Chapter 2: Highway Materials

ASPHALT CONCRETE-Properties
Absorbed asphalt

M
MG
MB
MBE
MBA
V
VG
VBE
VBA
VB
VA
VGE
VMM

Water permeable porosity not

filled with absorbed asphalt

Aggregate

Aggregate volume
(bulk RD)
Effective
asphalt binder

Air Void
Aggregate volume
(effective RD)

Volume of
water
permeable
porosity

Aggregate volume
(effective RD)

Total mass (= MG +MB)

Mass of aggregate
Mass of asphalt (binder) (= MBE + MBA)
Mass of effective asphalt, the asphalt binder between particles
Mass of absorbed, absorbed into the pores of the aggregate particles
Total volume of the compacted mix
Volume of aggregate, the bulk volume including the aggregate pores
Volume of effective asphalt
Volume of absorbed asphalt
Volume of asphalt (= VBE + VBA)
Volume of air between the coated aggregate particles in the mix
Effective volume of aggregate (= VG VBA)
Volume voidless mix (minimum mix volume)

Figure 2-3: Asphalt mixture showing net or effective asphalt,

absorbed asphalt and air voids (after Atkins, 2003)
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VA

MBE

MB

Mass or volume relationships of the compacted specimen is

shown in Figure 2-4 and these relationships can be expressed
using the following equations.

VBE

VB

V
MBA

VBA

VG

VMM

VGE

Air (A)
Asphalt binder (B)
Aggregate (G)

Figure 2-4: Mass/volume relationship in asphalt mixes (after Atkins, 2003)

Chapter 2: Highway Materials

Example 1:
An asphalt concrete mix contains 2250 kg of aggregate
and 150 kg of asphalt binder per m3. Asphalt absorption
of the aggregates is 1.2%. The bulk relative density of
the aggregates is 2.67, and the relative density of the
asphalt is 1.05. Find:

Therefore:
PB = 150/2400 = 6.25%
PBE = 123/2400 = 5.12%
PBA = 27/2400 = 1.12%

(i) the density,

(ii) the asphalt content - total, effective, and absorbed
(iii)the air voids, VMA and VFA

= 2400/1 = 2400 kg/m3

AV = 0.040/1 = 4.0 %
VMA = (0.040 + 0.117)/1 = 15.7 %
VFA = 0.117 / (0.040 + 0.117) = 74.5%

Chapter 2: Highway Materials

Chapter 2: Highway Materials

Exercise (try this!)

Solution:

Given;

Assume, V = 1 m3

= 2440 kg/m3

MBA = PBA x MG = 0.012 x 2250 = 27 kg

PB = 5.8%

MBE = MB MBA = 150 27 = 123 kg

Asp. Abs = 0.8%

VG = MG/ (RDB(agg) x W )

RDB(agg) = 2.67

= 2250/(2.67 x 1000) = 0.843 m3

RD (asp) = 1.03

VBE = MBE/ (RDB(asp) x W)

Find; AV, VMA and VFA

= 123 / (1.05 X 1000) = 0.117 m3

VA = V (VG + VBE)
= 1 (0.843 + 0.117) = 0.040 m3
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