Asphalt Concrete Mix

Design
Superpave

Superpave Volumetric Mix Design

Goals
Compaction method which simulates field
Accommodates large size aggregates
Measure of compactibility
Able to use in field labs
Address durability issues
Film thickness
Environmental

Specimen Preparation

Mechanical mixer

0.170 Pa-s binder viscosity

Short

term oven aging

4 hours at 135C
2 hours at 135C (optional)

Mixing/Compaction Temps
Viscosity, Pa s
10
5

1
.5
.3
.2
.1

Compaction Range
Mixing Range
100

110

120

130

140

150 160

170 180 190 200

Temperature, C
4

Specimen Preparation

Specimen Height

Mix Design - 115 mm (4700 g)

Moisture Sens. - 95 mm (3500 g)

Loose Specimen for Max. Theor.

(Rice)

varies with nominal max size

150 mm

19 mm (2000 g)
12.5 mm (1500 g)
5

Mixing
Place pre-heated aggregate in
bowl and add hot asphalt

Mixing
Place bowl on mixer and mix until
aggregate is well-coated

Short Term Aging

Empty mix into pan and place in oven to
simulate short term aging
2 hours for low absorption aggregates
4 hours for high absorption aggregates

Short Term Aging Important

Allows time for aggregate to absorb asphalt

Helps minimize variability in volumetric
calculations
Most terms dependent upon volumes which
change with changes in the amount
(volume) of absorbed asphalt

Compaction
Place funnel on top of mold and place mix in mold.
Take care not to allow the mix to segregate.

10

Compaction
Place another paper on top of mix
and place mold in compactor.

11

Compaction
Example of typical full-size compactors.

12

Compaction
Key Components of Gyratory Compactor
height
measurement
reaction
frame

tilt bar

control and data

acquisition panel

loading
ram
mold

rotating
base
13

Compaction

Gyratory compactor
Axial and shearing action
150 mm diameter molds
Aggregate size up to 37.5 mm
Height measurement during compaction
Allows densification during
compaction to be evaluated
Ram pressure
600 kPa

1.25o

14

Compaction
After aging, take mix and preheated mold
from oven. Place paper in bottom of mold.

15

Compaction
Once compaction is finished, extrude
sample from mold.

16

Compaction
Remove the paper and label samples.

17

SGC Results
% Gmm

10

100

1000

Log Gyrations
18

Three Points on SGC Curve

% Gmm

Nmax

Ndes

Nini

10

100
Log Gyrations

1000
19

Design Compaction

% Gmm

Ndes based on
average design high
air temp
traffic level
Log Nmax = 1.10 Log Ndes
Log Nini = 0.45 Log Ndes

Nmax
Ndes

Nini
10

100

1000

Log Gyrations

20

% Gmm

Data Presentation

100
98

Nmax = 174
Ndes = 109
Nini = 8

96
94
92

Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Average

90
88
86

84
1

10

100

1000

Number of Gyrations
21

Superpave Mix Design Analysis

22

Superpave Testing

Specimen heights
Mixture volumetrics
Air voids
Voids in mineral aggregate (VMA)
Voids filled with asphalt (VFA)
Mixture density characteristics
Dust proportion
Moisture sensitivity
23

Superpave Mix Design

Gmb (estimated) =

Wm
gw Vmx

Where:
Wm = mass of specimen, g
Vmx = volume of compaction mold (cm3)
gw = density of water, g/cm3
Assumption: specimen is smooth-sided cylinder

24

Superpave Mix Design

However, surface irregularities cause the volume

of the specimen to be slightly less than volume of
cylinder
Actual bulk specific gravity measurement of
compacted sample used to determine correction
factor, C:
Gmb (measured)

C=
Gmb (estimated)

% Gmm = Gmb (estimated) C / Gmm (measured)

25

Superpave Mix Design

Determine mix properties at NDesign and compare to

criteria

Air voids
VMA
VFA
%Gmm at Nini
%Gmmat Nmax
Dust proportion

4% (or 96% Gmm)

See table
See table
< 89%
< 98%
0.6 to 1.2

26

SGC Results
% Gmm
Increasing asphalt
cement content

96%
(4% Voids)

Ndes

Nini
10

Nmax

100
1000
Log Gyrations

Each line = avg. of two samples

27

Superpave Mix Design

VMA requirements:
Nominal max agg size
9.5 mm
12.5 mm
19 mm
35 mm
37.5 mm

Min. VMA
15
14
13
12
11

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Superpave Mix Design

VFA requirements:
Traffic (millions of ESALs) Range of VFA

< 0.3
1 to 3
> 3.0

70 to 80
65 to 78
65 to 75

29

Superpave Mix Design

% weight of - 0.075 material

0.6 <

< 1.2
% weight of effective asphalt

Effective asphalt content is asphalt on surface of aggregate

(asphalt not absorbed by aggregate)

30

Superpave Mix Design

Moisture Sensitivity
Prepare set of 6 specimens
6 to 8% voids
Represents anticipated in-service voids
Determine tensile strength of 3 of specimens
Condition remaining 3 in water bath (60oC, 24 hr.)
Option for freeze cycle
Bring to test temperature (25oC) and determine
wet (conditioned) tensile strength

31

Moisture Sensitivity
AASHTO T 283

Measured on proposed aggregate blend and

asphalt content
Reduced compactive effort to increase voids
3 Conditioned Specimens

3 Dry Specimens

Vacuum saturate specimens

Soak at 60oC for 24 hours
Soak at 25oC for 2 hours
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Moisture Sensitivity
AASHTO T 283

Determine the tensile strengths

of both sets of 3 specimens
Calculate the Tensile
Strength Ratio (TSR)
Avg. wet tensile strength
TSR =

Avg. dry tensile strength

Minimum of 80% needed

33

Moisture Sensitivity
AASHTO T 283

Indirect tensile
strength apparatus
for 100 mm
specimens

34

Example of Superpave Mix Design

35

Trial Gradations

% PASSING

19.0 mm Nominal Mixture

100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0

Trial Blend 3

Trial Blend 1

Trial Blend 2

0.075

2.36

19.0

Sieve Size (mm) raised to 0.45 power

36

Aggregate Consensus Properties

Blended Aggregate properties are determined

Property
Criteria
Blend 1
Blend 2
Blend 3
Coarse Ang. 95%/90% min. 96%/92%
95%/92% 97%/93%
Fine Ang.
45% min.
46%
46%
48%
FLat/Elong. 10% max.
0%
0%
0%
Sand Equiv.
45 min. 59
58
54
Combined Gsb
n/a
2.699
2.697
2.701
Combined Gsa
n/a
2.768
2.769
2.767

37

Compaction Characteristics
%Gmm
Blend

%AC

Nini

Ndes

Nmax

4.3%

86.9%

96.0%

97.4%

4.5%

85.9%

96.0%

97.7%

4.7%

87.1%

96.0%

97.3%

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Volumetric Properties
Blend
1
2
3

%AC
4.3%
4.5%
4.0%

%Air
4.0%
4.0%
4.0%

%VMA
12.7%
13.0%
13.5%

%VFA
68.5%
69.2%
70.1%

DP
0.86
0.78
0.88

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Selection of Design Asphalt

Binder Content
Va

VMA

% binder

% binder

Blend 3

VFA

DP
% binder

% binder

%Gmm at Nini

%Gmm at Nmax
% binder

% binder

40

Questions - ?

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