Webinar: Overview, Trends and Innovation in Asphalt Technology
Dr. Delmar Salomon
President and Founder of Pavement Preservation Systems LLC
Chair ASTM Subcommittee D0433
Steering Committee Member of the Rocky Mountain Asphalt User Producer Group
Tue, May 13th, 2025
2:00 P.M. - 3:15 P.M. (CT)
ABSTRACT
Over recent decades, asphalt technology has evolved significantly, driving advancements in pavement design, construction, and maintenance. This presentation examines innovative trends, including new binder performance standards, balanced mix design approaches, and asphalt modifiers for longer lasting pavements. It highlights pavement preservation strategies and the emergence of non-destructive portable infrared spectroscopy (PIRS) as a game-changing tool for quality control during construction and pavement laydown. Recently adopted as an AASHTO standard, PIRS enables rapid evaluation of asphalt mixture oxidation levels, offering valuable insights for materials and pavement management engineers. When paired with rheometer testing, PIRS integrates chemical and mechanical binder properties, streamlining quality assurance. A case study on emulsified asphalt testing illustrates how such technology integration fosters process innovation and workflow efficiency. Together, these advancements pave the way for safer, more sustainable, and cost-effective asphalt solutions.
BIO
Delmar, a Ph.D. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has a 36-year international career in various fields: R&D, chemical industry, quality, emulsified asphalt and modification of asphalt. materials. He worked in Canada, Mexico and the US, and has fifty plus publications in different technical areas. Several asphalt technology and training workshops have been given in the US, China and Latin America. Research experience includes: photochemistry, analytical chemistry, pulp & paper, and asphalt additives. Dr. Salomon is the President and Founder of Pavement Preservation Systems LLC (2005), an Idaho Certified DBE Consulting group dedicated to technology transfer, emulsified and modified asphalt, pavement management and technical marketing in the asphalt field, as well as the promotion of processes that contribute to improving asphalt materials for long-lasting pavements. He was a contributor and former member of NASEM Committee on Repurposing Plastics Waste in Infrastructure (2023) sponsored by USEPA and USDOT (see http://nap.nationalacademies.org/27172 ). He has broad business networks with private industry, governmental agencies, professional organizations, and Universities in North and Latin America. He was principal Consultant for the Iowa State University project “Next Generation High Oleic Polymers” (2024). Delmar, a Ph.D. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has a 36-year international career in various fields: R&D, chemical industry, quality, emulsified asphalt and modification of asphalt. materials. He worked in Canada, Mexico and the US, and has fifty plus publications in different technical areas. Several asphalt technology and training workshops have been given in the US, China and Latin America. Research experience includes: photochemistry, analytical chemistry, and pulp & paper, asphalt additives. Dr. Salomon is the President and Founder of Pavement Preservation Systems LLC (2005), an Idaho Certified DBE Consulting group dedicated to technology transfer, emulsified and modified asphalt, pavement management and technical marketing in the asphalt field, as well as the promotion of processes that contribute to improve asphalt materials for long-lasting pavements. He was a contributor and former member of NASEM Committee on Repurposing Plastics Waste in Infrastructure (2023) sponsored by USEPA and USDOT (see http://nap.nationalacademies.org/27172 ). He has broad business networks with private industry, governmental agencies, professional organizations, and Universities in North and Latin America. He was principal Consultant for the Iowa State University project “Next Generation High Oleic Polymers” (2024). He has three Consensus Standards approved at ASTM International (D7404; D7226; D7229) for emulsified asphalt, and two AASHTO standards: AASHTO Standard T 382 (2022) “Standard Method of Test for Determining the Viscosity of Emulsified Asphalt by a Rotational Paddle Viscometer”, that is a full standard and had its first revision published August 2020. The focus of recent work has been on nondestructive testing to measure in situ the aging rate of asphalt materials using Portable Infrared Spectroscopy (PIRS). This infrared application (PIRS) has been approved as a full standards, January 24, 2025 formerly Standard TP 128 (2022) “Standard Method of Test for Evaluation of Oxidation Level of Asphalt Mixtures by a Portable Infrared Spectrometer” and to be published in 2025. Dr. Salomon is a former ASTM International Ambassador for the ASTM Latin American pilot program for the construction industry.
