Assessment of the Viscoelastic Properties of Modified Bitumens Containing Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer

The viscoelastic behaviour of styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer modified asphalt binders during tensile test and inverse creep test (retarded strain recovery after unloading) has been analysed in the presented paper. Laboratory tests have been conducted on two specimens of road bitumen: 20/30 and 50/70 penetration grade, which have been subjected to modification with the additive of 9% concentrate of SBS elastomer modified bitumen. When the two were mixed, the samples of polymer modified binders containing 3% or 6% by mass of the SBS elastomer were obtained. Force-ductility (tensile) test that has been followed by the extended procedure for the determination of elastic recovery, has been used as the research method. The results of the study have showed a significant improvement of the effect of modifications on the elastic properties and the temperature susceptibility reduction obtained only in the case of binders, where the polymer constitutes a dispersing phase forming a continuous network throughout the bitumen. Moreover, the temperature susceptibility coefficients, defined on the basis of the tensile test results, have been proposed as an alternative or extension to the previously widely used parameter, the Penetration Index