Monitoring Asphalt & Bitumen quality from refinery to pavements
Application
A versatile material, asphalt creates a smooth, durable surface for driveways, walking paths, roads and parking lots. It is used mostly in construction and outdoor areas. In its fluid-like form, asphalt is used to waterproof walls and surfaces, as well as in shingles for residential roofing. A variety of industrial and recreational uses of asphalt make it an ideal choice for many areas of construction.
Using asphalt materials in road construction and maintenance can improve the benefits for all road users and the environment. Asphalt is safe, smooth and durable. It can be built constructed to last indefinitely and supports is fast construction and easy maintenance. Furthermore its flexibility and new technologies are making asphalt the only sustainable pavement choice.
Process Challenges and Density/Viscosity Measurement Solutions
The properties of bitumen change as it ages in bulk storage, transport, and storage on site. The change in bitumen properties from refinery, shipping, storage and road transport needs to be monitored and suitable corrective actions need to be taken across the process to ensure just the right properties prior to application. In the following table, the challenges and benefits of viscosity and/or density management across the segments are discussed.
| Segments | Overview | Challenges | How can density/viscosity management add value? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Production | Getting the right asphalt mix in mixing plants | • Meeting target properties accurately in harsh conditions with temperature and environment fluctuations. • Getting rid of inefficient, offline, delay inclusive lab measurements & operational risks | • Sustainable production goals – minimise material & energy costs with optimisation in mixing process. |
| Transit from plant to point of application | Transportation of prepared asphalt mix to application sites (construction sites, highways etc) with concrete mixing trucks etc. | • Change of asphalt properties during transport from refinery to the pavement (application sites) due to ageing and micro-contamination • Getting rid of inefficient, offline, delay inclusive lab measurements & operational risks | • Prevention of change in properties during bulk storage and transportation due to ageing and contamination. • To ensure QC before transfer from mix plants to the trucks – loading, unloading. |
| Application Point | Application of the prepared mix in construction sites, roads, pavements, highways, commercial & residential development projects etc. Seal coating, crack filling etc. | • Material Transfer Vehicle to re-blend material prior to application throughout – adjusting for temperature & environment factors. • Getting rid of inefficient, offline, delay inclusive lab measurements & operational risks | • Ensuring homogeneity in the mixture and ensuring correct properties just before application. |
Rheonics density meters and viscosity meters are available as probes and flow-through systems for installation in blending skids, storage tanks, loading terminal, process lines and in transport vessels. All Rheonics products are designed to withstand harshest process environments, high temperature, high level of shock, vibrations, abrasives & chemicals.
ATEX and IECEx Compliance
SRV and SRD are intrinsically safe sensors certified by ATEX and IECEx for use in hazardous environments. These sensors comply with the essential health and safety requirements relating to the design and construction of equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. The intrinsically safe and explosion proof certifications held by Rheonics also allows for customization of an existing sensor. Custom sensors can be provided for applications that require one unit up to thousands of units; with lead-times of weeks versus months.
Rheonics SRV & SRD are both ATEX and IECEx certified. (Read more)
