Determination of thermal conductivity for mastic asphalt by combining previously performed laboratory work and TASEF

Sammanfattning: Mastic asphalt is a material which in Sweden mainly is used as coating for bridges, parking decks, courtyards and terraces. Mastic asphalt is a material built-up by a combination of bitumen (a type of binder), well-graded aggregate (consists of both coarse and fine ballast), filler, sand and sometimes also fine graded macadam. Mastic asphalt is described as a material which in Sweden have potential to expand further.  At the same time, it is becoming increasingly popular to construct buildings with solid timber frames. In 2019, the Swedish market for forestry and algaculture was analyzed, after which cross-laminated timber proved to be the construction-material that increases most in popularity. In constructions, mastic asphalt and timber may be combined. In Växjö Sweden for example, a parking deck called Limnologen is constructed with both timber frames and mastic asphalt as pavement. Another example were mastic asphalt and timber have been combined is an enormous car park built in Studen, Switzerland, which have 2142 parking lots. The aim of this master thesis was to develop a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity (for mastic asphalt BPGJA-11) which resulted in temperature development curves that correlated well with the results presented in Ellinor Sanned’s bachelor thesis “Insulation of timber with concrete and cast asphalt”. Sanned performed laboratory work were two different samples of mastic asphalt was tested in a cone calorimeter. The cone calorimeter was set to 51 kW/m2 and Sanned measured the temperature development beneath the mastic asphalt. The thermal conductivities for mastic asphalt were, in this master thesis, developed by using inverse calculation in the finite element program TASEF (Temperature Analysis in Structures Exposed to Fire). To form a reliable setup in TASEF, a sensitivity analysis was initially conducted. Information regarding thermal properties of mastic asphalt at elevated temperatures was in general considered challenging to find. Due to this, assumptions of the parameters set in TASEF had to be made. The thermal conductivities were developed at 0 ℃, 300 ℃ and 660 ℃. The results indicates that the thermal conductivity of the mastic asphalt (BPGJA-11) tested by Sanned decreases between 0 ℃ and 300 ℃, and then more or less stabilizes.  The presented thermal conductivities should however be used with great caution. The reason for this is due to uncertainties in the experimental cone calorimeter results, uncertainties within the setup in TASEF as well as within the specific method used. In particular the application on materials which both melts and boils (such as mastic asphalt) should be made with great care. To increase the reliability of the results, more research and laboratory work should therefore be performed within the area.  The method used within this master thesis (inverse calculation using TASEF) is simple and cost effective when determining the thermal conductivity.