Institute of Ministry of Communications. Highway Research Institute of Ministry of Communications has been engaged in the research and standard formulation of asphalt pavement structure and material design, construction, performance test and evaluation, especially in the research of asphalt and modified asphalt pavement performance evaluation, asphalt mixture design method, asphalt pavement construction technology and quality control. Relevant achievements provide the main technical basis for industry management, and play a key role in guiding industry technical progress and improving pavement quality.

In recent years, the Highway Research Institute of the Ministry of Communications has made a series of achievements in modified asphalt technology by strengthening the interdisciplinary research of related disciplines, especially the integration of polymer materials and new technologies in the petrochemical field, as well as the technical requirements for road performance of modified asphalt. A series of modified materials and supporting application technologies developed are the direct embodiment of these achievements. In the new period when China's modified asphalt has been widely used, the industrialization of these high-tech and materials has provided a new impetus and source for the vigorous development and technological breakthrough of China's road modified asphalt.

RH warm mix technology is a set of technology based on RH warm mix asphalt modifier developed by Highway Research Institute of Ministry of Communications. Warm mix asphalt was prepared by RH warm mix asphalt modifier, and the warm mix asphalt mixture was produced by conventional mixing process at lower temperature. By reducing the high temperature viscosity of asphalt binder, the construction temperature of hot mix asphalt mixture is reduced by about 30℃.

At present, RH warm mix asphalt modifier and its application technology have applied for national invention patent (patent number 200910172146.3), and have been successfully applied in Beijing and other representative projects through pilot production verification by the Ministry of Communications.