Innovative asphalt mixtures

Asphalt consists of aggregate, sand, filler and bitumen. These components are used to produce very different types of asphalt, such as asphaltic concrete, dense asphaltic concrete (DAC), stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and 'very open asphalt concrete' (Dutch acronym: ZOAB). The asphalt types have varying degrees of properties such as elasticity, noise-reducing capacity and resistance to rutting. The type of asphalt chosen for a road depends on the traffic situation. For certain locations such as airports and container terminals, special mixtures are designed, often to the commissioning party's specifications.

Asphalt additives

Innovative asphalt mixtures are designed with a view to improving asphalt properties and adapting them more closely to the application. The new mixtures contain new components (e.g. fibres, rubber, synthetics) to improve the performance of an existing asphalt mixture. Mixtures are also designed for producing asphalt that is more sustainable, i.e. more environmentally friendly. TNO carries out research into the performance of these innovative asphalt mixtures, including fibre-reinforced asphalt and porous elastic road surfaces, and compares them with standard mixtures. In this field we develop new technologies for producing polymer-modified binders and components for sustainable 'green' asphalt.