5
Marshall Stability Test
INTRODUCTION
Bruce Marshall, formerly bituminous engineer with Mississippi State Highway Department, USA
formulated Marshall method for designing bituminous mixcs. Marshall's text procedure. wae lan modified
and improved upon by U.S. Corps of Engineers through theit extensive research anc Corelation studies.
ASTM vide designation D 1559-62 T. has standardised the test procedure Generally, this stability test is
applicable to hot-mix design using bitumen and aggregates with maximum size of 23 wry
Jn iis method, the resistance to plastic deformations of cylindrical specimen of bituminovs mixture is
ed when the same is loaded at the periphery at 5 em per minute. This test proeine t used in
designing and evaluating bituminous paving mixés. The test. procedure is extensively used in routine test
Programmes for the paving jobs. There are (wo! major features of the Marshall method of designing mixes
namely, (i) density-voids analysis (ii) stabilty-fow tests..°The Marshall. stability of the mix ie defined as
maximum load carried by a compucted specimen at a ‘standard test temperature at 60°C. "The the Value ~
{jhe deformation the Marshall test specimen undergoes during. the Tonding upto the maximum load, in
0.25 mm units. In this test an attempt is.madé to-obidin optimum binder center or che type of aggregate
‘mix and traffic intensity, The proposed design siéps'for the design. of bituminous mix’are given below -
(i) Select grading to be used. :
Gi)” Select aggregates to be employed in the: mix.
(i) Determine the proportion of euch aggregate required to produce the design grading,
Determine the specific gravity of the aggregate combination and of thé asphalt cement.
Make up trial specintens with varying asphalt contents:
Make stability tests on the specimens.
Calculate the percentage of voids, VMA and the percent vous filed with, bitumen in each specimen
Select the optimum bitumen content from the data obtained. ,
Check the values of Marshall Stability, Flow, Voids in total mix and Voids filled with Bitumen
obtained ai the optimum. bitumen content, ‘with the design requirements. The design may be
‘epeated if necessary after altering the gradation so as to fulfil the design requiréments.
Determine the specific gravity of each compacted speciinen. ,
Apparatus
(a) Mould Assembly : Cylindrical, moulds of 10 em diameter and 7.5 cm height are required. It
further consists of a base plate and collar extension. They are designed to be interchangeatle: wank either
end of cylindrical mould.
(0) | Sample Extractor : For extruding the compacted specimen from the mould, an extractor suitably
fitted with a jack or compression’ machine,
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132 MARSHALL STABILITY TEST
{c) Compaction Pedestal and Hammer : 1% consists of a wooden block capped with M.S. plate to hold
the mould assembly in position during compaction. The compaction hammer consists of 2 flat circular
tamping face & 8 em diameter and equipped with a 4.5 kg weight constructed to provide a freefall of 45.7
tm, Mould holder is provided corisisting of spring tension device designed to hiold compaction mould in
place