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Materials Materials
 Structural behaviour of a road dependent on interaction
between strength of pavement layers and imposed traffic
 Strength of pavement layers dependent on properties of the
material used for construction
 Road const. materials selected based on availability,
economy, past experience and method of construction
 By the nature of the materials used for construction, it is
impossible to design a road pavement which does not
deteriorate with time and traffic
 Aim of structural design is to limit the level of pavement
distress

Bitumen types
Surfacing Materials  Different forms of Bitumen include;
 Material Properties based on TRH 14 Recommendations  Penetration Grade Bitumen – specified by penetration and
 Surfacing Materials softening point
 Not workable at ambient temperatures
• Two types – Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) and Surface Dressing
(SD)  Cutback Bitumen - mixture of the bitumen and a light volatile oil.
Liquid at low temperatures until the volatile oil evaporates.
• Both comprised of Bitumen and Aggregate
 Rarely used.
Bitumen
 Bitumen Emulsions – Bitumen mixed with water and an emulsifier
• Black or dark coloured viscous material to give a stable solution. The bitumen content is usually around
obtained from fractional distillation of 60% and water, 40%. On a surface, the water evaporates and the
crude oil bitumen remains.
• Excellent binding characteristics,  Modified Bitumen – Additives including polymers and/or crumb
impermeable to water and resistant to plant rubber (called bitumen modifiers) added to bitumen to improve its
growth properties.
 used in situations of extreme climatic variations or loading
• Relatively cheap and durable
conditions.

Pen Grade Bitumen Pen Grade Bitumen

 Different from “Tar”  Classified by its penetration
 The term “Tarmac” was a proprietary product in the U.K. in the early
1900s. It was a plant mixed material, but was applied to the road surface  Penetration test - A 1mm
“cold.” Tarmac consisted of crushed blast furnace slag coated with tar, diameter needle is loaded
pitch, Portland cement and a resin. with a weight of 100g and
 Bitumen is heated to make it relatively soft so that application and
mixing is easier.
the distance it drops into a
 Important properties; bitumen sample in 5
 Adhesion - ability to adhere to clean dry surfaces. seconds is measured (at
 Viscosity -The measure of the material’s resistance to gradual 25oC).
deformation by shear stress or tensile stress  A 70/100 Pen grade
 Softening point - This is the temperature at which the binder
bitumen means a bitumen
softens to a pre-determined point - helps to know the temperature
up to which a bituminous binder should be heated for various whose penetration is
road use applications between 7mm and 10mm.

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Pen Grade Bitumen Tests of Bitumen Properties

Bitumen Grades  Softening point (Ring &
Ball) test
Harder(use for Warmer  Measures the
 40 – 50
climates and/or Heavy Traffic) temperature in degrees
Celsius at which a steel
 60 – 70 ball falls a known
distance through the
bitumen
 70 – 100
 Ductility Test
 120 – 150  Conducted to determine
the amount a bitumen
Softer (Use for Colder will stretch at
 200 – 300 climates and/or Light Traffic) temperatures below its
softening point

Tests of Bitumen Properties Tests of Bitumen Properties

 Viscosity Tests
 Used to determine the flow
characteristics of bitumen in the range
of temperatures used during application
 Absolute or dynamic viscosity at 60 °C
measured to indicate the resistance of
bitumen to melting and flow.
 Kinematic viscosity measured at 135 °C
to understand its ability to coat aggregates
well.
 Flash and fire Point Test
 Indicates the temperature to which
bitumen can be safely heated without
danger of fire. A brass cup is partially  Rolling Thin Film Oven Test
filled with bitumen and heated at a  Test is used to obtain a general indication of the amount of
prescribed rate. A small flame is placed hardening which may be expected to occur in bitumen during
over the surface of the sample
operation.

