Preparation of capsules containing rejuvenators for their use in asphalt concrete

Every year, there is a demand of more than 110 million metric tons of asphalt all around the world. This represents a huge amount of money and energy, from which a good part is for the preservation and renovation of the existing pavements. The problem of asphalt is that it oxidizes with time and therefore its beneficial properties disappear. Traditionally, rejuvenators spread in the road surface, are used to restore the original properties of the pavement. The problem is that, for a rejuvenator to be successful, it must penetrate the pavement surface. Furthermore, application of a rejuvenator will reduce the skid resistance of the pavement and, besides, rejuvenators have many aromatic compounds that can be harmful for the environment. To solve these problems this paper introduces a new concept in road construction: encapsulated rejuvenators. The basic principle is that when the stress in capsules embedded in the asphalt reaches a certain threshold value, the capsules break and some rejuvenator is released, restoring the original properties of the pavement. This paper will show how to prepare such capsules and how to determine their characteristics. This is one of the first steps towards intelligent pavements. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.