Designation: D1074 − 09

Standard Test Method for

Compressive Strength of Bituminous Mixtures1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D1074; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope D3203 Test Method for Percent Air Voids in Compacted

1.1 This test method provides a method for measuring the Dense and Open Bituminous Paving Mixtures
compressive strength of compacted bituminous mixtures. It is D3666 Specification for Minimum Requirements for Agen-
for use with specimens weighed, batched, mixed, and fabri- cies Testing and Inspecting Road and Paving Materials
cated in the laboratory, as well as for mixtures manufactured in D4753 Guide for Evaluating, Selecting, and Specifying Bal-
a hot-mix plant. ances and Standard Masses for Use in Soil, Rock, and
Construction Materials Testing
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical E2251 Specification for Liquid-in-Glass ASTM Thermom-
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only eters with Low-Hazard Precision Liquids
and are not considered standard. 2.2 Federal Specification:
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the Standard Specifications for Construction of Roads and
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the Bridges on Federal Highway Projects3
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 3. Significance and Use
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 3.1 The compressive strength of specimens prepared and
tested by this test method along with density and voids
2. Referenced Documents properties are used for laboratory mix design of bituminous
2.1 ASTM Standards:2 mixtures. One approach is described in ASTM STP 252.4
C136 Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse 3.1.1 This test method also describes the methods for
Aggregates molding, curing, and testing of specimens being evaluated by
C670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements Test Method D1075.
for Test Methods for Construction Materials 3.1.2 When used in conjunction with other mixture physical
C702 Practice for Reducing Samples of Aggregate to Testing properties, the compressive strength may contribute to the
Size overall mixture characterization and is one factor determining
D75 Practice for Sampling Aggregates its suitability for use under given loading conditions and
D140 Practice for Sampling Bituminous Materials environment as a highway paving material.
D979 Practice for Sampling Bituminous Paving Mixtures 3.2 Typical values of minimum compressive strengths for
D1075 Test Method for Effect of Water on Compressive design of bituminous mixtures by this test method for different
Strength of Compacted Bituminous Mixtures traffic densities are given in Table 401-1 of the “Standard
D2041 Test Method for Theoretical Maximum Specific Specifications for Construction of Roads and Bridges on
Gravity and Density of Bituminous Paving Mixtures Federal Highway Projects.”3 Some state departments of trans-
D2726 Test Method for Bulk Specific Gravity and Density portation and federal agencies have specific requirements of
of Non-Absorptive Compacted Bituminous Mixtures their own based on their experience with this test method. The
agencies should be consulted for their specific requirements if
work is to meet their standards.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D04 on Road
and Paving Materials and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D04.20 on 3.3 Reheated mixtures are permissible in this test method,
Mechanical Tests of Bituminous Mixtures. but the resulting compressive strengths will be higher than for
Current edition approved July 1, 2009. Published August 2009. Originally
approved in 1949. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as D1074 – 02. DOI:
3
10.1520/D1074-09. “Asphaltic Concrete Mix Requirements,” Standard Specifications for Construc-
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or tion of Roads and Bridges on Federal Highway Projects, 1996, Federal Highway
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM Administration, Washington, DC 20590, p. 233.
4
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Goode, J. F., “Use of the Immersion-Compression Test in Evaluating and
the ASTM website. Designing Paving Mixtures,” ASTM STP 252, 1959, pp. 113–129.

