Advances in Bituminous Road Construction

 Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal, Associate Director (Emeritus), National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), Auburn University, Alabama, U.S.A.

Introduction

An ambitious road construction plan is underway in India, which primarily involves bituminous pavements. At the present time, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) Specification for Road and Bridge Works, 2001 Edition is used for construction of all roads including national highways. Advances in bituminous construction technologies are made in the world almost every year. This paper describes such advances in terms of materials, mix design, special bituminous mixes, and recycling. There is a need to incorporate these advances in MORTH specifications which are about 10 years old, to keep abreast of latest technologies.