Sun Damage on Roads: From UV Radiation to Bituminous Binders and the Protecting Effect of End-of-Life Tires

Abstract

Roads are exposed to solar radiation for the entire duration of their service life; depending on the season, the intensity and level of exposure can vary for different locations leading to differences in the magnitude of the damage. In Australia, many local road authorities have already started understanding that their roads are deteriorating faster due to non-load related effects (i.e., environmental damage). The present paper discusses the damage caused by UV radiation on bituminous binders and explores the protecting effect provided by the use of end-of-life tires in the form of crumb rubber. The results suggest that adding crumb rubber to bituminous binders has the potential to significantly reduce the non-load related environmental damage caused by the UV radiation of the Sun.

Keywords

• asphalt
• bitumen
• crumb rubber
• end-of-life tires
• UV radiation