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 D1074 − 09
newly prepared mixtures due to the change in the binder The bearing faces, when new, shall not depart from a true plane
viscosity, an element of the compressive strength as measured by more than 0.0005 in. (0.0127 mm) at any point and shall be
under these loading conditions and temperature.5 maintained within a permissible variation limit of 0.001 in.
NOTE 1—The quality of the results produced by this standard are (0.025 mm). In the spherically seated block, the center of the
dependent on the competence of the personnel performing the procedure sphere shall coincide with the center of the bearing face. The
and the capability, calibration, and maintenance of the equipment used.
Agencies that meet the criteria of Standard Practice D3666 are generally
movable portion of this block shall be held closely in the
considered capable of competent and objective testing/sampling/ spherical seat, but the design shall be such that the bearing face
inspection/etc. Users of this standard are cautioned that compliance with can be rotated freely and tilted through small angles in any
D3666 alone does not completely assure reliable results. Reliable results direction.
depend on many factors; following the suggestions of D3666 or some
similar acceptable guideline provides a means of evaluating and control- 4.4 Oven—The oven used in the preparation of materials or
ling some of those factors. reheating of mixtures shall be controllable within 65°F
(63°C) of any specified temperature above ambient up to
4. Apparatus 392°F (200°C).
4.1 Molds and Plungers—The molds and plungers shall be 4.5 Hot Plate—A small hot plate equipped with a rheostat
in accordance with the following: shall be provided for supplying sufficient heat under the mixing
4.1.1 Diameter Tolerances—The mold shall have sufficient bowl to maintain the aggregate and bituminous material at the
height to allow fabrication of a 4 by 4 in. (101.6 by 101.6 mm) desired temperature during mixing.
specimen. It shall have an inside diameter of 4.000 to 4.005 in.
(101.60 to 101.73 mm) and a nominal thickness of 1⁄4 in. (6.4 4.6 Hot Water Bath or Oven—A water bath or oven suffi-
mm). ciently large to hold three sets of 4-in. (101.6-mm) molds and
4.1.2 The plungers shall pass through the mold freely and plungers. If the water bath does not have an internal tempera-
shall have a diameter within 0.050 in. (1.27 mm) of the mold ture control, a hot plate of sufficient capacity with a control to
inside diameter. The plungers may be solid, hollow, or other maintain the water bath at a temperature just under the boiling
structure so long as the ends are at least 0.50 in. (12.7 mm) point will be required. The oven shall be capable of maintain-
thick and are at a right angle to the mold wall. The bottom ing a temperature of between 200 to 275°F (93.3 to 135°C).
plunger shall be 2 6 1⁄8 in. (50 6 4 mm) high but the top 4.7 Air Bath—The air bath shall be capable of either manual
plunger may be any suitable height. or automatic control for storing the specimens at 77 6 1.8°F
4.1.3 Specimens Other than 4 by 4 in. (101.6 by 101.6 (25 6 0.5°C) immediately prior to making the compression
mm)—Molds and plungers for fabricating these size specimens test.
are allowed in accordance with Section 6. 4.8 Balance—Balances or scales and weights meeting the
4.2 Supports—Temporary supports for specimen molds requirements of Specification D4753 shall be provided as
shall consist of two steel bars, 1 6 1⁄8 in. (25.4 6 3.1 mm) appropriate for the sample or ingredient mass.
square and a minimum length of 3 in. (76.2 mm). 4.9 Mixing Machine—Mechanical mixing is preferable over
4.3 Testing Machine—The testing machine must be of any hand-mixing. Any type of mixer may be used, provided it can
type of sufficient capacity that will provide a range of accu- be maintained at the required mixing temperature and will
rately controllable rates of vertical deformation. Since the rate produce a well-coated, homogeneous mixture of the required
of vertical deformation for the compression test is specified as size in two minutes or less, and further provided that it is of
0.05 in./min·in. (0.05 mm/min·mm) of specimen height, and it such design that fouling of the blades will be minimized and
may be necessary to test specimens ranging in size from 2 by each individual batch can be retrieved in essentially its entirety
2 in. (50.8 by 50.8 mm) to perhaps 8 by 8 in. (203.2 by 203.2 including asphalt and fines. Hand-mixing is allowable, if
mm) in order to maintain the specified minimum ratio of necessary, but for hot mixtures the time required to obtain
specimen diameter to particle size, the testing machine should satisfactory coating is often excessive and generally the test
have a range of controlled speeds covering at least 0.1 in. (2.5 results are less uniform than when machine mixing is em-
mm)/min for 2-in. (50.8-mm) specimens to 0.4 in. (10.2 ployed.
mm)/min for 8-in. (203.2-mm) specimens. The testing machine 4.10 Spatulas—A flexible spatula for scraping the mixing
shall conform to the requirements of Practice E4. The testing bowl and a stiff spatula for spading the specimen in the mold.
machine shall be equipped with two steel bearing blocks with
hardened faces, one of which is spherically seated and the other 4.11 Thermometers—Calibrated liquid-in-glass thermom-
plain. The spherically seated block shall be mounted to bear on eters of suitable range with a readability of 1°F (0.5°C)
the upper surface of the test specimen and the plain block shall conform to the requirements of specification E2251 shall be
rest on the platen of the testing machine to form a seat for the used. (Thermometer ASTM No. S63F-03 or S63C-03, or
specimen. The bearing faces of the plates shall have a diameter equivalent). Alternately, another electronic thermometer may
slightly greater than that of the largest specimens to be tested. be used, for example resistance thermometer (RTD, PRT,
IPRT) of equal or better accuracy.
5
Welborn, J. Y., Halstead, W. J., and Olsen, R. E., “Relation of Absolute 5. Preparation of Test Mixtures
Viscosity of Asphalt Binders to Stability of Asphalt Mixtures,” Public Roads, Vol.
32, No. 6, February 1963, FHWA, Washington, DC. (Also “Symposium on 5.1 Limit the size of the individual batches to the amount
Fundamental Viscosity of Bituminous Materials” ASTM STP No. 328. required for one test specimen.

