Europe Specs
Performance specifications for European Roads are developed under the auspices of CEN (Centre Europeen de Normalisation); a European Union body. The Technical Committee (TC) 336 is involved along-with its Working Group WG1 and its associated Task Groups. The task groups are:
- High Temperature related to permanent deformation or rutting
- Low Temperature related to thermal cracking
- Aging of the binder
- Annexe ZA/Mandate
- Specification system to be used
Kraton Polymers personnel are involved through the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) together with the other modifier producers.
Partners in this process are amongst others:
- IISRP, the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers
- Eurobitume, the European bitumen association comprising bitumen producers and national bitumen organisations in Europe
- EAPA, the European Asphalt and Paving Association
- WERD, Western European Road Directors
- FEHRL, Federation of European Highway Road Laboratories
- CEN, European Committee for Standardization
Traditional
Traditionally the main specifications were:
as indicator of sensitivity to permanent deformation and susceptability to temperature and
to indicate brittleness temperature and hence the minimum temperature of use.
All three methods are still widely used and unmodified bitumen grades are usually specified according to their PEN value.
As already stated, it has long been recognized that these measurements have little predictive value for polymer-modified bitumen performance with regard to pavements.
