Colored Asphalt Pavement

Authors
Parham Hayati 1
Alireza Rajabi 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad Unive
10.22034/road.2026.245485
Abstract
Colored asphalt, meeting resistance and friction requirements, is a suitable alternative to conventional asphalt concrete in roads and airfield pavements. In the production of colored asphalts, transparent binders (modified bitumen, polymer-modified binders, resins and vegetable oils) are used. These types of binders are colorless, and various pigments (titanium rutile, zinc ferrite, iron tri-oxide, cobalt aluminate, and chromium oxide) are used to produce colored asphalts. The mix design of colored asphalt mixture is similar to conventional asphalt concrete, except that pigments replace a portion of the filler in the asphalt concrete mixture to reduce hardening effects. The amount of pigment in the asphalt concrete mixture, depending on the pigment type and asphalt concrete specifications, ranges from 0.5% to 5% (optimal approximate value of 4%) of the total weight of the mixture. Mixtures with transparent binders perform better against deformation and permeability compared to conventional asphalt concrete. Adding pigment to the binder increases the performance grade (suitable for airport apron surfaces), viscosity, and rutting resistance; although fatigue life decreases at high pigment percentages, it improves at pigment contents up to 1%. The production temperature of this asphalt should be set about 30°C lower than that of conventional asphalt (similar to warm-mix) to prevent burning and discoloration of the mixture. Colored asphalt made with transparent binder heats up more slowly and cools down more quickly, and the addition of pigment intensifies this process. Polymeric compounds also increase thermal stability. From an environmental perspective, colored asphalt is a sustainable option, reducing urban heat islands, carbon dioxide emissions, and ozone layer damage. The lower surface temperature and higher light reflectivity of this type of pavement reduce energy consumption for lighting. Although the initial production cost of this type of pavement is higher, it is favorable in the long term due to its higher durability and reduced need for repair and maintenance operations.
Keywords
Colored Asphalt
Pavement Deformation
Heat Island
Polymer Modified Clear Binder
Pigment
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