SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINERING

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

LABORATORY 9

COURSE HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE ECG344
LEVEL OF OPENNESS 1
CATEGORY PARTIALLY OPEN
DEGREE OF OPEN-ENDED (%) 33
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY 1 WEEK
EXPERIMENT SOFTENING POINT TEST

Introduction
Level 1 laboratory activity refers to condition where the problem and ways &
means are guided and given to the students. However the answers to the
assignment are left to the students to solve using the group creativity and
innovativeness. The activity is hope to slowly introduced and inculcate
independent learning amongst students and prepare them for a much
harder task of open ended laboratory activities.
In these laboratory activities, Ring-and-Ball Test has remained a valuable
consistency test for control in refining operations, particularly in the production
of air-blown bitumens. It is also an indirect measure of viscosity or, rather, the
temperature at which a given viscosity is evident. The softening point value
has particular significance for materials, which are to be used as thick films,
such as joint and crack fillers and roofing materials.
PREAMBLE

Objectives
The objectives of the tests is:
1. To determine the softening point of bitumen using Ring-and-Ball
apparatus.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the laboratory session, students should be able:
1. Determine the quality of bitumen used in flexible pavement
2. Analyze the data correctly and present in typical format
3. Work in a group to produce a technical report
PROBLEM
STATEMENT

©UiTM OCT 2022

SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
LABORATORY 9

Your firm has given a task to design a new asphalt road connecting to a new
building complex in the campus. One of the task required is to make sure
that the material to be used shall conform to the requirement in the standard
given by the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR). Your team is required to take few
samples of bitumen to the laboratory and to determine the softening point of
the samples using Ring-and-Ball apparatus.

References:
• ASTM D5-2006 Standard test method for Penetration of Bituminous
Materials.
• ASTM D36 Test Method for Softening Point of Bitumen
• Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 5/85 – Manual on Pavement Design
Procedures
1. Heat the sample to a temperature between 75 and 100°C above
the approximate softening point until it is completely fluid.

2. Place the sample in the brass ring and suspend the in the water
at a given temperature.

3. Place a steel ball on the sample and heat the water such that the
water temperature increases by 5°C per minute.

4. Take the temperature reading when the softened sample touches the
metal plate. The noted temperature is the softening point of the
bitumen.
WAYS & MEANS

Apparatus

©UiTM OCT 2022

SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
LABORATORY 9

Figure 1: Ring-and-Ball apparatus

The group will be required to prepare the technical report of the laboratory
study highlighting the procedures adopted, data acquisition
process/analysis carried out and the relevancy of the parameters obtained
RESULTS to address the problem given.
(OPEN) A technical report should be submitted one (1) week after the laboratory
test with the relevant results, analyses and application to civil engineering
projects.

©UiTM OCT 2022