Oil Palm Fruit Ash (OPFA) Modified Bitumen

The performance of asphalt pavements governed by the properties of the bitumen, because bitumen is the continuous matrix and only deformable component. At high temperatures (40 to 60 degree Celsius), bitumen exhibits a viscoelastic behaviour. Pavement made of bitumen may show distress when exposed to high temperatures. At elevated temperatures, permanent deformation or rutting occurs and leads to channels in the direction of travel. This attributed to the viscous flow of the bitumen matrix in paving mixtures, which retains strains induced by traffic. On the other hand, bitumen brittle in low temperature and pavement cracking will occur. Therefore, pavement performance is strongly associated with the rheological properties of bitumen, which can improve by its modification. By adding Oil Palm Fruit Ash (OPFA) as modifier have proofed that bitumen strength and properties improved. OPFA-MB, the binder resulted, resist to the rutting at 70 degree Celsius of pavement temperatures, resist to fatigue cracking at 20 degree Celsius of pavement temperatures, and resist to -16 degree Celsius of pavement temperatures. In addition, OPFA-MB binder have good adhesiveness to bind aggregates.