2017/18 TCW5008 Bitumen Technology Project Details

1. Prepare three pills and compact with 75 blows each side.

Before breaking the pills:

 Determine the density of each pill and calculate the average density (γ)
 Determine the specific gravity for each of the compacted pills and calculate
the average (Gmb)

Break the bills to determine:

 The stability for each specimen and calculate the average.

 Flow for each specimens and calculate the average.
2. Prepare a loose specimen to determine the theoretical maximum density (Gmm)
3. Prepare a table containing the data obtained by your group and pass it to the
lecturer. A complete table (results for all groups) will be established and
provided to all groups.
4. As soon as receiving the complete table, student shall carryout the Marshall
analysis and submit a complete report for evaluation.

For the purposes of this evaluation use the information provided to;
1. Analyse the given data and discuss your result
2. Give conclusions and recommendations
3. Reference any used literature in Harvard style.

Submission: Students to perform individual work in the form of a report which

shows your analysis, results, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations
in form of a report.
Due date: 20 June 2018 at 5pm
Late submissions will be penalised at a rate of 10 percent per 2 hours of late
submissions.
All reports to be emailed to thabisa.mdlongwa@nust.ac.zw and copied to
tcmdlongwa@yahoo.co.uk on or before 5pm of the 20th of June 2018
HMA Mix Design

Laboratory mix designs of HMA mixtures are done by Marshall Test procedure.

Specimen preparation

Approximately 1200g of aggregates and filler put together is heated to a temperature of

160-170°C. Bitumen is heated to a temperature of 160°C with the first trial percentage
of bitumen (say 5.5% by weight of the mineral aggregates). Then the heated aggregates
and bitumen are thoroughly mixed at a temperature of 160 - 170°C.

The mix is placed in a preheated mould and compacted by a hammer having a weight of
4.5 kg and a free fall of 45.7 cm giving 50 blows on either side at a temperature of 160°C
to prepare the laboratory specimens of compacted thickness 63.5±3 mm.

35/50/75 compaction blows were given to the sample of dense graded bituminous
mixes depending on the traffic loading being designed for.

The heights of the samples are measured and specimens are immersed in a water bath
at 60°C for 35±5 minutes. Samples are removed from the water bath and placed
immediately in the Marshall loading head. The load is applied to the specimen at a
deformation rate of 50.8 mm/minute. Stability is measured as the maximum load
sustained by the sample before failure. Flow is the deformation at the maximum load.
The stability values are then adjusted with respect to the sample height (stability
corrections).

For the proposed design mix gradation, three specimens are prepared for each bitumen
content within the range of 4-7% at increments of 0.5 percent, in accordance with ASTM
D 1559. All bitumen content shall be in percentage by weight of the virgin aggregate.

As soon as the freshly compacted specimens have cooled to room temperature, the bulk
specific gravity of each test specimen shall be determined in accordance with ASTM D
2726.

The stability and flow value of each test specimen shall then be determined in
accordance with ASTM D 1559. After the completion of the stability and flow test,
specific gravity and voids analysis shall be carried out for each test specimen to
determine the percentage air voids in mineral aggregate and the percentage air voids in
the compacted mix and voids filled with bitumen. Values which are obviously erratic
shall be discarded before averaging. Where two or more specimens in any group are
rejected, three more specimens are prepared and re-tested.

The average values of bulk specific gravity, stability, flow, VA, VMA and VFB obtained
above are plotted separately against the bitumen content and a smooth curve drawn
through the plotted values. Stability and Flow values at the optimum bitumen content
are then found from the plotted smooth curves and shall comply with the design
parameters shown below.

Marshall Design Criteria

Light Traffic Medium Traffic Heavy Traffic
Marshall Method Mix Criteria Surface & Base Surface & Base Surface & Base
Min Max Min Max Min Max

Compaction, number of blows

35 50 75
each end of specimen

Stability, N 3336 5338 8006

Flow, 0.25 mm 8 18 8 16 8 14
Percent Air Voids 3 5 3 5 3 5

Percent Voids in Mineral

14.3 14.3 14.3 14.3 14.3 14.3
Aggregate (VMA)

Percent Voids Filled With

70 80 65 78 65 75
Asphalt (VFA)

The Marshal analysis is to include

1. Determination of Optimum Asphalt Content
2. Graphical Charts: Prepare a graphical plot for the following values from the data
obtained:
1) Stability verses binder content
2) Flow verses binder content
3) Specific gravity of total mix verses
4) Percent Air voids verses binder content
5) Percent Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA) versus binder content
6) Voids Filled with Asphalt (VFA) versus binder content
The data that each group needs to provide includes:

