NCHRP Project 9-33:

A Mix Design Manual for Hot

Mix Asphalt

NEAUPG Fall Meeting

October 18, 2007
Mystic, Connecticut
Advanced Asphalt Technologies, LLC

“Engineering Services for the Asphalt Industry”

HMA Mix Design Manual

No. Topic Pp. Figs. Tbls.

1 Introduction --- --- ---
2 Background 17 9 ---
3 Binders 19 9 1
4 Aggregates 11 5 4
5 Rap 58 11 25
6 Volumetrics 28 9 4
HMA Mix Design Manual
No. Topic Pp. Figs. Tbls.
7 Performance 41 10 9
8 Dense Graded 70 18 23
HMA Design
9 SMA Design 29 5 15
10 OGFC Design 29 5 7
11 Mix Type Selection 15 2 3
12 Field Production 29 7 6
Remaining Work
„Review by panel
„Revisions
„Photos, references
„Cross-editing by co-authors
„Editing by subcontractor (LazerPro)
„Complete spreadsheet HMA Tools
„Interactive CD-ROM (LazerPro)
„Planned completion by June 2008
What’s New—Content/Chapters
„SMA
„OGFC
„HMA performance
„RAP
„Mix type selections
„Field adjustments/QC
Recycled Asphalt Pavement

„Complete chapter on RAP

„Extensive and detailed
„Sampling
„Blending and variability
„RAP aggregate properties
„RAP binder properties
„Handling RAP in the laboratory
RAP Mineral Filler Variability
4.0
Standard Deviation of RAP % Passing 0.075 mm

0%
3.5
5%
10 %
3.0
15 %

2.5
Sieve

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Allowable RAP Content
What’s New—Specifications

„Fatigue resistant mixes: higher VMA,

dust/binder ratio
„Maximum VMA
„No VFA requirements
„N-design as per NCAT
recommendations
„Some changes in consensus properties
VMA Requirements: Standard
Mixtures
Aggregate Minimum Maximum Target
NMAS VMA VMA VMA
(mm) (%) (%) (%)
4.75 16.0 18.0 17.0
9.5 15.0 17.0 16.0
12.5 14.0 16.0 15.0
19.0 13.0 15.0 14.0
25.0 12.0 14.0 13.0
37.5 11.0 13.0 12.0
VMA Requirements: Fatigue
Resistant Mixtures
Aggregate Minimum Maximum Target
NMAS VMA VMA VMA
(mm) (%) (%) (%)
4.75 17.0 19.0 18.0
9.5 16.0 18.0 17.0
12.5 15.0 17.0 16.0
19.0 14.0 16.0 15.0
25.0 13.0 15.0 14.0
37.5 12.0 14.0 13.0
Dust/Binder Ratio

Dust/binder ratio level*:

Mixture Type High Low
Standard (Table 8-5) 0.8 to 1.6 0.6 to 1.2
Fatigue resistant (Table 8-6) 1.0 to 1.8 0.8 to 1.6
All 4.75-mm mixtures 0.9 to 2.0
Consensus Properties: CAA
Design Depth of Pavement Layer from Surface, mm
ESALs
0 to 100 Below 100
(million)
< 0.30 40 ---
0.3 to < 3 40 ---
3 to < 10 45 40
10 to < 30 45 45
30 or more 45 45
Criteria are presented as percent air voids in loosely
compacted coarse aggregate.
What’s new—HMA Performance
„Entire chapter on HMA performance
– Factors affecting performance
– Tests for evaluating performance
– Tests and data for MEDG
„Performance tests in HMA mix design
– Moisture resistance
– Rutting tests: SPT/flow number,
SST/RSCH, high-temperature IDT strength
SPT: Flow Number Test

Minimum Flow
Traffic Level Number
Million ESALs
<3 ---
3 to < 10 200
10 to < 30 320
≥ 30 580
What’s New-Mix Design

„Select and maintain design binder

content throughout process
„Control points are guidelines
„Aggregate blending and evaluation
through trial-and-error, graphical tools
„Technicians should feel free to use any
design method that works
 Volumetric Mix Design
air 9Design binder content
VMA binder is target VMA minus
design air void content.
9Aggregate content is
100% minus target
total
aggregate VMA.
9Binder content is kept
constant while
aggregate blend is
varied.
Overview of Design of Dense-
Graded HMA Mixes
1. Gather information
2. Select asphalt binder
3. Determine compaction level
4. Select aggregate size
5. Determine target VMA
6. Calculate target binder content
7. Calculate aggregate volume
Overview of Design of Dense-
Graded HMA Mixes
8. Proportion aggregate blends for trial
mixtures
9. Calculate trial mix proportions by
weight and check dust/binder ratio
10. Evaluate and refine trial mixtures
11. Compile report
Conclusions
„Draft manual is complete
„Work remaining
– Revise & edit manual
– HMA Tools, commentary & CD-ROM
– Training course
– Final report
„Planned completion by June 2008
Acknowledgments

„NCHRP and panel members

„Associates at AAT
„Allen Cooley
„LazerPro Digital Media Group