WMA

Warm Mix Asphalt

A Smart Solution for Building
Sustainable Pavements in India
Rajib B. Mallick, PhD, PE, Ralph White Family Distinguished Professor, Civil and
Environmental Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester,
MA 01609. A.Veeraragavan, Professor of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of
Technology Madras, Chennai.

Introduction
The rst national workshop on Warm
Mix Asphalt (WMA) in India was held
on August 8th and 9th at IIT Madras
(IITM), under the sponsorship of
several major industries, and direction
of the faculty members of the Civil
Engineering department at IITM. More
than 200 representatives from the
academia, government and industry
actively participated in this workshop,
which consisted of lectures, videos and
vigorous discussion on the subject of
WMA. Judging from the participation,
the workshop was a grand success!
But one wonders, what is it that made
the workshop a success? Why did
200+ people (even through a holiday)
took the pain to attend it and actively
participate in it? The answer is, more
than anything else, the topic itself!
WMA is a smart technology that can
help engineers realize their dream of
constructing good performing and long
lasting pavements, and at the same
time, decrease energy consumption,
emissions and increase the use of

106

reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)

materials signicantly. Too good to
be true? Not quite! Every bit about
WMA is true, and the rest of the article
shows why it is so good.

WMA
As we all know, because of high
viscosity of asphalt binders (bitumen),
both aggregates and bitumen need
to be heated to high temperatures
(generally > 150C) for proper mixing,
laydown and compaction of asphalt
mixes, commonly known as Hot Mix
Asphalt (HMA). The high temperature
requires the use of signicant amount
of fuel, and also result in fumes and
emissions in the plant and at site.
Although well below dangerous
levels, these emissions are hazardous
and anything that could be done to
reduce them, is a step towards the
right direction. The rate of emission
actually doubles for every 10C rise in
temperature.
So, what is Warm Mix Asphalt?
Warm Mix Asphalt, or WMA, as it is
popularly called, is a collection of

technologies that allow a reduction

in the temperatures at which asphalt
paving mixes are produced, placed
and compacted. The reduction in
temperature reduces a number of
problems, as noted in the above
paragraph,
and
actually
helps
in producing a better mix. How
so? Because, it decreases the
aging (such as through oxidation
and volatilization) of the bitumen
during production by reducing the
temperature (higher the temperature,
higher the oxidation) and helps to
retain some of the good properties of
the bitumen in the asphalt mix, and
thus decrease the rate of deterioration
(such as cracking and the moisture
damage) over time. Furthermore, WMA
technologies expand the time window
of compaction, allowing rolling and
compaction at lower than conventional
temperatures (such as 90C), and
improves the uniformity of density and
thus helps in improving density of the
pavements as we all know, density is
the key property that governs strength,
stiffness, durability and resistance

NBM&CW SEPTEMBER 2013

WMA

against moisture damage, and hence

longevity of the pavement.

Popularity and Use

Because of the signicant advantages
over HMA, WMA has become
signicantly popular in Europe and
US, among other pats of the world,
very rapidly in less than two decades.
Although started in Europe in the mid
nineties, WMA has been adopted at a
very rapid rate in the last few years in
the US, and there is now more WMA
pavements in the US than in Europe,
and in the near future, most of not all
of asphalt mixes will be produced with
some WMA technology.
The reasons are obvious it is
a technology that helps in improving
the product, construction, and at the
same time cuts down energy use and
emissions. Under the leadership of
the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) in the US, the use of WMA
has increased from a mere 5% (of
asphalt mixes) to more than 30% in
the last three years! A brief timeline of
WMA is shown in Table 1.

So, what exactly is

WMA and how does it
work?
Actually, WMA consists of several
technologies, which can be broadly
classied into four different types.

108

1. Organic additives, 2. Chemical

additive, 3. Foaming processes, and
4. Hybrid technologies. The foaming
technology can be further subdivided
into two classes, foaming additives
and water injection system. Currently
there are altogether more than 30
different WMA technologies.
Although the end effect of
reduction of mixing, laydown and
compaction temperatures are the
same, the different technologies work
in different ways. The additives, which
are either waxes or other hydrocarbon
modiers improve lubrication by
reducing the viscosity of bitumen
and allow a reduction of 28-40C in
mixing and compaction temperature.
Examples of such additives are
Sasobit, SonneWarmix, ECOBIT,
LEADCAP and BituTech. Typical
dosage amounts are 0.5 to 1.5% by
weight of bitumen. Sometimes these
additives are also added as modiers
for increasing the stiffness of asphalt
mixes, for specialty applications, such
as in racing tracks.
Chemical
additives
are
Surfactants (surface active agents)
that reduce surface tension between
the polar aggregates and non-polar
bitumen, improve wetting and reduces
internal friction, and allows a reduction
of 28-50C in mixing and compaction
temperatures. Evotherm, CECABASE

