Bitumen is a very interesting, complex and capricious product, which undoubtedly determines the basic properties of asphalt concrete and its durability.

Heating road bitumen is an energy-intensive procedure. Energy consumption is determined by a number of factors, including start and end temperatures, heating duration, losses to the environment, and many others. The variety of heating methods and technologies, the features of technological equipment are the reasons for a significant variation in energy consumption. The article is devoted to the development of a classification for the regulation of energy consumption of enterprises for storage and distribution of commercial bitumen, as well as asphalt concrete plants. Consumption rates have been determined for energy efficiency classes A-G for technologies for working with wheels and when using bitumen storages.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the existing practice of heating and unloading bitumen from railway tanks. The results of measurements of temperature fields on the surface of tanks and a steam jacket are presented. Based on the calculated parameters, it was determined that up to 80% of the heat is lost into the environment during heating of bitumen in railway tanks. Ways to reduce energy consumption when transshipment of bitumen from railway transport are proposed.