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 D1074 − 09
5.2 Mix an initial batch for the purpose of “buttering” the 5.6 Bituminous paving mixtures shall be sampled in accor-
mixing bowl and stirrers. Empty this batch after mixing and dance with Practice D979 and reduced to slightly more than
clean the sides of the bowl and stirrers of mixture residue by needed to fabricate the specimen. The size reduction shall be in
scraping with a small limber spatula. Do not wipe with cloth or accordance with Practice C702, Method B. Then the mass of
wash clean with solvent, except when a change is to be made the reduced sample will be adjusted to the required mass by
in the binder or at the end of a run. removing and discarding a small amount of mixture. Care must
be exercised to discard both fine and coarse particles to
5.3 Mold a trial specimen in order to determine the correct maintain proper gradations. Place the weighed mixture into an
weight of materials to produce a specimen of the desired appropriate container and heat in an oven to the mixing
height. Use the initial or “buttering” batch for this purpose, if temperature provided in 5.4 for the asphalt represented in the
desired. mixture. Thoroughly mix the mixture until the temperature is 5
5.4 Aggregate ingredient samples shall be obtained in ac- to 9°F (3 to 5°C) above the compacting temperature. This will
cordance with Practice D75 and reduced to the appropriate size result in the mixture being at the compacting temperature when
by Practice C702. When preparing aggregates for batching, compacting begins. Compacting may commence immediately;
each reduced ingredient sample shall be separated into the or the material may be placed into an oven for a short time to
desired size fractions in accordance with Test Method C136. allow more efficient handling of multiple samples; however, a
Agency practice will specify which of the following sieves sample shall not remain in the oven more than 1 h.
should be used to derive the desired fractions: 2 in., 11⁄2 in., 1
in., 3⁄4 in., 1⁄2 in., 3⁄8 in., No. 4, No. 8, and No. 10 (50.0 mm, 6. Test Specimens
37.5 mm, 25.0 mm, 19.0 mm, 12.5 mm, 9.5 mm, 4.75 mm, 6.1 Generally, the test specimens shall be cylinders 4.0 in.
2.36 mm, and 2.00 mm). The mixture design, job mix formula, (101.6 mm) in diameter and 4.0 6 0.1 in. (101.6 6 2.5 mm) in
or other control shall be used to combine the appropriate mass height. It is recognized that the size of test specimens has an
of each size from each ingredient aggregate to obtain the influence on the results of the compressive strength test.
appropriate gradation and batch mass, and to determine the Cylindrical specimens of dimensions other than 4.0 in. (101.6
appropriate mass of bitumen to use for each specimen. A mm) are allowable, provided that:
representative sample of bitumen shall be obtained in accor- 6.1.1 The height shall be equal to the diameter within
dance with Practice D140 from a representative stock of 62.5 %,
material. The temperature versus kinematic viscosity relation- 6.1.2 The diameter shall be not less than four times the
ship for the bitumen involved dictates the temperature to be nominal diameter of the largest aggregate particles,
used for preparing the asphalt concrete test specimens. The 6.1.3 The diameter shall be not less than 2 in. (50.8 mm),
user should refer to the asphalt binder manufacturer to establish and
appropriate mixing and compaction temperature ranges. Ag- 6.1.4 The unit rate of deformation shall be kept constant
gregate is heated no hotter than 50°F (28°C) above the mixing during the compression test (Section 8).
temperature to allow for dry mixing prior to adding the asphalt
cement. 7. Molding and Curing Test Specimens
NOTE 2—In no case should the mixing temperature exceed 347°F 7.1 Wipe the molds and plungers with a clean cloth that has
(175°C). a few drops of oil on it. The thoroughly mixed material,
maintained at a temperature slightly above (3 to 5°C (5 to 9°F))
5.5 Preheat the bowl and batch of aggregate in an oven
compacting temperature, is now ready for transfer into the
meeting the requirements of 4.4 to a temperature that complies
mold for compacting. As soon as the material has been
with the aggregate temperature in 5.4. This will result in an
thoroughly mixed and has reached a temperature within the
acceptable temperature after dry mixing. With the bowl of
specified range, place approximately 1⁄2 of the mixture in the
aggregate resting on a balance, quickly pour the prescribed
molding cylinder which, together with the top and bottom
mass of hot asphalt cement onto the hot aggregate and
plunger, has been preheated for at least 1 h in the water bath
immediately mix the asphalt cement into the aggregate with maintained at a temperature just under the boiling point or
minimal “fanning action.” This can be done with a large spoon preheated for at least 2 h in an oven maintained at a
by rolling the material from perimeter toward the center to temperature between 200 and 275°F (93.3 and 135°C). With
maximize aggregate and asphalt contact and minimize asphalt the bottom plunger in place and the molding cylinder supported
contact with the bowl. The mixing shall be completed within temporarily on the two steel support bars, spade the mixture
90 to 120 s, during which time the temperature should have vigorously 25 times with a heated spatula with 15 of the blows
dropped to about 5 to 9°F (3 to 5°C) above the compacting being delivered around the perimeter of the mold to reduce
temperature. If the counter top is metal, an insulator such as honeycombing, and the remaining ten at random over the
paper may be used to reduce the rate of cooling. If the material mixture.
has cooled too fast, a hot plate, oven, or similar device shall be
used to slightly reheat the mixture. Caution should be exercised NOTE 3—Laboratory samples prepared according to this test method
may produce different test results, such as compressive strength values
to avoid excessive heating of the material so as to prevent and percent air voids, when compared to results obtained from reheated
causing an increase in the viscosity of the thin film of asphalt field samples due to the effect of additional cure time on the absorption of
cement coating the aggregate. bituminous material by the aggregate in the field sample.

