For more information and individual expert advice regarding the use of clear binders and the benefits it may bring to your community, please contact your local Shell Bitumen sales representative. Shell Bitumen Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited Rowlandsway House Rowlandsway Wythenshawe Manchester M22 5SB United Kingdom e: shell-bitumen@shell.com t: +448702017777 www.shell.com/bitumen
Delivering Innovation to your Advantage Shell Bitumen Coloured Solutions Portfolio How will colour improve your urban environment?
Bregenz, AUSTRIA
Using coloured pavements in urban development Coloured pavements are being used more and more frequently in the modern urban development and with good reason. They offers a wide range of benefits to everyone involved, from designers and architects, to builders and local authorities, and, most importantly, the public. The key benefits of coloured pavements, and where they can be used include: Safety Providing a clearer visual difference to indicate pavement use Optimum visibility Highlighted danger zones and safety indications - Traffic separation and demarcation - Parking areas - Tunnels - Bicycle lanes - Bus lanes - Disabled access areas - Footpaths Increased visibility in tunnels 1 - Light coloured asphalt can help reduce lighting costs Aesthetics Greater creativity for landscape and architectural applications 2 Harmonisation of the pavement into its surroundings - Tourist sites - Heritage sites - Squares - Plazas - Shopping centres - School playgrounds - Courtyards Highlight heritage sites 1 In comparison to conventional black bitumen 2 In comparison to conventional black bitumen, concrete, stone paving or other traditional paving materials Dublin, IRELAND
Shell Bitumen s coloured pavement solutions Shell Bitumen s Coloured Solutions Portfolio seeks to balance the technical, economical and aesthetic needs of today s urban environments. Coloured asphalts are produced using a synthetic bitumen, also known as clear binder, to which a chosen colour (pigment) can be added to create the desired effect. What are clear binders and where do they come from? Clear binders are binders that when in thin film, are translucent and may be colourable since they do not contain any asphaltenes (which are the compounds responsible for the black colour of bitumen). Furthermore they can be used without pigments in order to show the natural colour of the aggregate, or pigments can be added in small amounts in order to obtain a wide range of colours, of varying brightness. These binders usually come from specialised production facilities that can blend petroleum products or organic materials (in the case of renewable binders) with different chemical components, such as polymers. These clear binders can be used in a variety of applications to deliver performance for a wide range of pavement solutions, both trafficked and pedestrian applications, depending on the formulation of the binder selected. The benefits of using Shell Bitumen s clear binders within coloured asphalts include: Cost effective and durable Mechanical resistance equal to that of a conventional asphalt mixture Easy to maintain easy to repair Surface and colour homogeneity Increased ride comfort and reduced noise 3 May reduce rutting 4 in warm weather conditions due to lower heat retention 3 In comparison to concrete, stone paving or other traditional paving materials 4 In comparison to conventional black bitumen subject to high temperatures, if used with clear coloured pigments or no pigments at all Zagreb, CROATIA
Tolouse, FRANCE
Shell Bitumen Coloured Solutions Portfolio At Shell Bitumen, we offer clear binders across an adapted range of solutions, which are designed to help make it easy for you to introduce coloured pavements into your projects. Shell Mexphalte C for asphalt Shell Mexphalte C is a synthetic clear binder developed to produce coloured hot mix asphalt for a long lasting coloured pavement. It has a similar mechanical performance to conventional bitumen, and is easy to apply, as no special laying equipment is required. Shell Mexphalte C can be used to enhance the natural colour and texture of aggregates, and can be easily coloured using small amounts of pigments to provide an extensive colour palette. Shell Mexphalte C for mastic asphalt Shell Bitumen s hot mix clear binder is also available in a fit-for-purpose grade for producing mastic asphalt. Shell Spramul C for surface dressings or slurry surfacing Paris, FRANCE Shell Spramul C is a cationic polymer modified synthetic clear emulsion for cold application, based on Shell Mexphalte C technology. It was specifically developed for lightly trafficked coloured pavements, making it ideal for heritage sites. What s more, it is cost-effective and is designed for ease of use, especially in hard-to-reach places, to produce low on site emissions and to offer exceptional visual appearance and texture. Image 1 Shell Spramul C enables the natural texture and colour of the aggregates to be visible. It can also be coloured using small amounts of pigments to provide a subtly coloured pavement. Versailles, FRANCE
