Experiment: Softening Point of Asphalt Material

Introduction:

The ring and ball test is used to measure the softening point of bitumen (in this experiment), asphalt, and coal tar,
which is the temperature at which a material softens beyond some arbitrary softness. The softening point is
important for bitumen categorization. Two tiny samples of bitumen are heated in a container of water for the ring
and ball softening point test. The ring is submerged to the point when its bottom is exactly 25 mm above the bath's
bottom.
The temperature of the bath is then progressively increased, causing the bitumen to soften and the ball to
eventually fall to the bottom. Each ring sample is topped with a metal ball. The "softening point" is the
temperature at which each ball makes contact with a bar towards the bottom. It is desirable to have a high
softening point over a low one. Furthermore, if the two balls fall at temperatures that differ by more than one
degree, the test is disqualified and must be repeated. The ring and ball test is critical for determining the suitability
of bitumen for road or highway projects.

Apparatus

• Standard Ring and Ball Apparatus.

• Steel balls 2 Nos, each 9.5mm in diameter and weighing 3.5 ± 0.05 grams.

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• Brass rings 2 Nos, the rings shall be tapered and shall confirm to the following:

Depth: 6.4 mm

Inside diameter at bottom: 15.9 mm

Inside diameter at top: 19.8 mm

Outside diameter: 23.0 mm

.
• Thermometer capable of reading temperature up to 0 to 250 C

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 • Water bath should be a heat resistant glass vessel not less than 85 mm in diameter and
120 mm in depth.

• Stirrer shall be manual or mechanical to ensure uniform heat distribution at all times
throughout the water bath.
Theory

The Softening Point of Asphalt or tar is the temperature at which the substance attains a particular
degree of softening. As per ASTM:D 36, it is the temperature in ºC at which a standard ball passes
through a sample of bitumen in a mould and falls through a height of 2.5 cm, when heated under
water or glycerine at specified conditions of test. The binder should have sufficient fluidity before its
applications in road uses. The determination of softening point helps to know the temperature up to
which a bituminous binder should be heated for various road use applications. Softening point is
determined by ring and ball apparatus.

Procedure

 Preparation of Test Specimen:

To begin, the material was heated to between 75 and 100 degrees Celsius over its softening point. The mixture was
then thoroughly mixed until it was totally fluid and free of air bubbles and water. After that, the rings were placed
on a metal plate that had been covered with a combination of equal parts glycerin and dextrin and heated to a
temperature close to that of molten material. The molds were then filled with enough melt to leave excess over the
level of the ring. After chilling in the air for 30 minutes, the surplus material was removed using a sharp hot knife.

 Procedure

The equipment was first put together, with the rings, thermometer, and ball guides in place. The bath was then
filled with freshly boiled distilled water or pure glycerin at a temperature of 50C to a height of 50mm above the

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upper surface of the rings. The bath was then kept at 50°C for 15 minutes, after which the balls were inserted in
each ball guide using forceps that had been previously cooled to 50°C.
The bath was then heated, and the liquid was swirled at a consistent rate of 50 degrees Celsius per minute until the
substance softened and the balls could pass through the ring. Finally, the temperature of each ring ball was
recorded by the thermometer as soon as the sample around the ball touched the support's bottom plate.

Observation

1 2
Temperature when the ball touches bottom, °C 570 580

Calculation

Softening point of the Asphalt material = (57+58) / 2

=57.5 C

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 Answer the following questions

a) What are the applications of asphalt in Civil Engineering?

Asphalt is mostly used for paving roads, but it may also be utilized for a variety of other applications.
Asphalt's adaptability is one of the reasons for its widespread use. It can be found in the following industries,
among others:

• Transportation (e.g., roads, railway beds or airport runways, taxiways, etc.)

• Recreation (playgrounds, bicycle paths, running tracks, tennis courts…)
• Agriculture (barn floors, greenhouse floors…)
• Industrial (ports, landfill caps, work sites…)
• Building construction (floorings…)

b) Due to which properties of asphalt, is it considered as a suitable material for

road paving?
Versatility
Asphalt's high adaptability is one of its qualities and advantages as an engineering construction and
maintenance medium. Asphalt may be liquified by applying heat, dissolving it in solvents, or emulsifying it,
despite the fact that it is semi-solid at normal temperatures. Asphalt is a strong cement that is easily adherent,
waterproof, and long-lasting, making it ideal for road construction.
Most acids, alkalis, and salts have a strong resistance to their action.
perpetual pavement
Asphalt pavements are perpetual and have the ability to last forever when designed properly. For everything
that is utilized on a regular basis, routine maintenance is required. Our roadways are no different. Because
asphalt is used, maintenance may be completed quickly and with minimum inconvenience to traffic. The use
of asphalt on our roads may increase the ride quality and fuel efficiency of cars driving these routes while
also extending the life of the road.