Additional Binder tests

Pen Grade Bitumen Equipment Purpose Performance Parameter
Simulate binder aging
Rolling Thin Film (hardening) during HMA Resistance to aging (durability)
Oven (RTFO) production and construction during construction
Simulate binder aging
Pressure Aging (hardening) during HMA service Resistance to aging (durability)
Vessel (PAV) life during service life
Rotational Measure binder properties at high
Viscometer (RV) construction temperatures Handling and pumping
Measure binder properties at high Resistance to permanent
Dynamic Shear and intermediate service deformation (rutting) and fatigue
Rheometer (DSR) temperatures cracking
Bending Beam Measure binder properties at low
Rheometer (BBR) service temperatures Resistance to thermal cracking
Direct Tension Measure binder properties at low
Tester service temperatures Resistance to thermal cracking

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Aggregate
Bitumen Safety
 The flash point is the
temperature at which vapour
given off from the surface will
burn.  “Aggregate” - collective term for
 The fire point is the temperature the mineral materials such as sand,
at which the binder will burn. gravel and crushed stone that are
 Water will spread a bitumen
fire. used with a binding medium (such
 The materials are generally used as water, bitumen, Portland cement,
at temperatures high enough to lime, etc.) to form compound
cause severe burns.
 Both the materials and the
materials (such as asphalt and
vapours are potentially Portland cement concrete).
carcinogenic.

Aggregates Aggregates
 Natural aggregate come from rock of which are three broad
 Accounts for 92 to 96 percent of HMA and about 70 to 80 geological classifications:
percent of Portland cement concrete.  Igneous rock - primarily crystalline and formed by the cooling
 Used for base and subbase courses for both flexible and rigid of molten rock material beneath the earth’s crust (magma).
 Sedimentary rocks - formed from deposited insoluble material
pavements. (e.g., the remains of existing rock deposited on the bottom of an
 Can either be natural or manufactured. ocean or lake).
 Transformed to rock by heat and pressure.
 Natural aggregates extracted from larger rock formations
 Layered in appearance and further classified based on their
through an open excavation (quarry) and reduced to usable predominant mineral as calcareous (limestone, chalk, etc.),
sizes by mechanical crushing. siliceous (chert, sandstone, etc.) or argillaceous (shale, etc.).
 Metamorphic rock -Igneous or Sedimentary rocks that have
 Manufactured aggregate is often the by product of other been subjected to heat and/or pressure great enough to change
manufacturing industries. their mineral structure so as to be different from the original
rock.

Aggregates Aggregates
Desirable properties of Aggregates used in HMA  Important tests on aggregate include;
 Grading Test – measure of mechanical
interlock of the aggregate
 10% Fines Aggregate Crushing Test (FACT)
and Aggregate Crushing Value test (ACV) –
measure durability and crushing strength of
the aggregate.
 Flakiness index – measure of the shape of the
aggregate.
 Polished Stone Value (PSV) – measure of
vulnerability to polishing
 Stone-bitumen adhesion – measure of ability
to adhere to bitumen
 Impact value test - used to evaluate the toughness of aggregates
 Abrasion test - carried out to test the hardness property of aggregates
 Specific Gravity - ratio of Weight of Aggregate to Weight of equal Volume of water. Specific gravity of an
aggregate is considered to be a measure of strength or quality of the material

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Surface Dressing or Asphalt

Video credit: Loudon International

 Test methods provided in TMH1, BS standards and other standards

 Test limits/requirements provided in TRH14, SATCC specs and other guidelines

Surface Dressing Surface Dressing

 Main types of SD used are Single Surface Dressing (SSD) and Double
 Surface dressing (SD) (Bituminous Surface Treatment
Surface Dressing (DSD).
(BST), Seal Coat or Chip Seal) is a thin protective wearing
surface that is applied to a pavement or base course.  Tests conducted on SD are the same tests conducted on individual material

 SDs constructed by evenly distributing a thin base of hot components i.e. bitumen and aggregates
bitumen or (cold bitumen emulsion) onto an existing road  Check Spray Rates of Bitumen and Aggregates
base and then embedding finely graded aggregate into it.
 SDs provide a waterproof layer to protect the underlying
layers and increased skid resistance.

Types

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