Monitoring viscosity in asphalt binders using an ultrasonic guided wave approach

Alexandra N. Haser; Megan E. McGovern; Behzad Behnia; William Buttlar; Henrique Reis

doi:10.1117/12.2082570

23 March 2015 Monitoring viscosity in asphalt binders using an ultrasonic guided wave approach

Alexandra N. Haser, Megan E. McGovern, Behzad Behnia, William Buttlar, Henrique Reis

Proceedings Volume 9438, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2015; 943816 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2082570
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A pulse-echo ultrasonic guided wave approach capable of monitoring the viscosity of asphalt binders as function of temperature is presented. The method consists of sending a torsional wave from one end of a cylindrical steel rod embedded in asphalt binder and receiving the reflected signals. Experiments were performed on several binders of different performance grades, at temperatures ranging from 25 to 180⁰C. First, the viscosity of the binders was measured using a rotational viscometer in accordance with ASTM standards. The change in signal strength of the end-of-waveguide reflection of the guided wave was also monitored for the same binders over the same range of temperatures. It was observed that the values obtained using the guided wave approach correlates well with the viscosity values obtained using the rotational viscometer. The method also appears capable of monitoring changes in viscosity due to aging of the binders. The method has the advantage of having no moving parts, which makes it attractive for the development of a system that is capable of monitoring viscosity in asphalt binders in the asphalt industry. Industrial applications examples are briefly summarized.

Citation Download Citation

Alexandra N. Haser, Megan E. McGovern, Behzad Behnia, William Buttlar, and Henrique Reis "Monitoring viscosity in asphalt binders using an ultrasonic guided wave approach", Proc. SPIE 9438, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2015, 943816 (23 March 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2082570

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