Curing of asphalt emulsified tack coat subjected to Malaysian weather conditions

Abstract

Curing of asphalt emulsions ensures the proper strength development of the material with the evaporation of water. This paper focuses on determining the minimum curing time needed for Malaysian asphalt emulsions. Three factors, including curing conditions (indoor, outdoor, and curing at night), asphalt emulsion types (RS-1k, RS-2k, RS-2kL, RS-3k, Ralumac, and SRSB) and application rates (high, medium, and low), were investigated. The curing time was determined by weighing a specimen repeatedly at a certain time interval until a constant weight was achieved. Statistical analysis of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also performed to study if there are differences between groups of variables. From the results, it was found that curing conditions incorporating weather characteristics (i.e., wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation) are the most significant factor affecting the curing time of a particular asphalt emulsion. Curing of asphalt emulsions for construction at night proved to be unworkable due to the absence of solar radiation with relatively low temperature and high relative humidity. On the other hand, a low application rate of asphalt emulsions generally cured faster regardless of the curing conditions and asphalt emulsion types.