Study on Three Simulative Tests for Aging of Pavement Asphalts

The aging of domestic typical paving asphalt was evaluated by the rolling thin-film oven test (RTFOT), the modified German rotating flask test (MGRF) and the stirred air flow test (SAFT) in order to find out a binder aging system that be applied to both the modified and unmodified binders. The experimental condition was changed, and the properties of the asphalt after aging were tested. Tests included penetration, viscosity, softening point, ductility, group composition and infrared spectrum analysis. The kinetics of aging of asphalt was investigated, and the merits and shortcomings of the indices in evaluating the anti-aging capability of asphalt binders were investigated. The experimental results showed that SAFT and MGRF could be used as alternatives to RTFOT even though further research on these aging methods is needed.