CE 310 – Transportation Engineering – I
Lecture 7
Introduction to Bituminous Mix
Bituminous Mix
• Bituminous mix is a mixture of following materials:
Aggregates
Mineral filler
Bitumen
Additives
What proportions? We will study it later.
Type of Bituminous Mixes
• Bituminous Concrete (BC)
• Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM)
• Bituminous Macadam (BM)
• Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA)
• Mastic Asphalt (MA)
• Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC)
• Premix Carpet (PC)
All about aggregate gradation, bitumen
quantity, and method of mixing
Check MORTH 5th Revision for more details.
Bituminous Mix
Field core Cutting core from
pavement in the field
Two different types of mixes, bottom is dense
graded, and top is open graded. See orientation Help to find quality of compaction,
of aggregates, and how bitumen mixed with air voids, bitumen content, overall
filler/fine (mastic) has occupied space quality of pavement
Can we draw a phase diagram for
compacted asphalt mix sample?
(like soil-water-air system)
Phase Diagram of Bituminous Mix Sample
Aggregate absorbs bitumen – important to consider this aspect, otherwise there
will be less effective bitumen, and may result in stripping, poor bond, raveling and
failure of pavement.
Air Voids Air Voids
- Total bitumen
Bitumen Bitumen - Effective bitumen :
Absorbed Bitumen Total - Absorbed
Aggregates Aggregates
Absorbs bitumen fills pore of aggregate
(does not contribute in any performance)
Basic Terminology/Symbols
Axy: A: Component;
M = Mass; V = Volume; P = Percentage; G = Specific
gravity
• x = material type; s = stone (aggregate); b =
binder (bitumen); m = mix (bituminous mix)
• y = type of quantity; e = effective; b = bulk, m =
maximum
Example:
Mmb = Bulk Mass of Mix;
Vse = Effective volume of stone (aggregates)
Gmb = Bulk specific gravity of bituminous mix
Composition of Mix
Mass of aggregate (Ms): 1200 gm
Mass of Bitumen (Mb): 60 gm
Total mass of compacted sample: (Mmb) = 1260 gm
Percentage of asphalt (Pb) = % by total weight of mix = 60/1260 = 4.76%
Percentage of aggregates (Ps): 100 – Pb = 95.24%
Total voids? % Air voids ? Voids filled with bitumen? Bitumen absorbed
into aggregate? Effective bitumen?
Specific Gravity of Mix Sample
• Bulk specific gravity of mix (Gmb) = Weight of sample in air/Bulk volume of sample
Say, weight of compacted sample in air: 1260 gm
Bulk volume of aggregates: ( Saturated surface dry weight (1264 gm) – weight in
water (719 gm)) = 545 cc
Bulk specific gravity (Gmb): 1260/545 = 2.312
Bulk volume ( total volume of samples including air voids within)
What would be specific gravity if air void is zero ( We call it theoretical maximum
specific gravity - Gmm ), Say 2.512 (though its not possible in field, specific gravity if
air voids is zero, or compaction is 100%, then specific gravity will reach to 2.512)
Specific Gravity = Mass/Volume
% Air voids (Va) or Compaction Level
• % air voids: % volume of air voids in the sample.
• % Compaction (% density): 100 - % air voids (Say air voids: 4.5%, compaction: 95.5%)
• High air voids means, sample of too loose, so water ingress, easily deform,
air/temperature impact
• Low air voids means sample is highly compacted. Bitumen will over flow on surface of
roads after traffic compaction, failure of pavement
• What should be air voids of a freshly compacted pavement (say if I cut a
core sample)? Standard: Maximum air voids should be 8% (or in other
words, minimum compaction should be 92%).
• Compaction increase with time (air voids decreases with time), we expect in 2-3
years compaction reaches to 96-97% (air voids: 3-4%). Thus, we do not want low air
voids immediately after compaction, otherwise traffic will compact it further, and
failure of road
Terminology – Voids in Mineral Aggregates (VMA)
Voids in compacted Voids in compacted aggregates after addition of
aggregates without bitumen (bituminous mix) (mobility of aggregate
bitumen increase, better compaction) (It would be
volume of bitumen+air voids)
Volume of air voids VMA: Volume of effective bitumen + air voids
(example: 20%) (example: 16% (i.e., 11.5% effective bitumen
+4.5%-air voids) (Effective bitumen, because
some bitumen goes in pore of aggregates)
Voids Filled with Asphalt/Bitumen(VFB or VFA)
Out of total voids (VMA) available after compaction (air voids+effective
bitumen), what % of voids are filled with effective bitumen/asphalt.
Example: VMA: 16% (total voids, effective volume of bitumen + air voids)
Volume filled with effective bitumen: 11.5%, Air voids: 4.5%
VFB or VFA: 11.5/16*100 = 71.8%
High VFA means ?
Low VFA means ?
