DEVELOPMENTS IN ASPHALT TESTS AND TEST METHODS

The advent of European Standards has very efficiently stimulated the move away from empirical tests and material properties of asphalts to more fundamentally based mechanical tests and material properties. The properties, which are now beginning to be used to evaluate the performance of asphalt, can be classified into: permanent deformation, stiffness modulus, fatigue cracking, durability and workability. These five parameters, together with the volumetric design of asphalt, will allow future materials to be innovative and cost-effective, providing customers with better materials and manufacturers with better profit opportunities. For this to be achieved, the asphalt industry needs simple, affordable tests and test methods, that can be implemented to evaluate the fundamental properties listed above. This paper focuses on the Nottingham Asphalt Tester (NAT), the wheel tracker, and the gyratory compactor, but also briefly mentions European (CEN) Standards for test methods. The paper discusses in some detail each of the currently developed NAT tests: (1) Indirect Tensile Stiffness Modulus (ITSM) test; (2) Resilient Modulus (RESMOD) test; (3) Uniaxial Creep (UC); (4) Repeated Load Axial Test (RLAT); (5) Vacuum Repeated Load Axial Test (VRLAT); and (6) Indirect Tensile Fatigue Test (ITFT).

• Corporate Authors:

  Shell Bitumen U.K.

  Riversdell House, Guildford Street
  Chertsey, Surrey,   England 
• Authors:
  • READ, J M
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bitumen; Classification; Cracking; Deformation; Design; Durability; Evaluation and assessment; Fatigue (Mechanics); Properties of materials; Standards; Stiffness; Test procedures; Tests; Workability
• Identifier Terms: European Union
• Uncontrolled Terms: Modifications
• ITRD Terms: 4963: Bitumen; 8513: Classification; 5211: Cracking; 5595: Deformation; 9011: Design (overall design); 5910: Durability; 8303: EU; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 5579: Fatigue (mater); 9048: Modification; 5925: Properties; 187: Specification (standard); 5931: Stiffness; 6255: Test; 6288: Test method; 5941: Workability
• Subject Areas: Design; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00799607
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Oct 6 2000 12:00AM