Gilsonite resin is used by asphalt producers, road paving engineers and paving contractors who are concerned with PG specifications, high performance, and cost-effectiveness. Gilsonite, long known as a bitumen reinforce and the hardening agent, also offers a unique combination of high performance and economy for high-stress paving, as well as preservation applications. A significant benefit of Gilsonite is in producing road pavement mixes of higher stability than conventional ones.

Transportation has been increased dramatically nowadays. High-stress traffic situations frequently take place around the country. Prevailed Monsoon climate leads to the national wide high temperature in summer, and the large sum of precipitation in many countries. Under the circumstances, asphalt pavement tends to the break down in early time, by cutting, water stripping, low-temperature cracking, deformation etc. Applying proper material helps to ease and solve the early problems upon highway pavement, therefore polymeric modified asphalt is widely used in super road constructions. The modifiers, including SBS, SBR, PE, EVA, TLA, Gilsonite, BMA have applied to SMA and the normal concrete, as well as used in the different surface layer.

After modification, the pavement would increase life expectancy at about 25% if pavement deterioration is caused by rutting and hug bag, the service life will be able to increase 100–200%.

• Improved pavement load carrying ability
• Retention of original ductility
• Increased resistance to pavement deformation

When using polymer as modifier, mixture showed higher degree of improving the rutting-resistance and shear deformation performance.

Gilsonite benefits in asphalt pavement

A 2015 study by the Western Regional Super Pave Center at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Nevada, Reno, proved that Gilsonite-modified binders significantly extend the useful life of asphalt pavement.

Findings from comprehensive testing demonstrated that Gilsonite-modified binders showed significant improvement in:

• Tensile strength – The addition of Gilsonite significantly increased both the unconditioned and moisture-conditioned tensile strength.
• Compressive strength – Gilsonite-modified binders showed significant improvement in compressive strength.
• Rutting strength – Gilsonite-modified binders significantly increased projected pavement life. In all but one case, adding Gilsonite yielded a ten-fold increase.
• Fatigue resistance – The projected pavement life is 1.5 to 5 times longer with the Gilsonite-modified binders.