VFA or VFB: indicates volume of bitumen available to coat the aggregates. Very high
VFA indicates, excess amount of bitumen, may pose bleeding of mix. Low VFA
indicates, not enough bitumen to coat aggregates, and hence raveling or poor bond
or durability. Thus, VFB should have a low and high range (typically it is 65-75%)
Binder absorbed and Effective Binder
M ba
Binder absorbed is % of total mass of aggregates Pba *100
Ms
Example:
• Mass of aggregates: Ms = 1200 gm
• Mass of bitumen: Mb = 60 gm
• Mass of bitumen absorbed into aggregates: Mba = 12 gm (assumed value)
• Pba (%) = 12/1200*100 = 1%
M be
Effective binder is % of total mass of asphalt mix Pbe *100
M mb
Example:
• Total mass of mix: Mmb = 1260 gm
• Mass of bitumen: Mb = 60 gm ( Pb: 60/1260 = 4.76%)
• Mass of bitumen absorbed: Mba = 12 gm
• Mass of effective bitumen: Mba = 60 -12 = 48 gm
• Effective bitumen (%) = 48/1260*100 = 3.8%
Axy: A: Component; M = Mass; V = Volume; P =
Phase Diagram Percentage; G = Specific gravity
x = material type; s = stone (aggregate); b = binder
𝑉𝑎 +𝑉𝑏𝑒
VMA= ∗ 100; Voids in mineral aggregates (bitumen); m = mix (bituminous mix)
y = type of quantity; e = effective; b = bulk, m = maximum
𝑉
Example: Mmb = Bulk Mass of Mix; Vse = Effective volume
𝑉 of stone
VFA= 𝑉 +𝑏𝑒𝑉 *100 ; Voids filled with asphalt
𝑎 𝑏𝑒
Va Air Voids 0
Vb Vbe Bitumen Pbe
Pb Gb
Vba Absorbed Bitumen
Vmm
Vsb Ps
Vse Aggregates Gsb , Gse
Gmm
%Volumes %Weights Specific Gravities
Absorbs bitumen does not count towards total voids
Volumetric Analysis
Total mass of mix (Mmb): 1260 gm
Percentage of asphalt (Pb): % of total mass of mix
• Asphalt Properties
o Bulk specific gravity of asphalt (Gb): 1.012 Volume =Mass/Specific gravity
o Mass of binder (Mb): 60
o Percentage of asphalt (Pb): 4.76%
• Aggregate Properties
– Bulk specific gravity of aggregates (Gsb): 2.598
– Effective specific gravity of aggregates (Gse): 2.672
– Mass of aggregates (Ms): 1200 gm
– Percentage of aggregates (Ps): 95.24%
• Bituminous Mix Properties
– Bulk specific gravity of compacted bituminous sample (Gmb): 2.392
– Theoretical maximum specific gravity of loose bituminous mix (Gmm): 2.478
Volumetric Analysis
𝑉𝑎 +𝑉𝑏𝑒 𝑉𝑏𝑒
VMA=
𝑉
∗ 100; Voids in mineral aggregates VFA=
𝑉𝑎 +𝑉𝑏𝑒
*100 ; Voids filled with asphalt
PHASE DIAGRAM
3
MASS (g) VOLUME (cm )
M a = AIR V a =
M be = BINDER V be =
M b =
V b =
M ba = Absorbed Binder V ba =
M mb = V mb =
M s = V sb =
AGG.
V se =
V mm =
% Air voids. =
G b = G se = P b = % Dens. =
G mm = G sb = P be = VMA = % Vbe. =
G mb = P ba = VFA =
D/P=
Binder absorbed is % of total M ba Effective binder is % of total by M be
Pba *100 Pbe *100
by mass of aggregates Ms mass of asphalt mix M mb
Specific Gravity = Mass/Volume
1. Bulk Specific Gravity of Aggregates: Axy
A = Value
Ps1 Ps 2 .........Psn
M = Mass
Gsb
V = Volume
P = Percentage
Ps1 Ps 2 Psn
......
G = Specific gravity
Gsb1 Gsb 2 Gsbn x = material type
s = stone (aggregate)
b = binder (bitumen)
m = mix (bituminous mix)
2. Effective specific Gravity of Aggregates:
y = type of quantity
100 Pb e = effective
Gse b = bulk
100 Pb
Example:
Gmm Gb Mmb = Bulk Mass of Mix
Vse = Effective volume of stone
Gmm = Theoretical maximum specific gravity bituminous mix
Pb = Percent asphalt binder (% of total weight of mix)
Gb = Specific gravity of binder
Ms
Gsb = Bulk specific gravity of aggregates
Gse = Effective specific gravity of aggregates
Ps ; Pb 100 Ps
Ps1. ….Psn = Percent of aggregates
M mb
Gsb1 …. Gsbn = Bulk specific gravity of aggregates
8. Percent of Effective Binder
3. Bulk Volume of Aggregates
M be
Ms Pbe *100
Vsb M mb
Gsb
9. Percent of Absorbed Binder
4. Effective Volume of Aggregates
M ba Gse Gsb )
Ms Pba P
*100 ba 100 * ( )Gb
Vse Ms Gsb * Gse
Gse
5. Volume of Binder Absorbed 10. Percent of Air Voids
Gmb
Vba Vsb Vse Va (1 ) *100
Gmm
6. Bulk Volume of Binder 11. Voids in Mineral Aggregates (VMA)
Gmb (1 Pb )
Mb VMA 100 * (1 )
Vb Gsb
Gb 12. Voids Filled with Asphalt (VFA)
VMA Va
7. Volume of Effective Binder VFA 100 * ( )
VMA
Vbe Vb Vba 13. Density (Compaction)
Density(%) 100 Va
