ABSTRACT
Traditionally, moisture damage and aging of asphalt binder have been studied separately. However, it was previously demonstrated that the combined effect of these two phenomena cause increased degradation in asphalt binder. In this paper, an asphalt binder was exposed to an aging protocol using an accelerated weathering tester in the presence of oxygen, UV radiation, heat and moisture. Microstructural and chemical observations of the aged binder surface, and their comparison with the same binder aged using a similar protocol without moisture, support the hypothesis of the formation of an oxidized and water-soluble thin film on the surface of the asphalt binders, which is washed away by condensed moisture.
