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The final goal of mix design is to select a unique design asphalt content
that will achieve a balance among all of the desired properties.
(French: International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures)
Table summarizes [RILEM 17, 1998] some of the important bituminous mix
design approaches:
Mix design
method Description
Analytical method The analytical method does not consider preparation of any
physical specimen. Composition is determined exclusively
through analytical computations.
Table summarizes [RILEM 17, 1998] some of the important bituminous mix
design approaches:
Mix design
method Description
The Marshall test is a popular mix design approach, possibly due to its simplicity
and low cost. The Superpave recommendations have rationalized the concepts of
bituminous mix design to a great extent, however, it involves evaluation of mix
properties through a number of costly equipment.
With the development various of special purpose mixes, mixes with modified
bitumen, perpetual pavement, rich bottom pavement etc – it is expected that in
future days, the mix design and structural pavement design together will develop
to be an integrated approach.
Table-2 Mix design approaches adopted in various specifications/
organizations[RILEM 17 1998]
Past Present
Stability Stiffness
Durability Permanent deformation
Economy Fatigue
Temperature susceptibility
Low temperature cracking
Moisture susceptibility
Freeze-thaw
Permeability
Economical
Environment friendly
Workability
Economy
Some of the above requirements are sometimes mutually conflicting.
For, example, the higher is the bitumen content, the better is the fatigue life,
provided all the other parameters are kept unchanged.
But with the increase of bitumen content, the resistance to rutting may
decrease.
The only way to increase bitumen content keeping sufficient air voids (VA) is by
maximizing VMA and suitably gradation can be designed.
Difference between conventional & modified method of design
• Selection of aggregate
• Selection of aggregate grading
• Preparation of specimen
• Determination of specific gravity of compacted
specimen
Specimen Extractor
Compaction Hammer & Mold
Compaction Pedestal
Specimen Mold Holder
Breaking Head
Test Specimens
Preparation of Aggregates
Preparation of Mixtures:
Remove the base plate and collar, and reverse and reassemble the mold.
Apply the same number of compaction blows to the face of the reversed
specimen
Graphs are plotted with the bitumen content on the X-axis and
the following values on the Y-axis
The optimum bitumen content for the mix design is found by taking the
average value of the following three bitumen contents found from the
graphs of the test results.
M = Vx Gx ρw
Where,
M = mass of constituent
V = volume of constituent
G = Specific gravity of constituent
Ρw = density of water (1.0 g/cm3)
MASS-VOLUME RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM
Va AIR Ma = 0
VMA
VFA EFFECTIVE BITUMEN Mbe
Vb Mb
Vm Vba ABSORBED BITUMEN Mba
Ma Mm
Vsb
AGGREGATES
Vse
Bituminous mix has the following volumetric properties
(i) Mixture bulk specific gravity, Gmb = 2.331
(ii) Specific gravity of bitumen, Gb = 1.013
(iii) Bitumen content, Pb = 5.0% by mix
(iv)Aggregate bulk specific gravity, Gsb = 2.707
(v)Aggregate effective specific gravity, Gse = 2.733
VMA = (Va+Vbe) / Vm x 100 = (0.075 cm3 + 0.108 cm3) / 1cm3 x 100 = 18.3%
P1 + P2+ …….. + Pn
Gsb =
P1/ G1 + P2/G2 + …….. + Pn/Gn
Pmm-Pb
Gse =
(Pmm / Gmm) – (Pb/Gb)
Pmm
Gmm =
(Pmm / Gse) + (Pb/Gb)
Gse -Gsb
Pba = X Gb X 100
Gsb Gse
PERCENT EFFECTIVE BITUMEN CONTENT (Pbe):
Pba x Ps
Pbe = Pb -
100
Gmb x Ps
VMA = 100 -
Gsb
Where, Gmb = bulk specific gravity of compacted mix (AASHTO T166 ASTMD 1188
or D 2726
PERCENT AIR VOIDS IN COMPACTED MIXTURE (Va):
Gmm - Gmb
Va = X 100
Gmm
VMA - Va
VFB = X 100
VMA
Bulk, Effective, Apparent specific gravities; air voids and
effective bitumen content in compacted bituminous mixture
BULK SPECIFIC GRAVITY (Gsb)
It is the ratio of the
weight in air of a unit
volume of a permeable
material (including
both permeable &
impermeable voids
normal to the material)
at a stated temperature
to the weight in air of
equal density of an
equal volume of gas-
free distilled water at a
stated temperature
APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY (Gsa):