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Innovation & Technologie Angebot

A licensee sought for a special device for asphalt pavement shear properties testing

Country of Origin: Czech Republic
Reference Number: TOCZ20191021001
Publication Date: 22 October 2019

Summary

Researchers from the Czech university have developed and successfully tested a special device for testing asphalt pavement shear properties. The device offers the simple shear properties testing of granular materials. It can be used to design material and to perform quality checks. The researchers are looking for partners interested in licensing agreement.

Description

Permanent deformations in asphalt pavements are problematic. To design materials such as hot mix asphalts according to its permanent deformations is crucial aspect. 



There are basically two different approaches how to measure permanent deformations in asphalt in Europe and in the USA.



Laboratory wheel-tracking devices are used to run simulative tests that measure hot-mix asphalt qualities (rutting, fatigue, moisture susceptibility and stripping predictions) by rolling a small loaded wheel device repeatedly across a prepared hot-mix asphalt specimen. These tests are called “pass or fail tests” based on rutting potential (a surface depression in the wheel paths), however these tests cannot be reasonably correlated to field rut performance.



Hot-mix asphalt is a high-quality, thoroughly controlled hot mixture of asphalt binder and aggregate that can be compacted into a uniform dense mass.



The researchers from the Czech university in cooperation with other partners have developed and successfully tested an improved device for testing asphalt pavement shear properties. It offers the simple shear properties testing of granular materials. It can be used to design material and to perform quality checks.



The test device allows testing built layers of asphalt or specimens prepared in laboratories. Performance of those test specimens or built layers is then correlated to actual in-service pavement performance.



The test device aims to be used by producers of asphalt mixtures, companies laying asphalt mixtures, laboratories examining the properties of asphalt mixtures and laboratories to prepare advanced materials that either fulfils same function with lower production price or have better properties during its lifetime (or both at the same time).



The researchers are looking for manufacturing partners (e.g. manufacturers of testing equipment for asphalt mixtures producers, instrumentation manufacturers or testing device manufacturers) interested in a licensing agreement. 



The subject of the license agreement will be know-how (measurement device principle, detailed scheme of working etc.) as well as know-how for manufacturing of the device.

Advantages and Innovations

- The most significant advantage of the developed device is its capability to test materials properties that are needed for pavement design or asphalt layers easier

- Roughly 30 times testing device cheaper price compared to currently available device

- Simple way to work with the device compared to currently available device (no need of gluing, same stress pattern as in real pavements etc. …)

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Stage Of Development Comment

Actual technology has been successfully tested at the university laboratory. A material that has better than conventional properties have been designed for large construction companies utilizing the test device.

Requested partner

The university would like to cooperate with a partner from industry, who would like to manufacture the offered device based on a licensing agreement.