TEST ON

BITUMINOUS MIX
BY: ER.SRIJAN SUBEDI CHOWI
Bituminous Mix
• They are used in the surface course of road and airfield pavements;
some types of bituminous mixes are used in base and/or binder
course of flexible pavements.
• Based on the gradation of coarse and fine aggregate used in the mix,
bituminous mixes are divided into two categories.
i) Dense graded
ii) Open graded
Marshall Stability Test
• In this method, the resistance to plastic deformations of cylindrical
specimen of bituminous mixture is measured when it is loaded at the
periphery at 5cm per minute.
• There are two major features of the Marshall method of design mix
i. Density-voids analysis
ii. Stability-flow test
Marshal stability of the mix is defined as a maximum load carried by a
compacted specimen at a standard test temperature at 60C.
Flow value is the deformation the Marshall test specimen undergoes during the
loading up to the maximum load ,0.25mm units.
Design Steps for the Design of Bituminous Mix
i. Select the grading to be used
ii. Select aggregates to be employed in the mix.
iii. Determine the proportion of each aggregate required to produce the design
grading.
iv. Determine the specific gravity of the aggregate combination and of the asphalt
cement.
v. Make up trial specimens with varying asphalt contents.
vi. Determine the specific gravity of each compacted specimen.
vii. Make stability tests on the specimen
viii. Calculate the percentage of voids, VMA and the percent voids filled with
bitumen in each specimen.
ix. Select the optimum bitumen content from the data obtained.
x. Check the values of Marshall Stability, Flow, Voids in total mix and Voids filled
wit Bitumen obtained at the optimum bitumen content, with the design
requirements.
Apparatus Required
a) Mold Assembly: Cylindrical molds of 10cm diameter and 7.5 cm height.
It further consists of a base plate and collar extension designed to be
interchangeable with either end of cylindrical mold.
b) Sample Extractor: For extruding the compacted specimen from the
mold, an extractor suitably fitted with a jack or compression machine.
c) Compaction Pedestal and Hammer: Consists of a wooden block capped
with a plate to hold the mold assembly in position during compaction.
The compaction hammer consists of a flat circular tamping face 8.8 cm
dia and equipped with a 4.5 kg weight constructed to provide a free fall
of 45.7 cm. Mould holder is provided consisting of spring tension device
designed to compaction mould in place in the compaction pedestal
Apparatus Required
d) Breaking Head: It consists of upper and lower cylindrical segments
having an inside radius of curvature of 5cm. The lower segment is
mounted on a base having two vertical guide roads which facilitate
insertion in the holes of upper test head.
e) Loading machine: The loading machine is provided with a gear
system to lift the base in upward direction. On the upper end of the
machine, a precaliberated proving ring of 5 ton capacity is fixed.In
between the base and the proving ring, the specimen contained in
test head is placed.the loading machine produces a movement at
the rate of 5 cm per minute.
Apparatus Required
e) Flow meter: One dial gauge fixed to the guide rods of a testing
machine is used. The least count of 0.025mm is adequate.
The flow value refers to the total vertical upward movement from the
initial position at zero load to a value at maximum load. The dial
gauge or the flow meter should be able to measure accurately the total
vertical movement upward.
Ovens, Mixing apparatus, Water Bath, Thermometer(range
200C,sensitivity of 2.5C)
Preparation of Test Specimen
• Approximately 1200gm of aggregates and filler are taken and heated to a temp of 175C to
190C.
• The compaction mold assembly and rammer are cleaned and kept pre-heated to a temp of 100 C
to 145C.
• The bitumen is heated to a temp of 121C to 138C and the required quantity of first trial
percentage of bitumen(eg 3.5% by weight of mineral aggregates) is added to the heated
aggregate and thoroughly mixed with using a mechanical mixer or by hand mixing using a trowel.
• The mixing temperature for 80/100 grade bitumen may be around 154 C and that for 60/70
grade about 160C.
• The mix is placed in a mold and compacted by rammer, with 50 blows on either side.
• The compacting temperatures may be about 138  C for 80/100 grade bitumen and 149  C for
60/70 grade.
