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OBJECTIVE:
To design the required bitumen mix and to find the optimum bitumen content.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
a) Mould assembly:
Cylindrical moulds of 10 cm dia. and 7.5 cm height are required. It further consists of a base
plate and collar extension. They are designed to be interchangeable with either end of cylindrical
mould.
b) Sample extractor:
For extruding the compacted specimen from the mould, an extractor suitably fitted with a jack or
compression machine.
c) Compaction Pedestal and hammer:
It consists of a wooden block capped with M.S. plate to hold the mould assembly in position
during compaction. The compaction hammer consists of a flat circular tamping face 8.8 cm dia.
and equipped with a 4.5 kg weight constructed to provide a free fall of 45.7 cm. And the no. of
free fall is 50 blows on both sides of specimen. Mould holder is provided consisting of spring
tension device designed to hold compaction mould in place on the compaction Pedestal.
d) Breaking Head:
It consists of upper and lower cylindrical segments or test heads having an inside radius of
curvature of 5 cm. The lower segment is mounted on a base having two vertical guide rods,
which facilitate insertion in the holes of upper test head.
e) Loading Machine:
The loading machine is provided with a gear system to lift the base in upward direction. On the
upper end of the machine, a pre-calibrated proving ring of 5 ton capacity is fixed. In between the
base and the proving ring, the specimen contained in test head is placed. The loading machine
produces a movement at the rate of 5 cm per min. Machine is capable of reversing its movement
downward also. This facilitates adequate space for placing test head system after one specimen
has been tested.
f) Flow meter:
One dial gauge fixed to the guide rods of a testing machine can serve the purpose. Least count of
0.25 mm is adequate. The flow value refers to the total vertical upward movement from the
initial position at zero loads to a value at maximum load. The dial gauge for the flowmeter
should be able to measure accurately the total vertical movement upward.
THEORY:
Bruce Marshal, a bituminous engineer formulated the method for determining the bitumen
mixes. Generally, this stability test is applicable to hot mix design using bitumen and aggregates
with maximum size of 25 mm.
The Marshal stability of the mix is defined as a maximum load carried by a compacted specimen
at a standard test temperature at 60oc. The flow value is the deformation the
Marshal test specimen undergoes during the loading upto the maximum load, in 0.25 mm units.In
this test an attempt is made to obtain optimum binder content for the type of aggregate mix and
traffic intensity. The proposed design steps for the design of bituminous mix are as follows:
i) Select grading to be used.
ii) Selects aggregates to be employed in the mix.
iii) Determine the proportion of each aggregate required to produce the design grading.
iv) Determine the specific gravity of the aggregate combination and of the asphalt cement.
v) Make up trial specimens with varying asphalt contents.
vi) Determine the specific gravity of each compacted specimens.
vii) Make stability tests on the specimens.
viii) Calculate the percentage of voids, VMA and the percent voids filled with bitumen in
each
specimen.
ix) Select the optimum bitumen content from the data obtained.
x) Check the values of Marshal Stability, Flow, Voids in total mix and Voids filled with Bitumen
obtained the optimum bitumen content, with the design requirements. The design may be
repeated if necessary after altering the gradation so as to fulfill the design requirements.
CALCULATIONS:
I.
x 100
Vb
VFB in percentage = Vv +Vb
II.
x 100
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
i.
ii.
Where, G1, G2, G3, G4 are apparent specific gravity of coarse aggregates, fine aggregate,
filler, and bituminous binder respectively.
Where, W1, W2, W3, W4 are percent by weight of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, filler and
bituminous binder respectively.
III.
VOLUME:
i.
ii.
Gb
x100
W4
G4
x Gb
7) Three or four specimens may be prepared using each trial bitumen content.
8) The compacted specimens are cooled to room temperature in the mould and then removed
from the molds using a specimen extractor.
9) The diameter and mean height of the specimen are measured.
10) The weight of each specimen in air and suspended in water is determined.
11) The specimens are kept immersed in water in a thermostatically controlled water bath at 60
10 C
for 30 to 40 minutes.
12) The specimens are taken out one by one.
13) The specimen is placed in the Marshall Test head.
14) It is then tested to determine Marshall Stability Value which is the maximum load before
failure and the Flow value which is the deformation of the specimen up to the maximum
load.
15) The corrected Marshall Stability value of each specimen is determined by multiplying the
proving ring reading with its constant.
16) If the average thickness of the specimen is not exactly 63.5 mm, a suitable correction factor is
applied.
17) The above procedure is repeated on specimens prepared with other values of bitumen
contents in suitable increments; say 0.5 percent, up to about 7.5 or 8.0 percent.
18) If the average thickness of the specimen is not exactly 63.5 mm, a suitable correction factor is
applied.
Similarly
specimen of 6% and 7%
of bitumen were also
prepared.