Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

(Design of Bituminous Mixes – 1)

Dr. K. Sudhakar Reddy

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
India
Email: ksreddy@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in
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Bituminous Pavement
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Pavement Failures - Cracking

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Top Down Cracking

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Pavement Failures - Rutting

Rutting
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Pavement Failures - Bleeding

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Common Failures of Bituminous Pavements

• Fatigue Cracking
• Top Down Cracking
• Low temperature Cracking
• Rutting (Permanent Deformation))
• Bleeding
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Different Types of Bituminous Mixes

Premix carpet
Surface dressing
Mixed Seal surfacing
Bituminous macadam
Dense Bituminous Macadam(DBM)
Semi-dense Bituminous Concrete(SDBC)
Bituminous Concrete(BC)
Stone Matrix Asphalt
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Different Types of Bituminous Mixes

Thin Surfacing
Thick Surfacing
Thick Binder Course
Cold Mixes and Hot Mixes

Subjected to different traffic loading, temperatures

and moisture conditions
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Objective of Hot Mix Design

To develop an economical blend of

aggregates and asphalt that meets design
requirements
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Requirement of Bituminous Mixes

Bituminous mixes should be designed to withstand
heavy traffic loads under adverse climatic
conditions and to provide adequate structural and
functional character to the pavement
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Requirements of Bituminous Mixes

• Stability
• Durability
• Impermeability
• Workability
• Flexibility
• Fatigue Resistance
• Skid Resistance
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Requirements of Bituminous Mixes

• Sufficient binder to ensure a durable pavement
by coating thoroughly the aggregate particles and
water proofing and binding them together under
suitable compaction

• Sufficient stability for providing resistance to

deformation under sustained or repeated loads.
This resistance in the mixture is obtained from
aggregate interlocking and cohesion which
generally develops due to binder in the mix
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Requirements of Bituminous Mixes

• Sufficient flexibility to withstand deflection and
bending without cracking. To obtain desired
flexibility, it is necessary to have proper amount
and grade of bitumen

• Sufficient voids in the total compacted mix to

provide space for slight amount of additional
compaction under traffic loading
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Requirements of Bituminous Mixes

• Sufficient workability for an efficient construction
operation in laying the paving mixture

• Sufficient skid resistance to offer resistance to

vehicles from skidding. A bleeding surface (rich in
bitumen) results in reduction in skid resistance
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Bituminous mix has
Bituminous binder
Aggregates of different sizes (Coarse, fine and filler)
Identified by the maximum size of aggregate used
(Maximum aggregate Size or Nominal Maximum
Aggregate Size)
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Absorbed
Water Bitumen

Dry Surface Bitumen

Dry Coated
Aggregate
Matrix of Bitumen Mix
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Air Void
Bitumen coating
around aggregate

Water Permeable Pores that are

not permeable to bitumen

Absorbed bitumen
Aggregate
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Air Va
Vfa Vma
Asphalt Vb
Vba

Vmm Vmb
Vsb
Mineral
Aggregate Vse
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Vma = Volume of Voids in mineral aggregates
Vmb = Bulk Volume of Compacted Mix
Vmm = Void-less Volume of Paving Mix
Vfa = Volume of Voids filled with asphalt
Va = Volume of Air Voids
Vb = Volume of asphalt
Vba = Volume of absorbed asphalt
Vsb = Volume of mineral aggregates (by bulk sp. Gr.)
Vse = Volume of mineral aggregates (by effective sp.
Gravity)
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Case 1 Non absorptive aggregates
Vmb = Bulk Volume of Compacted Mix (say 100cc)
Vsb = Volume of mineral aggregates (by Gsb)
(say 86cc)
Vb = Volume of asphalt (say 10cc)
Vba = Volume of absorbed asphalt = 0cc
Vse = Volume of mineral aggregates (by effec. sp.
Gravity) = 86 – 0 = 86 cc (Vsb)
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Case 1 Non absorptive aggregates (continued)
Va = Volume of Air Voids = 100 – 86-10 = 4cc

