Blog posts tagged with 'Asphalt Binder Testing'

Balanced Mix Design is a practical and common-sense approach to constructing long-lasting asphalt pavements. The design of asphalt mixes traditionally follows a prescriptive, volumetric path. Materials are selected and combined to meet the requirements of the specification with little evidence of what their real performance will be in a localized application or a certain environment. Researchers and practitioners alike have concluded that just mixing the specified ingredients in the stated volumes is a poor predictor of long-term asphalt pavement performance. As one prominent paving engineer put it, “Let’s stop using the recipe to determine if the cake is good.”

Asphalt binder is a fundamental and surprisingly complex component in the design of modern asphalt pavement mixes. Of the many properties of bitumen that affect its performance in a modern asphalt paving mixture, two are crucial to the long-term success of pavements, viscosity, and rheology. This blog post will explore binder viscosity tests and rheology tests, their applications, benefits, and testing equipment.

A method to simulate long-term, oxidative aged asphalt binder is important for predicting distress in asphalt as it ages. A Pressure Aging Vessel is a great solution and this blog post will highlight the background and benefits of these powerful machines.

If you need to accurately measure the effect of heat and air on asphalt binder, a good option to consider is a Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO). This blog post outlines everything you need to know from the procedure to benefits and equipment recommendations.

Comparing the pros and cons of solvent extraction vs. the furnace ignition method for asphalt content testing will help you select the best procedure for your application.