RT, QualiTherm, Rediset L, LEA Lite

are examples of chemical additives.
Typically they are added at the rate
of 0.20 to 0.75 percent by weight of
bitumen.
The foaming process works by
creating foamed asphalt that improves
coating and compaction at lower
temperature. Water expands 1,600
times when converted into steam at
atmospheric pressure, and the steam
is encapsulated by viscous bitumen
producing foam, which occupies a
much greater volume compared to
the original bitumen. The water for
creating the foam is either added as
water through a water injections stem
in a specialized equipment, or from
zeolites (which contain about 20%
water). Water is added at a rate of 1.25
to 2.0% by weight of bitumen (about 1
lb. of water per ton of mix), whereas
the zeolites are added a rate of 0.1 to
0.3% by weight of the mix. Foaming
by water allows 18-30C reduction
in temperature whereas foaming
by zeolites allow a reduction of 3040C. Examples of water injections
systems are AESCO/Madsen, Astec,
Gencor, Herman Grant, Maxam,
Meeker, Stansteel, Tarmac and Terex;
examples of zeolites are Advera and
Aspha-min.
Hybrid technologies utilize a
combination of two or more WMA
technologies to achieve the reduction
in temperature. For example, Low
Energy Asphalt (LEA), utilizes a
chemical additive with a water injection
system to improve coating at lower
temperatures.
Finally, there are products that
were originally developed for other
uses, but do incorporate the WMA
technology for reducing temperature
and hence better utilization of the
product. Examples are Thiopave
(sulfur and WMA) and TLAX (Trinidad
lake asphalt and WMA technology).

NBM&CW SEPTEMBER 2013






  







 













  

 





  

 



  
   

 !!"



 

 







! 

WMA

So, how much does it

cost?
Before answering this question it
must be pointed out that the benets
of using WMA could easily offset the
added investment cost that one needs
to incur, as well the cost of the use of
additive, if any. The cost of using WMA
technology can be reduced or avoided
completely depending on the volume
of mix the contractor is producing
with WMA technology. Popular WMA
additives in the US increase the cost
by about $2-$3 per ton of the mix,
whereas a water injections system
would cost $30K to $100K for the
installation of the system, which
translates to about 7c per ton, if 100%
f the mix that is produced is WMA. The
additives that are mostly added to the
bitumen can be added at the terminal,
or in the asphalt plant, in which case,
a separate line for blending and
metering is necessary. Blending in the
tank with agitation is also possible.
For solid additives, a vane feeder to
blow additive into bitumen stream in
drum or a RAP collar could be used,
or can be fed in bulk into a pugmill in
the case of a batch plant. The type
of plant modication that is needed
depends entirely on the type of WMA
technology that one decides to use,
and the cost decreases as more and
more WMA is produced (instead of
HMA).

112

Benets
The most obvious monetary benet
of using WMA is the savings in fuel
cost because of reduced mixing
temperature in the plant. Theoretical
calculations show a savings of 11%
for a 28oC reduction in temperature,
and reported savings in the US eld
trials range from 15 to 77%. Reported
reduction in emissions range from
15-40% for CO2, 18-35% for SO2
and 18-70% for NOX. A signicant
improvement in work environment has
been noted, with a reduction in total
organic matter by 33-61%. Cessation
temperatures for compaction has
been reported to be as low as 60oC,
resulting in signicantly enhanced
compactibilty of mixes. Improvement
in workability has also been reported,
and in the case of certain WMA
technologies the use of anti-stripping
agent for resisting moisture damage
have been completely avoided.
Reported haul time for WMA from
different parts of the world range from
1-3 hours a signicant fact that could
be utilized for hauling mixes and still
ensuring good compaction in rural
areas, where plants are few and far
between. Uniformity of density has
been reported to improve signicantly
(for example only 24oF difference
within mat temperature for WMA
compared to 62oF for HMA), leading to
reduction in distress and improvement
in ride quality. Since WMA is produced

at a lower temperature, the rate of

cooling is lower, and hence allows
better cold weather paving. Because
of lower temperature, an additional
amount of RAP could also be utilized in
these mixes, and the use of 10% more
RAP can result in a savings of about
$4 per ton of the mix. Finally, bitumen
recovered from WMA mixes (86% of
original penetration) have shown a
signicant reduction in aging compared
to that in bitumen recovered from HMA
(63% of original penetration). This
translates to a signicant improvement
in durability of the paving mixes.