Vma = Volume of Voids in mineral aggregates

= 100 - 86 = 14cc
Vmm = Void-less Volume of Paving Mix = 86 + 10
= 96cc
Vfa = Volume of Voids filled with asphalt = 10cc
= (10/14*100) = 71.43%
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Case 2 Absorptive aggregates
Vmb = Bulk Volume of Compacted Mix (say 100cc)
Vsb = Volume of mineral aggregates (by Gsb)
(say 86cc)
Vb = Volume of asphalt (say 10cc)
Vba = Volume of absorbed asphalt = 2 cc
Vse = Volume of mineral aggregates (by effec. sp.
Gravity) = 86 – 2 = 84 cc
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Case 2 Absorptive aggregates (continued)
Va = Volume of Air Voids = 100 – 86-8 = 6cc (6%)
Vma = Volume of Voids in mineral aggregates
= 100 - 86 = 14cc
Vmm = Void-less Volume of Paving Mix = 86 + 8
= 94cc
Vfa = Volume of Voids filled with asphalt
= 10-2 cc = 8cc = (8/14*100) = 57.14%
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Parameters Measured
Specific Gravity of Binder (Gb)
Bulk Sp. Gr. of mineral aggregates (Gsb)
Bulk Sp. Gr. of Compacted Mix (Gmb)
Sp. Gravity of Void-less Volume of Paving Mix
(Gmm)
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Volumetrics of Bituminous Mixes

Parameters to be Computed
Effective sp. Gravity of mineral aggregates
Volume (%) of Voids in mineral aggregates
Volume (%) of Voids filled with asphalt
Volume (%) of Air Voids
Volume (%) of asphalt
Volume (%) of absorbed asphalt
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Volumetric Analysis of Bituminous Mixes

Bulk (Dry) Specific Gravity of aggregates (Gsb)= Dry
mass/Volume of water replaced by the saturated surface dry agg.

Bulk Specific Gravity of

Compacted Mix (Gmb) = Dry
mass of mix/Volume of water
replaced by the saturated surface
dry specimen

Specific Gravity of Void-less Volume of Paving Mix (Gmm)

= Dry mass of loose mix / Volume of water replaced by the
saturated surface dry loose mix
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Significance of Air Void Content

Studies in several countries, especially in hot
tropical countries, indicated that mixes whose air
void content reduced to less than 2 to 3 % are more
likely to fail by rutting and bleeding

Voids in Mix (%)

Days after Construction

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Significance of Air Void Content

Sufficient Void Content Low Void Content

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Significance of Air Void Content

Low Air Void Content – Load transmitted by
Bitumen and not by aggregates. Mix loses strength
when bitumen is in a continuous phase. Also leads
to bleeding mixes due to secondary compaction
and expansion of bitumen

High Air Void Content – Allows free circulation air

(causing oxidation of bitumen) and free circulation
of water (causing stripping and ravelling)
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Significance of Air Void Content

MOSRTH recommends 3 to 6 % air void content
for BC and DBM Mixes

Most Agencies design mixes to have 4% air void

content after Years of traffic.
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Primary Objective of Mix Design

The primary objective of bituminous mix design
exercise carried out by most agencies is to select
aggregate gradation and binder content, which
when compacted by standard compaction effort
should yield an air void content of 4%

The compaction effort should correspond to that

attained in the field after years of traffic

The mix also has to satisfy other volumetric and

strength criteria
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Binder Content
Stability/
Durability
Strength
Air Voids

Bitumen Content Bitumen Content

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Effect of aggregate size and gradation

Workability
layer thicknesses
Thickness of lift
Stability
Stiffness
Resistance to deformation
Fatigue strength
Durability
Permeability
Surface Texture and frictional resistance
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Effect of aggregate size and gradation

