THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODIFIERS ON THE PROPERTIES OF BITUMENS AND ASPHALT CONCRETE BASED ON THEM

Highways are extremely important for the development of the national economy and the renovation of infrastructure under wartime conditions. The main material for road pavement construction is asphalt concrete, which includes petroleum bitumen. In Ukraine, the only producer of this material is the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery (PJSC "Ukrtatnafta"), which necessitates the import of bitumen. The research paper investigates the effect of various modifiers (polymeric, energy-saving, adhesive and wax additives), as well as their complex modification, on the bitumen performance of Kremenchuk Oil Refinery. The experimental evaluation of bitumen physical and mechanical properties after its modification was carried out, namely: needle penetration depth (penetration) at 250 С, ring and ball softening temperature, and tensile strength. For polymer additives, their effect on bitumen elasticity was also determined. In addition, the effect of modifiers on the quality of the asphalt mixture was investigated: average density, water saturation, tensile strength at 200 С and 500 С, and water resistance coefficient using the rapid method. The research results demonstrated that the modifiers have a similar effect on bitumen performance, namely, they reduce the penetration and increase the softening point, but with a different degree. All the modifiers, except for the energy-saving Veleton additive, also had a positive effect on the quality of asphalt concrete. This effect of the Veleton additive is probably due to the unusual temperature regime for bitumen modification and asphalt mix preparation, which requires additional research. Polymer additives (in particular, Elvaloy) demonstrated the greatest efficiency, significantly improving the performance of asphalt concrete. The findings can be used to optimize asphalt mixtures, which will help to increase the durability of the road surface and effectively restore Ukraine’s transport infrastructure.