Environmentally Friendly Materials in Highway Engineering: an Experimental Study on Wma's Properties

The increasing necessity to improve the road infrastructures system but also to preserve both the natural and workspace environment urged to research and apply environmentally friendly materials and techniques. These materials are characterized for their reliability when used on roads, in terms of mechanical properties and on site applicability, for lower environmental impact and/or for the ability to preserve the surrounding environment. This work focuses on the Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA), which can be considered as one of the most important environmentally friendly technologies. Two internationally well known warm technologies, based on the use of synthetic zeolite and waxes, were considered and several mechanical properties were investigated on asphalt concrete mixtures and on asphalt binders. A further study, concerning an innovative system and chemical laboratory apparatus and knowledge, was carried out on the volatile and polluting substances emitted by hot asphalt mixtures. Therefore, this research work places its attention on a wide range of experimental tests, both traditional and innovative, in order to investigate the potentialities and limits of WMA.