Aging of asphalt binders from weathered asphalt mixtures compared with a SHRP process

Aging of asphalt binders from weathered asphalt mixtures was quantitatively evaluated in both micro- and macro-level properties by Atom Force Microscope (AFM) and by Dynamical Shear Rheometer (DSR), respectively. The asphalt binders tested were recovered from asphalt mixtures weathered for different weathering times, in addition to those control asphalt binders aged by following a SHRP binder process. The results of this research are summarized as follows: 1) The aging of asphalt binders from both weathered mixtures and those aged by a SHRP process can be characterized quantitatively by AFM technologies; 2) “Bee structures” occurred in the morphology of these binders were not observed in the images of both adhesion and modulus of elasticity; 3) Agings of asphalt binders for a weathering duration of 0, 2400 h were roughly equivalent to those by RTFO, RTFO + PAV residuals, respectively.