Smoothness

A smoother surface is provided by asphalt pavement. A smooth surface decreases pavement deterioration,
requiring fewer repairs. It increases fuel economy and minimizes vehicle wear and tear, making asphalt a
very cost-effective option. Finally, paving roads and highways with asphalt minimizes the noise caused by
the tire/pavement interaction, allowing motorists to enjoy a peaceful ride.

Economical and adaptable

Asphalt is a relatively inexpensive construction material. It is less expensive, not only in terms of the cost of
the project but also in terms of the time it takes to accomplish it. Asphalt is adaptive since it is a weather-

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resistant material that can be built for both low and heavy traffic situations. It can handle the most extreme
weather conditions as well as the heaviest semi-trailers. Asphalt may be customized to meet a specific need.

Faster project completions

Paving using asphalt considerably reduces the time it takes to complete a building job. As a result, traffic
moves more smoothly, with less impact on trade. Asphalt paving projects can be scheduled and completed
during off-peak times, such as nights and weekends. After it has been compacted and cooled, asphalt is ready
for traffic, which means faster traffic flow, fewer closures, and happy motorists.

Safety

The smooth-like texture of asphalt contributes to its safety. It provides enhanced visual separation between
road markings while also improving skid resistance and reducing splash back. Asphalt also aids in the
removal of ice and snow from roadways.

sustainability
Asphalt is a recyclable substance that can be reused indefinitely and has a never-ending life cycle. Roads
made of asphalt may be dug up and reused. As a result, asphalt is an excellent choice for road construction.
By recycling the same material over and over again, we are conserving natural resources.

c) What are the alternative materials which can be used for road paving?

The use of alternative materials in road building (for example, blast furnace slag, demolition debris,
crushed concrete, and bottom ash from municipal solid waste incinerators) lowers the usage of rare
natural aggregates and recycles items that would otherwise be discarded as trash.
Gravel -By far the cheapest alternative to black-top carports, with installation costs of only a few
hundred dollars. The typical rock carport is made up of hard, rakish rock that is laid out all over the
carport.

• Brick-Block has become an extremely popular large carport alternative since it tends to be
constructed in such a way that addresses water absorption between the blocks. This produces a
partially permeable carport that allows stormwater to pass through, keeping your garage free of
mud puddles and monster ditches.

Permeable Pavers- When compared to other more substantial carport options, one of the most
compelling reasons that porous private pavers are one of the greatest carport material choices is
that they are quite inexpensive to install. They are also more solid than cement, black-top, and
other carport choices due to their covered flex joints. The pavers can absorb and uniformly disperse
strain throughout the framework due to the upward pressure strength and flexibility of the joints.

d) What is the purpose of using freshly boiled distilled water or pure glycerin in the
experiment?

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  The water used in the practical should be freshly boiled distilled water. Else there is a
possibility that air bubbles may form in the specimen which will affect the accuracy of the
results.
 Glycerin and dextrin mixed together are coated on a metal or glass plate to prevent the
bitumen from sticking to it.


e) Initially why do we keep the whole system at 5 C and keep it constant for 15 minutes?
To ensure that the entire system maintains a constant temperature which is 50C

f) Why is it required to stir the liquid properly while conducting the experiment?

The bitumen sample is melted into a fluid in a jar at 75-100 °C, which is above the estimated
melting point of bitumen.
When the full column of mercury is submerged in the solution whose temperature is being
measured, most thermometers are calibrated to read accurately. Although it is not practicable to do
so every time a measurement is taken, we should at the very least cover the entire bulb whenever
measurements are taken. The liquid should be well mixed to guarantee a consistent temperature
across its volume, and the thermometer should be left in the liquid for long enough to achieve
thermal equilibrium at the temperature being measured.

g) How does the room temperature affect the softening point of Asphalt?

• The softening point and the temperature in the room fluctuate in lockstep. As the temperature in the room rises,
so does the softening point of asphalt.

h) Identify two important benefits of knowing the softening point of asphalt.

The determination of softening point helps to know the temperature up to which a bituminous binder should be
heated for various road use applications. Softening point is determined by the ring and ball apparatus.

Allows us to classify and categorize distinct asphalts based on their intended use.

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References
2022 .‫مواد معدنی‬. ASTM D36| Gilsonite Softening Point. [online] Available at:
<https://gilsonitesale.com/gilsonite-softening-point/> [Accessed 21 April 2022].

Constro Facilitator. 2022. Alternative materials used for road construction. [online] Available at:
<https://www.constrofacilitator.com/alternative-materials-used-for-road-construction/> [Accessed 21
April 2022].

pdfcoffee.com. 2022. Softening LAB REPORT - PDFCOFFEE.COM. [online] Available at:

<https://pdfcoffee.com/softening-lab-report-pdf-free.html> [Accessed 21 April 2022].