Stripping is defined as what phenomenon?

• A. The loss of adhesion between the asphalt cement and the aggregate surface primarily due to the action of water.
• B. The oxidation of asphalt binder.
• C. The detachment of aggregate from binder due to frost.
• D. The absorption of water by aggregate.

Answer: (A)

Stripping is a moisture-induced loss of adhesion between the asphalt cement and the aggregate surface. Water penetrates the bond at the binder-aggregate interface and weakens or breaks it, causing the asphalt to detach from the aggregate and be stripped away. This moisture damage reduces the pavement’s strength and durability, especially under traffic and heat.

Oxidation of the asphalt binder describes aging of the binder rather than a moisture-driven debonding. Detachment of aggregate from binder due to frost is more about freeze–thaw mechanical damage than the adhesive failure caused by water at the interface. Absorption of water by the aggregate is a property of the aggregate itself and does not describe the loss of adhesion between binder and aggregate.