TITLE OF TEST: STANDARD PENETRATION TEST

OBJECTIVE : To determine the bitumen’s stiffness

APPARATUS :

1. Penetrometer
2. Thermometer
3. Ice
4. Sample container

WORK PROCEDURES:

1. Heat the bituminous material in a special container with temperature range

from 75 to 100 so that the bitumen is soft.
2. Stir bitumen evenly to avoid non-uniform heating
3. Pour the hot bitumen into the cylinder until the container is almost full (height
not less than 15 mm)
4. Sample of bitumen is cooled by ice until the temperature of the bitumen is
reduced . Later, the bitumen is placed in a container of ice , temperature is
controlled so that it is fixed at a level of 25ºC
5. Sample of bitumen and a little water that covered the surface of bitumen is
transferred to the penetration test tool
6. Position the needle by slowly lowering until its tip just makes contact with the
surface of the sample.
7. Bring the pointer of penetrometer to zero. Release the needle with 100g load
(heavy weights) so it will dip into the bitumen for 5 seconds
8. Determine the depth of bitumen’s penetration by taking the dial reading before
and after a needle dip into the bitumen
9. These tests should be performed on each sample of bitumen at least three
times. The distance between each point and the edge of the determination of
reference shall be not less than 10 mm. Clean the penetration needle when
every times running the test. The average depth of penetration can be
calculated to determine the hardness of the sample of bitumen.
10. This test can be repeated for other mould. At least for 5 (five) mould.
 11. Record all values obtained by taking the average (to the nearest whole
number) for all reading and all of the minimum and maximum readings cannot
more than 4.

Penetration 0 – 49 50 – 149 150 – 250 and

249 above
The maximum difference
between the highest and 2 4 6 8
lowest penetration

RESULT:

EXPERIMENT PENETRATION AVERAGE

1 2 3 4

Table: Penetration value Obtained

Discussion

Conclusion
TITLE:SOFTENING POINT TEST

Objective: To determine the softening temperature for bituminous material.

Apparatus

1. Steel balls

2. Beakers

3. Rings

4. Ring holder

5. Thermometer

Procedure

1. Pour hot bitumen into set of rings and place both rings on its holder .Put one
thermometer in the middle of the ring holder.
2. Then place all the equipment into a beaker filled with water which was cooled
at 5℃ .Maintain this temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Using forceps place one steel ball(9.53mm diameter)in each ball- centering
guide of bitumen sample.
4. Heat water in a beaker and stir gently. Note the increase in temperature and
the behavior of the two balls when bitumen began to soften .Indicate the
temperature at every ball that dropped from the starting to the level of the plate
at a distance of 2.5cm.
5. Take two temperatures readings when both the ball first touches the deepest
parts of the plate at the height of 2.5 cm from the starting point of the ball was
dropped and calculate the average temperature to the nearest 0.2℃.
6. If the temperature difference between the two balls more than 1℃,this test
should be performed again

Result

Test No Ball 1 Ball 2 Average

The temperature 43℃ 42℃ 42.5℃

Table 1: Requirements for 60/70 penetration grade bitumen (PWD 1992)

Table 2: Requirement for Penetration Grade Bitumen

 Figure:Graph softening point temperature vs penetration

Discussion

Conclusion