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B2Last® from BASF Corporation — new chemistry to improve neat asphalt
BATT supplied civil engineering support to help BASF test a modification technology designed to improve adhesion of the asphalt mix by cross-linking the liquid binder. Services included testing, product installation, site evaluations and market development support.
High RAP for high sustainability
Mercer Road serves as the feeder route to the Lexington/Bluegrass Airport and sees plenty of daily, heavy-load traffic from warehouses serving UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other shippers. The Lexington/Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) was searching for pavement solutions that would provide improved sustainability, and the BATT Lab had a proven solution to offer.
High RAP, balanced mix design excels in long-term results
A new asphalt mix design recycled old asphalt pavements and created a longer-lasting roadway in the process. The City of Louisville, KY, paved a downtown street with a new asphalt mix that contains 36% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). The BATT Lab devised a new mixing method that combines an EPD-Listed aramid fiber product from Surface Tech with a bio-oil.
BATT Lab at NCAT test site
The BATT Lab took a trip south to Opelika, AL in the fall of 2021 to help a client install a mix we designed on a section of the famous NCAT test track. The NCAT trial will put the aramid-reinforced pavement to a rigorous test over the next two years.
Failing asphalt pavements deserve a second look
DON’T REPAVE UNTIL YOU KNOW WHY!
Every pavement contractor’s worst nightmare occurs when an unhappy client calls to report a problem. Whether it’s potholes, alligator cracks, edge cracks, slippage cracks, rutting, raveling or depressions, these signs of asphalt failure can certainly send you and your bottom line into a deep depression.
Airport authorities win with an ultra-effective asphalt interlayer design that’s quick, long-term AND cost effective
In 2019, the Taylor County Airport in Kentucky needed a long-term solution for its failing runway. The BATT Lab developed a new solution for an easy-install interlayer.
Got aggregate? Get friction testing before you pave.
Friction testing provides a quick method to rank potential sources of aggregate. Recently, our clients have used friction testing to investigate potential non-polishing alternate aggregate sources for submission to DOT for consideration. Yet there are other reasons to consider it.
BATT Lab earns AASHTO accreditation
The binder laboratory within Blankenship Asphalt Tech and Training (BATT Lab) has passed rigorous third-party assessments to receive accreditation from the AASHTO Accreditation Program (AAP).
Tech News
Tech News
Sept. 24, 2024
by Phillip Blankenship and Michael J. Simmons
Field Performance of Aramid Fibre Reinforced Pavements
Sept. 12, 2023
How much does density matter?
Why do we want more density in a pavement? Density is the unit weight of a mixture. This article looks at various methods for testing density and provides results that show an increase in pavement density results in a positive effect on the overall pavement performance.
Oct. 19, 2022
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
FHWA Superb Guidance Document
This EDP tech brief by FHWA is a superb document that explains and outlines the EDP process.
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are continually assessing and choosing materials or technologies to meet their transportation needs. As part of this assessment, DOTs are turning to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to quantify the environmental impacts associated with those products.
Oct. 18, 2022
The Virginia DOT took a creative, Round Robin approach to tensile test data for CT-Index
This clever idea could shed light on how to improve the repeatability and reproducibility of Balance Mixed Design testing. A good read.
Oct. 11, 2022
High-strain Asphalt Interlayers using Aramid Polymer Fibers to Mitigate Reflective Cracking in Asphalt Pavements
by Phillip Blankenship, Michael Simons, Vince Aurillio
This paper details the efficacy of an aramid-reinforced asphalt pavement interlayer in mitigating reflective cracking.
Sept. 26, 2022
by Zack McKay
Lab Friction Testing gets a New Standard
The BATT Lab has DFT capabilities and we’ve invested time and resources to make this testing achieve highly reliable results for our clients. This is a good article explaining why DFT takes friction testing to a new level.
Feb. 6, 2022
by Phillip Blankenship
Fix Your Mix
How can we make our asphalt mixes better?
More specifically, what steps can be taken to improve durability, rut-resistance and crack resistance.