• Prepare at least three to four specimens at each trial bitumen content which may be varied at 0.5
% increments upto 7.5 or 8%.
Procedure
• Each compacted test specimen is subjected to the following tests and
analysis in the order listed below.
i. Bulk density determination
ii. Stability and flow test
iii. Density and voids analysis.
Tests
• Specific gravity of Compacted Specimens:
The specific gravity values of different aggregates, filler and bitumen used are
determined first.
Theoretical Sp. Gravity of the mix is given by:
Gt= 100/[(w1/G1) +(W2/G2)+(W3/G3)+(W4/G4)]
Where,
W1= percent by weight of coarse aggregate
W2 =percent by weight of fine aggregate
W3= percent by weight of filler
W4= percent by weight of bitumen in total mix
G1,G2,G3 are apparent sp gravity values of the coarse aggregates, fine aggregates
and filler respectively and G4 is the specific gravity of bitumen.
Density and Void Analysis
• Soon after the compacted bituminous mix specimens have cooled to
room temperature, the weight, average thickness and diameter of the
specimen are noted.
• The specimen are weighed in air and then in water.
• The bulk density value of the specimen(Gb) is calculated from the
weight and volume.
• The void analysis are made using the following formula
• (air voids in the mix)Vv% = 100(Gt-Gb)/Gt
• ( volume of Bitumen)Vb% = Gb* W4/G4
• (Voids in mineral aggregates%) ,VMA% = Vv+ Vb
• Voids filled with bitumen(VFB%) = 100* Vb/VMA
Marshall Stability and Flow Values
The specimens to be tested are kept immersed under water in a water bath
maintained at 60 ±1C for 30 to 40 minutes. The specimen are taken out one
by one, placed in the Marshall test head and the Marshall stability
value(maximum load carried in kg, before failure) and the flow value(
deformation that the specimen undergoes during loading upto maximum load
in 0.25mm units) are noted.
Marshal Stability Value Correction
• The corrected Marshall Stability Volume of Approximate -Correction
value of each specimen is specimen in thickness of Factors
Cubic Specimen in
determined by applying the Centimeter mm
appropriate correction factor, if 457-470 57.1 1.19
the average height of the 471-482 58.7 1.14
specimen is not exactly
483-495 60.3 1.09
63.5mm.
496-508 61.9 1.04
• The measured stability of a 509-522 63.5 1.00
specimen multiplied by the ratio 523-535 65.1 0.96
for the thickness of specimen is 536-546 66.7 0.93
equal to the corrected stability
547-559 68.3 0.89
for a 63.5mm specimen.
560-573 69.9 0.86
Determination of Optimum Bitumen Content
• Five graphs are plotted with values of bitumen content against the
values of :
i. Density (Gb) ,g/cm3
ii. Marshall Stability, S kg
iii. Voids in total mix, Vv%
iv. Flow value, F (0.25mm units)
v. Voids filled with bitumen, VFB%.
Determination of Optimum Bitumen Content
• Let the bitumen contents corresponding to maximum density be
B1,corresponding to maximum stability be B2 and that corresponding
to the specified voids content Vv be B3.
• Then the optimum bitumen content for mix design is given by:
• Bo = (B1+B2+B3)/3.
• The value of flow and VFB are found from the graphs, corresponding
to bitumen content Bo.
• All the design values of Marshall stability, flow, voids and VFB are
checked at the optimum bitumen content Bo, with the specific design
requirements of the mix.
Design Requirements of the Mix
• As per IRC: 29-1968, when the specimens are compacted with 50 blows on
either face, the designed AC mix should fulfil the following requirements.
i. Marshall stability value kg( minimum) = 340
ii. Marshal flow value,0.25 mm units = 8 to 16
iii. Voids in total mix, Vv% =3 to 5
iv. Voids in mineral aggregates filled with bitumen, VFB%= 75 to 85
In case the mix designed does not fulfill any one or more of the design
requirements, the gradation of the aggregates or filler content or bitumen
content or combination of these are altered and the design tests are
repeated till all the requirements are simultaneously fulfilled.