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 D1074 − 09
7.2 Quickly transfer the remaining half of the mixture to the 9. Report
molding cylinder and repeat a similar spading action. Penetrate 9.1 Report the following information:
the mixture with the spatula as deeply as possible. A spatula 9.1.1 The bulk specific gravity, theoretical maximum spe-
having a slightly curved cross section has been used to cific gravity, density, and percent air voids of the specimens,
advantage by some laboratories. The top of the mixture must be
9.1.2 The compressive strength in lb/in.2 (kPa), determined
slightly rounded or cone-shaped to aid in firm seating of the
by dividing the maximum vertical load obtained during defor-
upper plunger.
mation at the rate specified in Section 8, by the original
7.3 Compress the mixture between the top and bottom cross-sectional area of the test specimen. Not less than three
plungers under an initial load of about 150 psi (1 MPa) to set specimens shall be prepared for each asphalt increment and the
the mixture against the sides of the mold. Remove the support average of the three shall be reported as the compressive
bars to permit full double–plunger action and apply the entire strength, and
molding load of 3000 psi (20.7 MPa) for 2 min. When 9.1.3 The nominal height and diameter of the test speci-
specimens are to be tested in accordance with Test Method mens.
D1075 for loss of strength resulting from the action of water,
the standard molding load of 3000 psi (20.7 MPa) may be 10. Precision and Bias
increased or decreased to achieve a target air void percentage
or percent density. 10.1 Single-Operator Precision—The single-operator stan-
dard deviation of a single test result (where a test result is, as
7.4 Remove the specimen from the mold with an ejection defined in this test method, the average of a minimum of three
device that provides a smooth, uniform rate of travel for the separate compressive strengths) has been found to be 21 psi
ejection head. (145 kPa) (see Note 4). Therefore, results of two properly
7.5 After removal from the mold, oven-cure specimens 24 h conducted tests (each consisting of the average of a minimum
at 140°F (60°C). In case specimens are to be stored dry for of three individual compressive strengths) in the same labora-
more than 24 h from completion of oven curing to compression tory on the same material by the same operator should not
testing, protect them from exposure to the air by sealing them differ by more than 59 psi (407 kPa) and the range (difference
in closely fitting, airtight containers. between highest and lowest) of the individual measurements
used in calculating the average should not exceed 122 psi (841
8. Procedure kPa) (see Note 5).
8.1 Allow the test specimens to cool at room temperature
NOTE 4—These numbers represent, respectively, the (1s) and (d2s)
for at least 2 h after removal from the curing oven; then limits as described in Practice C670.
determine the bulk specific gravity of each specimen in NOTE 5—Calculated as described in Practice C670.
accordance with the procedure and calculations of paragraph
10.2 Multilaboratory Precision—The multilaboratory stan-
numbers 9.2 and 10.1, respectively, of Test Method D2726.
dard deviation of a single test result (where the test result is, as
8.2 Bring the test specimens to the test temperature 77 6 defined in this test method, the average of a minimum of three
1.8°F (25 6 1°C), by storing them in an air bath maintained at separate compressive strengths) has been found to be 54 psi
the test temperature for not less than 4 h. (372 kPa) (see Note 4). Therefore, results of two properly
8.3 Test the specimens in axial compression without lateral conducted tests (each consisting of the average of a minimum
support at a uniform rate of vertical deformation of 0.05 of three individual compressive strengths) in different labora-
in./min·in. (0.05 mm/min·mm) of height. For specimens 4 in. tories on the same material should not differ by more than 153
(101.6 mm) in height, use a rate of 0.2 in./min (5.08 mm/min). psi (1055 kPa).
8.4 The theoretical specific gravity and density shall be 10.3 This test method has no bias because the compressive
determined by Test Method D2041, or by any other method strength of bituminous mixtures is defined only in terms of the
deemed appropriate by the agency involved. If Test Method test method.
D2041 is used, a sample of the mixture prepared but not
molded and compacted may be used. 11. Keywords
8.5 Calculate the percent air voids in each specimen in 11.1 bituminous paving mixtures; compression testing;
accordance with Test Method D3203. compressive strength

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 D1074 − 09
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