We Claim:
1. A bitumen that is solid at ambient temperature in the form of pellets
comprising a core made of a first bituminous material and a coating layer made of a
second bituminous material, in which:
the first bituminous material comprises at least one bitumen base, and the second bituminous material comprises:
• at least one bitumen base and at least one chemical additive chosen from: an organic compound, a viscosity-enhancing compound, a paraffin, a polyphosphoric acid, and mixtures thereof; or
• at least one pitch with a ring and ball softening point (RBSP) of greater than or equal to 80°C, it being understood that the RBSP is measured according to the standard EN 1427; or
• a mixture of these materials.
2. The bitumen as claimed in claim 1, in which the second bituminous
material comprises:
- at least one bitumen base, or at least one pitch with a ring and ball softening
point (RBSP) of greater than or equal to 800°C, it being understood that the RBSP
is measured according to the standard EN 1427, or a mixture of these materials and
- at least one chemical additive chosen from: an organic compound, a
viscosity-enhancing compound, a paraffin, a polyphosphoric acid, and mixtures
thereof.
3. The bitumen as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the first bituminous
material comprises at least one chemical additive chosen from: an organic

compound, a viscosity-enhancing compound, a paraffin, a polyphosphoric acid, and mixtures thereof.
4. The bitumen as claimed in claim 3, in which the chemical additive
5 present in the first bituminous material and the additive present in the second
bituminous material are identical.
5. The bitumen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which
the chemical additive is an organic compound which has a molar mass of less than
0 or equal to 2000 gmol-1, preferably a molar mass of less than or equal to 1000 gmol-1.
6. The bitumen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the
chemical additive is a viscosity-enhancing compound which has a dynamic viscosity
5 of greater than or equal to 50 mPa.s-1, preferably from 50 mPa.s-1 to 550 mPa.s-1, more preferentially from 80 mPa.s-1 to 450 mPa.s-1, the viscosity being a Brookfield viscosity measured at 65°C.
7. The bitumen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which
0 the second bituminous material has a needle penetrability measured at 25°C
according to the standard EN 1426 of greater than 5 1/10 mm.
8. The bitumen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which
the first bituminous material has a needle penetrability measured at 25°C according
5 to the standard EN 1426 of between 10 and 850 1/10 mm.

9. A process for manufacturing a bitumen that is solid at ambient
temperature in the form of pellets comprising a core made of a first bituminous material and a layer coating the core made of a second bituminous material as 5 claimed in any one of the preceding claims, this process comprising:
i) the forming of the core from the first bituminous material,
ii) the forming of the coating layer made of the second bituminous
material on all or part of the surface of the core.
10 10. The bitumen that is solid at ambient temperature as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 8, which may be obtained by performing the process as claimed in claim 9.
11. The bitumen that is solid at ambient temperature as claimed in any
15 one of claims 1 to 8 and 10, which shows stability on transportation and storage at a
temperature ranging from 20 to 80°C for a period of more than or equal to two months, preferably more than or equal to three months.
12. The use of the solid bitumen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 20 and 10, as a road binder.
13. The use as claimed in claim 12, for manufacturing bituminous mixes.
14. A process for manufacturing bituminous mixes comprising at least 25 one road binder and granulates, the road binder being chosen from the bitumens as
claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10, this process comprising at least the steps of:

- heating the granulates to a temperature ranging from 100°C to 180°C, preferably from 120°Cto I60°C.
- mixing the granulates with the road binder in a tank such as a mixer or a mixing drum,
5 - obtaining bituminous mixes.
15. The process as claimed in claim 14, which does not include a step of heating the road binder before it is mixed with the granulates.
10 16. A process for transporting and/or storing road bitumen, said road
bitumen being transported and/or stored in the form of bitumen that is solid at ambient temperature as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10.