Are there any

production concerns?
As with any new technology, there are
a few concerns about the production
of WMA, specically because of the
lower temperatures that are utilized
during production. Fortunately, all of
these problems are expected and
solvable, in many cases through the
adoption of techniques that could also
be utilized for improving conventional
HMA production.
The rst concern is about
incomplete drying of aggregates
(specically the internal moisture)
at the reduced temperatures. It has
been seen that for aggregates with an
absorption value of less than 1 %, drying
of aggregate has not been reported to
be a problem at WMA temperatures.
To prevent the incomplete drying
of aggregates, it is suggested that
stockpiles be kept as dry as possible
by sloping sides, paving surrounding
areas, and keeping them under cover.
To dry aggregates with high moisture
content the retention time in the dryer
drum could be increased and the dryer
shell should be insulated properly.
Ways to detect incomplete drying
include a >20oF fall in temperature in
mix between discharge and loading,
dripping water from silos and excessive
steam from slat conveyors and a loss

NBM&CW SEPTEMBER 2013



 

 


 
 
 
 
 










WMA

of >0.5% of the weight of mix during

moisture content test.
The second concern is regarding
incomplete combustion of fuel at the
reduced temperature and the resulting
risk of getting unburnt fuel in the mix.
Evidence of such a problem include
brownish color of mix and higher than
normal emissions. Proper maintenance
and tuning of burner, and preheating
of burner fuel are recommended
solutions to this problem.
The last but not least problem
is the potential of condensation
of baghouse nes, leading to the
clogging and decreased efciency
of the emission control system.
Recommended
solutions
include
proper preheating of baghouse,
sealing of leaks, adjusting ights
and slopes of the dryer to increase
baghouse
exhaust
temperature,
insulation of baghouse and ductwork
and addition of duct heaters to increase
baghouse temperatures, if needed. A
high (>4-5 psi) pressure drop across
bags is an indicator of caking due to
condensation.

How do I design and

evaluate WMA?
So far, most WMA are designed exactly
the same way as the corresponding
HMA mixes, the only difference being
the lower temperature of mixing and
compaction; however some additional
tests could be required to ensure
that the reduced temperatures are
adequate for the proper production
of mixes. For example, the American
Association of State Highway and
Transportation Ofcials (AASHTO)
specications (appendix to R35)
include a coating test (> 95% coating)
and a compactability test (ratio
of number of gyrations to 92% of
theoretical maximum density, TMD
at 30C below planned temperature
at start of temperature to that at
the planned temperature at start of

114

compaction should be less than 1.25).

Extensive laboratory studies,
and eld trials in the US, Europe
and Australia have conrmed equal
or even better performance of WMA
(compared to HMA). However,
authorities
are
encouraged
to
evaluate each and every WMA
technology before adoption, and the
recently released Research Digest
374 from the NCHRP provides helpful
guidelines for independent evaluation
of WMA products. In the US, most
states maintain a list of approved
WMA technology, and many of them
now allow the use of WMA wherever
HMA is specied. Generally, the cost
of evaluation is borne by the supplier
and the product is evaluated in the
laboratory and through accelerated
eld trails within a time span of 18
months.

Selection of Best
WMA Technology
The selection of the best WMA
technology depends on many factors,
and in most cases is dependent on
the monetary incentives and benets
of using WMA. Important factors
to consider include the reduction
in temperature that is desired, the
tonnage of mix that is anticipated
and whether or not to invest in plant
technology that are needed for certain
additives. It should also be pointed out
that the green benets of adopting
WMA technologies should not be
overlooked, and that a reduction
in emission through a reduction of
temperature can help contractors/
agencies receive signicant amount
of carbon credits.

The way forward..

Four critical things need careful
attention at this stage. First, the
need for plant modication should
be carefully considered before
adopting any specic WMA product,
in conjunction with the expected

volume of WMA. For long term and

high volume commitment to WMA it
makes sense to invest in permanent
plant modications, such as water
injection system or in-line blending
and metering unit, whereas for
experimental work addition in tank with
agitation may be considered. Secondly,
a preliminary but proper specications
for the use of WMA in India should
be completed and published by the
responsible authorities, such as the
Indian Road Congress (IRC) as soon
as possible to encourage the adoption
of this technology. All stakeholders,
such as the industry, government and
the academia should be involved in
this process, and specications that
have been successfully adopted by
other countries should be consulted.
The specications should be tight
but permissive enough to encourage
innovations. Thirdly, there is an
immense scope of research and
development in this technology, and
premier institutes such as the IITs and
the NITs must be encouraged and
supported by the government and the
industries to pursue research. This will
not only help the country to reap the
benets of this smart technology to the
maximum extent, but also introduce
the subject to the undergraduate
and post-graduate students, who will
be joining the workforce in the near
future. Finally, an annual get-together,
such as the one that was recently held
at IIT Madras should be held to bring
all stakeholders together to present,
debate and discuss practical topics for
the successful implantation of WMA in
India.

Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge
the help of US Department of
Transportation
Federal
Highway
Administration (FHWA) in collecting
much of the data and information that
have been used in this paper.

NBM&CW SEPTEMBER 2013