Durability of bitumen binder reinforced with polymer additives: Towards upgrading Nigerian local bitumen.

One of the major obstacles to Nigeria's techno-economic development has been a lack of good road infrastructure. Despite a large deposit of natural bitumen in the form of semi-liquid and bitumen sand, the reliance on imported bitumen/asphalt for road construction and maintenance in Nigeria has reduced road coverage and quality. To use local bitumen as a binder in pavement construction, an efficient upgrading process is required using polymers, nanomaterials, and other chemical additives.