Development of a test method for determining emulsion bond strength using the bitumen bond strength (BBS) test: a South African perspective

Quantifying bond strength between bituminous binders and aggregates demands simple, inexpensive test methods as the road building industry moves toward performance-based specifications for surface seals. This research identifies the pneumatic adhesive tensile testing instrument, commonly known as PATTI and originally developed for use in the painting industry, as an appropriate instrument for evaluating bond strength development in the newly proposed bitumen bond strength (BBS) test. Recently developed at the University of Wisconsin Madison in conjunction with the University of Ancona Italy and the University of Stellenbosch South Africa, the BBS test procedure has been used successfully to characterize moisture sensitivity and bond strength development in hot-applied binders and bitumen emulsions, respectively. This paper describes the test method and evaluates the relevance of the procedure using bitumen and emulsions produced in U.S.A. and South Africa. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E220163.