The Growth of Rubberized Asphalt Use Over 25 Years in Brazil

Description

The Growth of Rubberized Asphalt Use Over 25 Years in Brazil

Authors: M.Sc. Rodrigo M. Vasconcellos Barros, Ph.D. Frederico Vasconcellos Guatimosim

General Director at COPAVEL Tecnologia Engenharia Ltda, Innovation Director at COPAVEL Tecnologia Engenharia Ltda

Rua Catulo da Paixão Cearense 249, São Paulo, Brazil

rodrigo@copavel.com.br, frederico@copavel.com.br

ABSTRACT:  Following participation in the Asphalt Rubber Conference held in Vilamoura in 2000, Brazilian attendees developed a strong interest in the rubberized asphalt technology and began its implementation in Brazil. Greca Asfaltos, a Brazilian asphalt distributor, was the pioneer in developing terminal blend rubberized asphalt in the country. Meanwhile in 2001, Copavel designed the first pavement rehabilitation project in the state of São Paulo using terminal blend rubberized asphalt, based on the initial knowledge acquired at the conference.

At the time, the state of São Paulo was undergoing a large-scale highway concession program, transferring thousands of kilometers of roads to private operators. Based on Caltrans specifications, the first trial section using a gap-graded mix was implemented on the SP-330 highway in Araras for INTERVIAS, a private toll road concession company.

The trial was highly successful, encouraging other toll concession companies to adopt rubberized asphalt in their pavement rehabilitation projects. Since then, the use of terminal blend rubberized asphalt has significantly expanded in Brazil. A national specification was developed, and additional asphalt distributors began producing this type of asphalt, initially for the private sector and later for federal and state highway networks.

This paper presents the most representative projects and evaluates field performance of these pavements using asphalt rubber mixtures and AR Chip Seals. It highlights the technological advancements in terminal blend rubberized asphalt over the past 25 years and the resulting growth in its consumption across various Brazilian states and toll concession companies. New equipment was developed by the Brazilian industry to work with this high viscosity binder making long lasting wearing courses.

Today, rubberized asphalt stands as one of the most important modified asphalts used in pavement rehabilitation throughout Brazil.

KEYWORDS: Terminal blend, rubberized asphalt, Brazilian Asphalt Rubber projects,