Project Summary
Hot mix asphalt, used in many conventional paving projects, typically is spread at temperatures between 280°F and 320°F. Using warm mix asphalt, which can be applied at significantly lower temperatures (250°F to around 270°F) may reduce the energy requirements (and the costs) for paving highways, if it can be used without adversely impacting pavement performance. One form of WMA involves adding small amounts of water to the dryer drum (the asphalt mixer system). ADOT&PF used this approach on a paving project near Tok, Alaska. Researchers performed simple performance tests and indirect tension tests on the new pavement to characterize the mix and to determine if there was any significant difference between the HMA and WMA pavements.
