Presentation by Edgard Hitti of Paramount Petroleum, "Asphalt Binder Update -- New Specification on PG-M" delivered at the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference Oct. 24, 2013 in Sacramento, Calif.

1. Paramount Asphalt
A subsidiary of
ALON USA
Performance –Graded (PG) Binders
Paramount Petroleum Corporation
14700 Downey Ave
Paramount, CA 90723
Edgard Hitti
Director of Asphalt Technical Services

2. Overview
 How it is made
 Then & Now
 Specifications grading
 Why, When & How?
 How will it affect you?
 Q&A

3. Production Of Modified Asphalt
H
Bases
S
Bases
Modifier
Polymer, rubbers, etc…
Grade

4. Production Of Modified Asphalt
 Very delicate
process
 Requires
computerized
system

5. PMA Plant

6. 6

7. Long Term Storage
 Up to 2 weeks
Neat asphalt
Avoid aging
& increase viscosity
300-320oF
Prevent
PMA
PG-M, PG-PM, PG-TR
degradation

8. Extended Storage
 More than 3 weeks
<300oF
250-300
 Neat asphalt:
– no heat
 PMA (PG-PM, PG-TR, PG-M):
– No heat
– Polymer has the tendency to over swell &
degrade

9. Formation Of Coked Material




Around heating coil
Excessive heat for an extended period
Loss in heat efficiency
Improper maintenance
– Inspection on yearly basis
 Solution:
– Empty the tank and physically remove the material
around the coils

10. Coked Material
Hardened asphalt around the heating coils
Coked
material
Pipe
Asphalt
Heating oil

11. Coked Material

Very hard & brittle
materials

12. Heating Oil Leakage
 Minor leakage can drop viscosity from
2000 to 100 poise
 Monitor viscosity or heating fluid
 Solution:
– Material is transferred to another tank and
re-blend to bring it back to spec.

13. Flushing
 Good practice to flush the tank after TR or
PM project with HOT neat asphalt.
– Attention to contamination
– Tank completely empty

14. Truck Contamination
 Truck must be cleaned before loading
different materials
 Some truckers use diesel oil to prevent
plugging of the valves (BAD PRACTICE)
Area filled with
diesel oil

15. Specification
Systems
Penetration
Grading
System
Viscosity
Grading
System
Superpave
PG Grading
System
Other
Systems

16. Penetration Specification
 Five grades (original binder):
− 40 - 50
− 60 - 70
− 85 - 100
− 120 - 150
− 200 - 300

17. Viscosity
Grading
System
Original Binder
(AC)
Aged Residue
(AR)

19. Penetration Grades
Viscosity, 60C (140F)
AC 40
100
50
AC 20
60
70
120
150
10
5
200
300
AR 4000
AC 5
85
100
AR 8000
AC 10
40
50
AR 16000
AR 2000
AC 2.5
AR 1000

20. Superpave PG Grading System
 Developed in 1990s during SHRP
 Fundamental Properties
– Related to Pavement Performance?
 Binder Contributions to
– Rutting, Fatigue and Thermal Cracking



Environmental Factors or Climate
In-Service & Construction Temperatures
Short- and Long-Term Aging

21. Superpave Asphalt Binder
Specification
The grading system is based on Climate:
In-Service Pavement Temperatures
PG XX - YY
Performance
Grade
Min pavement
temperature
Average 7-day max
pavement temperature

22. AASHTO and ASTM requirements
And much more!!!
RV
DSR
RTFO
BBR
PAV

23. CalTrans PG-Grades

24. CalTrans Modified PG-Grades
 PG 58-34PM (Open Grades & Night Paving)
 PG64-28PM (working horse for the State)
 PG76-22PM (Desert Area, Stiffer binder, higher
traffic applications)
 Effective Jan 01, 2007 to replace all PBA specs

25. Implementation
4 unmodified PG-binders “Jan 06”
Replace PBA specs with PG-PM “Jan 07”
Asphalt Rubber base “PG64-16 & PG5822”
 AMRL certification “Jan 07”
 PG-TR Specs (Terminal Blend Specs) Jan
08




26. PG for rubberized binders
 AB 338
 2007: min. 6.0 lb/ mix ton
 2010: min. 7.5 lb / mix ton
 2013: min. 10.5 lb / mix ton
 AB513
 $2 for every 12 lb of crumb rubber = 1 PTE
 Calrecycle requirements:
 min. 15% crumb tire derived & processed in CA
 PG-PM and PG-TR has been combined
under one spec: PG-M
 PG58-34M, PG64-28M and PG76-22M
 PG76-22R – R18 for Chip Seal

27. Mix Designs
 A change order needed for ongoing projects
– New projects will have PG-M
 Suppliers will include temp/vis curves for
compaction and construction temp.
 Call your supplier for recommendations

28. UC Berkley hVS Study

29. performance
PG64-28NVTR
PG76-22NVTR

30. I-40 Report
(Caltrans / Asphalt institute)

31. PMTR-M Projects
District 1 (HWY 101 – Del Norte County)

32. PMTR-M Projects
District 2 (hwy 44 – city of redding)

33. PMTR-M Projects
San Diego County
Play Video

34. PMTR-M Projects
Siskiyou County
Play Video

35. TR Projects
Riverside

36. Paramount Asphalt
www.ParamountAsphalt.com

37. Questions and Answers
Thank You!