Strength
Dimensions of the structural element
Cement and water requirement
Stability
Durability
Workability
Fatigue strength
Shrinkage
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Aggregate Size
• Aggregates of different sizes are normally used in
combination
• Maximum Size – The smallest size of sieve
through which 100% of the aggregate sample
particles pass
• Nominal Maximum Size – Largest sieve that
retains some of the aggregate particles but not
more than 10% by weight
• Min. thickness of a layer is 2 to 3 times the
maximum aggregate size
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Aggregate Size & Gradation

Sieve Size (mm) % of agg. Passing the sieve
19 100
13.2 92
9.5 77
4.75 62
2.36 50
1.18 41
0.60 32
0.30 23
0.15 16
0.075 7

Maximum Aggregate Size – 19mm

Nominal Maximum Aggregate Size – 13.2mm
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Aggregate Gradation
Aggregate gradation is obtained by sieving material through
successive sieves
100
Sieve % Pass 90
22.4 100 % Passing the sieve
80
13.2 100 70
9.5 95 60
50
4.75 43 40
2.36 31.5 30
1.18 22.5 20
0.3 14 10
0.075 5.5 0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Sieve size, mm
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Aggregate Gradation – Densest

• Fuller and Thompson 0.5 Power
P (%) = 100 * (d/D)0.5
Where P = Percent of aggregate (by weight) Passing the
sieve of size “d”
D = maximum sieve size

• FHWA 0.45 Power Gradation (for crushed

aggregates)
P (%) = 100 * (d/D)0.45
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Aggregate Gradation – Densest

100
90
80
Sieve % Pass

% Passing the sieve

70
Given 0.5 0.45 60
13.2 100 100 100 50
9.5 95 84.8 86.2 40 0.5 Power
4.75 43 60 63.1 30 0.45 Power
2.36 31.5 42.3 46.1 20
1.18 22.5 29.9 33.7 Given
10
0.3 14 15.1 18.2 0
0.075 5.5 7.5 9.8
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Sieve size, mm
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Aggregate Gradation – 0.45 Chart

100%
86.2% 100*(9.5/13.2)**0.45 = 86.2%

50% 100*(2.36/13.2)**0.45 = 46.1%

0%
2.36 9.5 13.2
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Aggregate Gradation – 0.45 Chart

100%
86.2%

50% Gap graded

Uniform
Open
graded
0%
2.36 9.5 13.2
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Aggregate Gradations
Dense or Well Gradation
Closely packed, lesser voids, more particle contacts
Gap Gradation
Contains only a small percentage of aggregate
particles in the mid-size range, more voids, less
workability, segregation
Open Gradation
Contains only small portion of aggregate particles in
the small ranges (near vertical in the mid-range and
flat near small range)
Uniform Gradation
Most of the particles in a narrow range
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MOSRTH Aggregate Gradation for BC
Sieve Size I (19mm) II (13mm)
(mm) (50-65 mm) (30-45 mm)
26.5 100 --
19 79-100 100
13.2 59-79 79-100
9.5 52-72 70-88
4.75 35-55 53-71
2.36 28-44 42-58
1.18 20-34 34-48
0.6 15-27 26-38
0.3 10-20 18-28
0.15 5-13 12-20
0.075 2-8 4-10
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Blending of Aggregates by weight

Finding the proportions in which aggregates from
different sources are to be mixed to attain a
gradation that is closer the the target gradation
The basic equation governing the blending process
P = Aa + Bb + Cc + ……
Where,
P = % of the combined aggregates passing a given sieve
A,B,C,… = % of material passing a given sieve for the
individual aggregates
a,b,c,.. = Proportions of individual aggregates used in the
combination (total = 100)
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Blending Exercise in Excel

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Aggregate gradation
Check for Tender Mixes
Low resistance to deformation under heavy loads
Occurs very early in the life of pavement
Causes - Rounded aggregates, high percentage of material
passing 75 micron sieve, excess of middle sized sand
fraction (Passing 4.75mm)

Avoid Humped Gradation

< 3%

4.75mm