Shell Floraphalte for asphalt or mastic asphalt Shell Floraphalte represents the next generation of clear binder; it is designed for the production of coloured asphalts made with renewable materials. It is manufactured using plant-based ingredients and a high-performance polymer. Shell Floraphalte was developed by our in-house technical experts and is an addition to our extensive range of high quality binders. Shell Floraphalte comes with the logistical and technical support that Shell Bitumen offers to all its customers. Shell Floraphalte is a binder for coloured surfaces in parks, urban heritage sites, university campuses, cycle ways and sports stadiums and proves that a responsible solution doesn t have to mean a compromise on performance. Shell Mexphalte C Joint P3J for joint filling Shell Mexphalte C Joint P3J is a cost-effective clear coloured bonding agent that is designed for tramways and stone paving applications. Based on synthetic binder technologies, Shell Mexphalte C Joint P3J is a mastic joint solution that combines the durability of a polymer modified binder and a clear synthetic binder. It offers a superior aesthetic appearance, is designed to be easy to apply (hot) and easy to maintain; plus it is formulated to reduce noise and absorb vibration. It should not leach chemicals or particles that might stain, or contaminate water sources, channels or sewers, as it does not contain any solvent. La grande motte, FRANCE Strasbourg, FRANCE
Why should you choose Shell Bitumen for your coloured projects? Choosing Shell Bitumen gives you the comfort that your projects will be based on one of the best solutions in the industry for coloured needs with the result that your end users and stakeholders notice the difference between your coloured projects and those done with traditional black asphalt or other traditional paving materials. 1. Knowledge and experience Shell Bitumen has over 30 years experience with clear binders for coloured solutions. Frankfurt, GERMANY 2. Strong supply and logistics Shell Bitumen can supply from some of largest and most reputable manufacturing sites that the clear binder industry has to offer. 3. Technical Partnership Shell Bitumen will work in close technical partnership with local contractors to deliver the best possible results for your project. Gap, FRANCE 4. High quality product Shell Bitumen offers proven, high quality clear binders that are one of the best solutions in the industry for coloured needs.
How is coloured asphalt produced? The laying process for coloured asphalt mixtures is very similar to that for conventional hot mix asphalt. The production of a coloured asphalt mixture requires a mixing plant that is equipped with a separate feed system for the clear binder. The mixing plant should also include precision washing equipment for the feed system and the mixer and make sure that the whole system is clean from residues of normal black bitumen before starting mixing operations. 1. 3. 5. 2. 4. 6. The contractor must exercise the utmost care during laying operations. The road must be closed to traffic and the asphalt must be transported in covered trucks and laid by hand or with a paver. Then compaction must be carried out with vibratory rollers and/or compactors and the road must not be open to traffic until the asphalt mixture has fully cooled. What are the different ways to produce coloured asphalt? Hot mixtures consisting of dry aggregate, bitumen, filler and pigment. These asphalt mixtures are produced at a mixing plant (at 150 to 170 C) and are then laid either manually or mechanically. They tend to have a small nominal aggregate size leading to a high level of homogeneity in colour. Coloured asphalt mixtures are generally thin asphalt concrete (3 to 4 cm thick) or mastic asphalt (2.5 to 3 cm thick). Standard asphalt mix techniques are generally used, and many road construction companies are familiar with the use of clear binders. 1. Clear emulsion 2. Footpath made with a traditional coloured asphalt mix 3. Manual application of a coloured emulsion 4. Bicycle lanes made with clear binder hot mix 5. Clear binder used in a tunnel 6. Manual application of a mastic asphalt
Coloured mastic asphalt This is a different technique from coloured asphalt mixtures. Coloured mastic asphalt is composed of a mixture of crushed aggregate, fines and a bitumen binder. Mastic asphalt is a hot-laid bituminous material produced in specialised plants (mastic asphalt pug mills). Mixing is performed hot and the product is applied manually. It does not require any compaction and can be used to make waterproof layers. This surfacing is used exclusively in urban areas, for example in sidewalks, multistory car parks and, more generally, for small, difficult-to-reach areas that require frequent repairs. Laying of coloured mastic asphalt requires the know-how of specialised contractors. Emulsions Emulsions are composed of water, emulsifiers and binder. The aim of this technique is to facilitate adhesion of aggregate to the pavement; once the water evaporates, the aggregate sticks to the surface thanks to the bitumen. Emulsions are laid either with specialised machinery for large work sites or manually with equipment for smaller projects. They can be used as multi-layered surface dressings or in coloured slurry seals. For the latter, the emulsion is laid when cold in order to yield a very thin layer (between 3 and 6 mm thick) on an existing support surface of asphalt or concrete. While this surfacing can withstand light traffic, it is mostly recommended for footpaths and sidewalks. Coloured asphalt production process (Schematic) Shell specialty production facility Compactor Contractor On site production Binder transport Filler Aggregates Pigment (optional) Surface layer production Asphalt transport Asphalt mixing plant Note: Aggregate colour is an important factor in determining the final colour of the pavement
Image 1 Lorentzweiler, LUXEMBOURG