Group Number
Compacted Specimens
Pill Number Average
1 2 3
Stability (unit)
Flow (unit)
Density (unit)
Specific Gravity (Gmb)
Loose Specimen
Maximum Theoretical Specific Gravity (Gmm) =

Marshall Method of Mix Design:

General: Marshall Test procedures were standardised according to ASTM D1559 and
are summarised as follows:

 Only applicable for hot-mix paving mixture

 Asphalt cement have to be used
 Maximum size of aggregate = 25 mm or less
 Standard test specimens are 63.50mm high by 10.16mm in diameter
 Two principal features of the method are:
- density - voids analysis
- stability - flow test of the compacted test specimens
 The stability of the specimen is the maximum load resistance in kgs which the
specimen can carry at 60°C
 The flow value is the total movement or strain in units of 0.25mm occurring
in the specimen between no load and maximum load during the stability test
 For preparation of specimens:
- Aggregate weight used is 1200 g
- Aggregate should be heated to 160°C for 3 to 4 h
- Bitumen should also be heated to 155°C for not more than one hour to
prevent over heating
 Mixing temperature is (155°C) which produces a kinematic viscosity of
170±20cst
  Compaction temperature is (145°C) which produces a kinematic viscosity of
280±30cst
 The moulds, hammer should be heated between 93 °C and 149 °C
 Use 75 blows on each side of the specimen to compact the specimens for
heavy traffic (hammer weight = 4.54kg and height of fall is 45.7cm
 Specimens are allowed to cool overnight
 Trial specimen is prepared:
Adjusted Wt. of Agg.= 63.5 (Wt. of Agg. used)÷Spec. Ht. (mm) obtained (SI
Units)

In the Marshall method, each compacted test specimen is subjected to the following
tests and analysis in the order listed:

- Bulk Specific Gravity Determination

- Stability - Flow Test

- Density & Voids Analysis

Data obtained after test on bitumen, aggregate and samples of HMA .

Aggregates tests
The hot mix asphalt Aggregate Grading
Sieve Control Point % % % Mass (g) Accumulated
size Passing Passing Retained Mass (g)
19.00mm 100 100.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
13.20mm 79-100 89.00 11.00 126.50 126.50
9.50mm 70-88 79.00 10.00 115.00 241.50
4.75mm 53-72 60.00 19.00 218.50 460.00
2.36mm 42-58 52.00 8.00 92.00 552.00
1.18mm 18-34 30.00 22.00 253.00 805.00
0.600mm 26-38 27.00 3.00 34.50 839.50
0.300mm 12-24 22.00 5.00 57.50 897.00
0.150mm 6-14 10.00 12.00 138.00 1,035.00
0.075mm 4-8 0.00 10.00 115.00 1,150.00
pan - 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,150.00
Coarse Aggregate %age = Passing the 19mm sieve but Retained on the 4.75mm sieve
Fine Aggregate %age = Passing the 4.75mm sieve but Retained on 0.075mm sieve
Filler %age = Passing 0.075mm
Assume absorption of bitumen in aggregate is zero

Specific gravities, Marshall Stability and Flow Tests

Sample Bitumen Sample Weight in grams Sp.Gr of Measured Flow
No. Content, Height Compact Stability value,
% Mix Value 0.25mm
dry in
in air water
1 4.5 63.9 1175.100 661.700 2.289 4589 7.5
2 4.5 63.7 1183.800 669.200 2.300 5679 7.5
3 4.5 63.6 1174.200 661.500 2.290 4799 7.5
1 5 63.8 1185.000 671.300 2.307 4087 7.5
2 5 63.5 1187.700 674.000 2.312 4589 7.5
3 5 63.2 1179.400 665.800 2.296 4380 7.5
1 5.5 63.3 1187.100 675.700 2.307 4589 8
2 5.5 63.2 1186.600 676.200 2.325 5009 9
3 5.5 62.9 1187.100 676.700 2.326 5176 9.5
1 6 63.3 1193.600 680.600 2.327 5176 10.5
2 6 62.7 1183.900 675.600 2.329 4991 9.5
3 6 63.3 1190.000 679.100 2.329 4548 9.5
1 6.5 62.7 1190.500 679.200 2.328 4642 2.5
2 6.5 62.9 1184.800 675.600 2.327 4799 11.5
3 6.5 63 1186.100 677.600 2.333 4380 11.5
1 7 62.9 1184.500 674.700 2.323 4673 14
2 7 63 1184.300 672.900 2.316 4087 13.5
3 7 63.6 1189.200 677.800 2.325 4631 13.5

Sp.Gr of binder = 1.018

Sp.Gr of Corse Aggregates =2.612
Sp.Gr of Fine Aggregates =2.536