Mastering bitumen for better roads and innovative applications

About the MOOC

During the four coming weeks, best experts in bitumen will bring you their knowledge and experience to build a strong understanding of today’s realities and new perspectives on the future of bitumen. Total is the European leader on bitumen markets. Innovation has always been the key to sustainability and durability in the products they develop. Their main objective here is to share technical knowledge and experience to insure bitumen are being used in the most effective and efficient ways for their different applications in road works. Ecole des Ponts, France oldest engineering school, remains very much in the present, as it has always been, in training engineers in order to meet the needs of our society and citizens in key areas such as transport housing and urban services, but also in fields like energy, environment, climate sciences, land-use planning and sustainable development. Nineteen world recognized experts on bitumen are contributing to this MOOC. The idea is to provide the broadest prism on this topic area with speakers coming from research, industry and end users.

Teachers

Week 1 : Bitumen market, generalities, the manufacture of bitumen, transport, uses of bitumen, main developments and alternatives

Origins, history, definition, terminology | market per geographical areas, figures of consumption, main producers, capacities of production, ranking, main flows between areas | global development of motorised transport – cars, airplane – was one of the single most development of 20-21st centuries | global development of buidings, roofing and other applications of bitumen | difference between bitumen, cement and tar coal. Advantages and drawback of each | different ways of transport of bitumen and present the supply chain diagram and restrictions. ADR Regulation | sampling, handling and safety principles. Hazard from handling hot bitumen is thermal burns.

• Introduction : reception and the MOOC challenge2 min
• Presentation and welcome to the MOOC3 min
• 1- Bitumen: Origins, history, definition, terminology6 min
• 2 – Bitumen manufacturing process5 min
• 3 – Global bitumen market, main uses and development7 min
• 4 – Application in roads: global view7 min
• 5 – Interview of a toll motorway manager. Final customer expectations.5 min
• 6 – Industrial application: global view8 min
• 7 – Difference between bitumen, cement and coal tar6 min
• 8 – Transport of bitumen – ADR Regulation-8 min
• 9 – Sampling, handling and safety principles-4 min

Week 2 : Constitution, structure and characterization of bitumen – specifications-rheology

Schematic constitution and structure of bitumen, relationship between structure and rheology | Performance tests | Bitumen 3 states | Penetration test EN 1426 & Softening Point EN 142 | viscosity measurement EN 12596, EN 12595, Explanation of breaking point Fraass measurement EN 12593 | testing Binder after RTFOT, after RTFOT and PAV | Euopean specifications and process of revision | Viscosity based standards (ASTM D3381 | Deformation and flow. Elasticity, plasticity, visoc-elasticity. Newtonian, Non-Newtonian behaviour. Stress-strain response, shear modulus and phase angle. | Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) | Superpave specifications.

10 – Composition of bitumen8 min
11 – Road-construction bitumens characteristics -1 – generalities6 min
12 – Road-construction bitumens characteristics -2 – Penetrability & Softening Point7 min
13 – Road-construction bitumens characteristics -3 – viscosity & breaking point Fraass6 min
14 – road-construction bitumens characteristics -4 – ageing12 min
15 – Bituminous product standards /Understanding European specifications and process for revision10 min
16 – Viscosity based standards (ASTM D3381)5 min
17 – Rheology of bitumens6 min
18 – Road-construction bitumens characteristics -5- Bending Beam Rheometer and Dynamic shear Rheometer and MSCRT7 min
19 – Superpave bitumen Specifications4 min
20 – Global view of bitumen products standards and development3 min

Week 3 : Modifications of bitumen and applications (roads, roofing,…)

Modifications using polymers. Performance of PmB. Elastic recovery test. | of types of modifications of bitumen: CRMB, warm mix asphalt, temperature reduction | Bitumen emulsions, their components, manufacture, storage, handling, properties, classification, uses | surface treatments | design of pavements and types of aggregates | fundamental tests, the simulative tests (fatigue test, rutting test, giratory compactor,…) | interest of full scale testing of asphalt mix: example of IFSTTAR carousel | Hot mix plants, transport, laying and compaction of asphalt mix | physical characteristics and industrial applications for sealing.

• 21 – Polymer modified bitumens8 min
• 22 – Other types of modifications of bitumen: CRMB, temperature reduction6 min
• 23 – Bitumen emulsions9 min
• 24 – Surface treatments7 min
• 25 – Understanding design of flexible pavements and types of aggregates7 min
• 26 – Laboratory testing of asphalt mix9 min
• 27 – Full scale testing of asphalt mix: IFSTTAR carousel6 min
• 28 – Hot mix plants, transport, laying and compaction of asphalt mix6 min
• 29 – Roofing applications of bitumen – other binders and uses (clear binders,…)5 min

Week 4 : Health, Safety, Environment & Quality concerns regarding bitumen, and examples of research & innovation actions

Dangers and risks involved with road-building bitumens | Dangers and risks involved with industrial bitumens. | Innovation in the frame of safety with bitumen | Research and Innovation applied for recycling of asphalt pavement, of the use of waste asphalt pavement containing bitumen and not tar, for manufacturing new product.| Research and Innovation applied for bio bitumen Algoroute program and other origins of bitumen | Research and Innovation applied for environmental issues and life cycle inventory (LCI | Key areas for the Research and Innovation applied for bitumen new tests methods | Road of the future:: 5th generation road.

• 30 – Dangers and risks associated with Bitumen. REACH regulation and registration of bitumen. Research and innovation to improve safety with bitumen10 min
• 31 – Research and Innovation applied for recycling of asphalt pavement7 min
• 32 – Research and Innovation applied for bio bitumen Algoroute program and other origins9 min
• 33 – Research and Innovation applied for environmental issues and life cycle inventory (LCI)6 min
• 34 – Research and Innovation applied for new tests method in bitumen characterization9 min
• 35 – Road of the future: 5th generation road6 min
• Conclusion : Training final result2 min