ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The low temperature behaviour of bituminous binders can be characterised by tests with the Bending Beam Rheometer, that of asphalt by uniaxial tension tests and cooling tests. A study in cooperation with the German BP corporation tested various binders in the BBR at different temperatures. Furthermore two kinds of bituminous mixtures, each with various binders, were tested on their low temperature behaviour. The correlation between the stiffness of the binders and the low temperature behaviour of the asphalts is presented. For the evaluation a special software for the design of asphalt traffic areas was used that calculated the influence of the cryogenic tensile stress on the life cycle of different asphalt constructions. The found correlation between binder and asphalt properties raises the question whether the knowledge of the low temperature behaviour of the binder alone allows the estimation of its influence on the life cycle of asphalt traffic areas.
