Epoxy Asphalt
Durable pavement for Steel Decks
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
History

late 1950s
Shell Oil develops jet fuel and hydraulic oil
resistant paving for airport taxiways.

1966
Caltrans uses Epoxy Asphalt on San MateoHayward Bridge (in use).

1976
Bay Bridge 18mm overlay on lightweight
concrete (in use).

1984
Golden Gate Bridge redecked (in use).

2000
2nd Nanjing (first Asia project).
--5th generation product used for the first time
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Epoxy Asphalt
Applications

Orthotropic steel decks
• New construction
• Replacement paving
• Re-decking


Overlays
Temporary chip seals
•


Lionsgate Br
For replacement deck panels
High (heavy weight)
traffic, strategic roads
with long life requirement
Fuel and chemical
resistant paving
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
EA Chemistry


Epoxy cross-linked polymer: continuous
phase, asphalt: discontinuous phase
2 component binder and 2 component bond
coat
• Part A Resin
• Part B Asphalts and cross-linkers


Ambient temperature reactive cure
mechanism
Cured polymer is thermoset (won’t melt)
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Properties



Element meshing

Extremely high fatigue
resistance
High strength bond coat
• Protects against
delamination
• Ensures composite action
with steel
• Resists high summer deck
temperatures
Thermoset
• Will not melt
Higher modulus than other
flexible pavements
• Reduces deck deflection
“Epoxy Asphalt has a fatigue life of 2 to 3 orders
of magnitude greater than the PG76-22 I-5 mix…”.
--Rutgers University study
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Epoxy Asphalt
Properties
Does not oxidize (like all
other asphalts)
• No embrittlement
upon aging
Low voids (typically ~2 %)
• Water impermeable
• No chloride ion
penetration
• No corrosion--no
membrane required

High Temperature bond performance
FHWA OECD Long Lived Pavement Study
Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Fundamental difference


HMA Asphalt, SMA, Gussasphalt,
PMA are thermoplastics: will melt
Epoxy Asphalt is thermoset: will not
melt
“Epoxy Asphalt concrete has shown excellent performance including anti-cracking feature
under low temperature, stability under high temperatures and oil-corrosion resistance.…”
--W. Wang, Chang’an University
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Advantages




--Rutgers Univ.
Low permeability
prevents deck
corrosion
Fatigue resistance
minimizes cracks
4+ times more
stability than
standard AC
Handles truck
wheel overloads
(common in Asia)
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Advantages



No rutting or shoving
Use standard AC
paving equipment
• Very high bond
strength
• Paving placement
is fast
Won’t delaminate
“The superior oxidation resistance of the epoxy asphalt
material was even more obvious in the Cantabro tests…”
--Transit New Zealand—OECD report
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Typical new construction detail
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
EA Specifications
Dense graded mix, ½” (12mm)
minus
• Basalt rock for skid
resistance and long wear
 Low temperature paving (110121ºC)
• Time/temp monitoring is
critical QC element
• Similar temps to warm mix
 Lab simulation (fatigue testing)
advised for unique decks
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Epoxy Asphalt
O-T Deck Pavement Stress
from wheel load deflection
TENSION
Longitudinal
stiffener
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Epoxy Asphalt
Fatigue testing
evaluate pavement design
on project specific deck

Keys
• Realistic paving
composite
specimens
• Good tests take
time
• Research
performance of
local materials
(aggregates)
• Use environmental
chamber to control
extreme temps
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Comparison: EA vs. polymer modified AC
or SMA
Properties
Condition
High temperatures
Permeability
Epoxy Asphalt
Polymer AC
Will not melt
Melts
None
measurable
Changes with age
a. Will not oxidize
b. Flexibility constant
No age related
performance losses
a.
b.
Oxidizes
Flexibility
declines
Delamination potential
Very low
Consistent composite
behavior
High
Fuel resistance
High
Low—will soften and
dissolve binder
Rutting, shoving
Stable
Unstable under high
temps and loads
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Chinese standard deck detail
Fatigue test specimen
with 3 pt. dynamic load
on 300 mm center
300 mm stiffener
spacing
12 mm deck plate (prior
to 1999)
14 mm deck plate (after
1999)

50-55 mm EA paving
Locus of highest stress is
over stiffeners, particularly
in truck lanes
Dynamic fatigue test is
good predictor

ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Asian conditions




High deck temps
• To 90 °C
Extreme temperature cycle
between winter and summer
Construction QC varies
widely
Standardized deck design in
mainland
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Asian conditions

Consistent very
high truck wheel
overloads
• To 120 MT on 18
wheelers
• SMA and
gussasphalt
sometimes fail as
quickly as 2-3 yrs.
SuTong Br.
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
EA: Disadvantages

Time and temperature controls critical
• Controls can lead to higher quality and uniformity
• Paving plant needs to be within 45-50 minute drive

Too complicated
• Over 35 bridges in Asia in past 10 yrs successfully
completed
– including 1st suspension bridge in Viet Nam
• ChemCo provides advisors
• Use test section in convenient location to train local paving
crews before deck placement

Costs more
• Cost difference dwarfed by frequent closures and repaving
Thuan Phuoc Bridge
DaNang, Viet Nam
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Epoxy Asphalt
Next in N. America
Fremont, Portland 2011
• Repave in July
San Francisco-Oakland Bay ~2012
• Single anchored suspension
(new East Span)
MacDonald, Nova Scotia
~2015
• Redeck similar to
Lionsgate
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Future



Reduce pavement
weight
Local manufacturing
OECD-ECMT Joint
Transport Research
on long life
pavements
• (U.S., U.K., France,
Germany, Denmark,
New Zealand,
Australia)
• Open graded
performance benefits
demonstrated

Improve fatigue
performance in most
challenging
applications
• Decks with
extremely high wheel
overloads
• Decks with thin
plates (12 mm)
• Hottest tropical
environments
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Conclusions
Design, test and
confirm for wear course
success
Epoxy Asphalt, a
thermoset material,
performs on challenging
decks
Epoxy Asphalt offers life
cycle cost benefits


Asian lessons learned
• Over design
surfacing when
realistic data not
available
• Be flexible to adopt
local improvements
ChemCo Systems
Epoxy Asphalt
Thanks for your interest!
ChemCo Systems