Acropolis Technical Campus, Indore
Department of Civil Engineering
Transportation Engineering Lab Manual Group/Title : Softening point of bitumen
Evaluation Record Type / Session : Explorative / July-Dec 2016
Name of the Student Enrollment No. 0875CE
Performing on First submission Second submission
Extra Regular
Grade and Remarks by the Tutor
1. Clarity about the objective of experiment
2. Clarity about the Outcome
3. Submitted the work in desired format
4. Shown capability to solve the problem
5. Contribution to the team work
Additional remarks
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Grade: Cross the grade.
A B C D F
Tutor
1. Title:
Softening point of given sample of bitumen.
2. Outcome:
a) By the grades bitumen can be arranged.
b) Students must be able to decide the suitability of bitumen for its use in road construction.
3. Learning Objectives:
a) To specify the bitumen as hard and soft according to the purpose.
b) To determine the suitability of bitumen for its use in road construction.
c) To prepare cement paste as per IS: 1205-1978.
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Transportation Engineering Lab Manual Softening point value
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4. Theory:
Nomenclature: NA
The Softening Point is the temperature at which the substance attains particular degree of
softening under specified condition of test. For bitumen, Softening point is usually determined
by Ring and Ball test. A brass ring containing the test sample of bitumen is suspended in liquid
like water or glycerine at a given temperature. In Ring and Ball test, the softening point is the
temperature at which the bitumen just touches the bottom plate. Harder grade bitumen possesses
higher softening point than softer grade bitumen.
Self- assessment - 1
a) Define Softening point of Bitumen.
b) Which property is determined by this test?
c) Which IS code we refer for the test?
Assumption: NA
Cautions:
Use hand gloves, apron while removing containers from hot plate after switching off the
hotplate.
Use glycerin for remove of bitumen from the container.
Use distilled water in test for accuracy result.
Use safety shoes & Apron at the time of test.
Equipment should be cleaned thoroughly before testing & after testing.
References:
IS Requirements:
This test is done to determine the softening point of asphaltic bitumen and fluxed native asphalt,
road tar, coal tar pitch and blown type bitumen as per IS: 1205 – 1978. The principle behind this
test is that softening point is the temperature at which the substance attains a particular degree of
softening under specified condition of the test.
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5. Tutorial Questions/ Additional Questionnaire:
a) What are the precautions for the test?
b) What is the procedure to prepare the mould for the test?
6. Experimental Setup / Bill of Material:
1. Ring and Ball apparatus,
2. Steel balls
3. Brass rings
4. Ball guide
5. Support
6. Thermometer
7. Bath with stirrer
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Stepwise Procedure: (As per IS: 1205 – 1978)
(To be submitted by the students)
Bill of Material
1. Take freshly boiled distilled water. The starting bath temperature shall be 5 1
C.
2. Assemble the apparatus with the specimen rings, ball-centering guides, and
thermometer in position, and fill the bath so that the liquid depth will be 105 3
mm with the apparatus in place.
3. Place the bath in the ice water, and using forceps, place the two steel balls in the
bottom of the bath and maintain the starting temperature of 5 1 C for 15 min.
4. Again using forceps, place a ball from the bottom of the bath in each ball-centering
guide.
5. Heat the bath from below so that the temperature indicated by the thermometer
rises at a uniform rate of 5 C . The maximum permissible variation for any 1-
min. period after the first 3 min shall be 0.5 C.
6. Record for each ring and ball the temperature indicated by the thermometer at the
instant the bitumen surrounding the ball touches the bottom plate.
Preparation of Test Specimen:
1. Do not start unless it is planned to complete preparation and testing of all asphalt
specimens within 6 h.
2. Heat bitumen sample with care, stirring frequently to prevent local over heating,
until it has become sufficiently fluid to pour.
3. Stir carefully to avoid incorporation of air bubbles in the sample.
4. Take no more than 2 h to heat an asphalt sample to its pouring temperature; in no
case shall this be more than 110 C above the expected softening point of the
asphalt.
5. Heat the two brass rings (but not the pouring plate) to the approximate pouring
temperature, and place them on the pouring plate treated with one of the release
agents.
6. Pour a slight excess of the heated bitumen into each ring, and then allow the
specimens to cool in ambient air for at least 30 min.
7. When the specimens have cooled, cut away the excess bitumen cleanly with a
slightly heated knife or spatula, so that each disk is flush and level with the top of
its ring.
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8. Quizzes and Viva Questions:
1. What is temperature of water bath?
2. What is the cooling duration of bitumen?
3. At what rate temperature is increased?
4. Which rings are used in the experiment?
8. Diagram:
(To be submitted by the students)
9 Instant Problems:
(To be submitted by the students)
How can we relate it with viscosity?
10. Tabulation Sheet:
(To be submitted by the students)
Bitumen Grade
Pouring Temperature
Test Temperature
Period of cooling in minutes
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Observation Table:
Ball no Mean
Temperature(oc) at which 1 2
sample touches bottom plate
11. Results:
(To be submitted by the students)
The softening point of given sample of the bitumen is found to be:-
Conclusion:
(To be submitted by the students)
Softening point indicates the temperature at which binders possess the same viscosity.
Bituminous materials do not have a melting point. Rather, the change of state from solid to liquid
is gradual over a wide range of temperature. Softening point has particular significance for
materials to be used as joint and crack fillers. Higher softening point ensures that they will not
flow during service. Higher the softening point, lesser the temperature susceptibility. Bitumen
with higher softening point is preferred in warmer places.
12. Solved tutorial problems and questions:
(To be submitted by the students)
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