Bituminous mixtures contain two main ingredients, which are aggregate

(coarse and fine) and the binder (petroleum bitumen, natural bitumen,
road tar). Various grades of each may be used in various proportions to
produce mixes with different design properties. Fillers (fine-grained
material such as limestone dust, Portland cement or PFA) may also be
included in the mix to change its physical characteristics.
Various bituminous mixtures have evolved to suit the range of different
circumstances in which they are used. They can broadly be divided into
two groups, the macadams and asphalt. Macadams have a high content
of well graded (dense graded) aggregate and a low content of bitumen
binder, giving a dense stable structure with the load being transmitted
through the aggregate. In contrast, asphalts have a low content of
single-sized (open graded) aggregate, with a high bitumen content and
a high filler/fines content. These provide a dense, strong, and stiff layer
with the load being transmitted through the binder. Due to the low
aggregate content, bitumen-coated stone chippings are often rolled into
the upper (trafficked) surface of asphalt wearing courses to increase the
skid resistance.
Other bituminous mixtures that the petrographer should be aware of
include mastic asphalt, sand carpet, porous asphalt, stone mastic
asphalt (SMA), and grouted macadam. Mastic asphalt is dense, voidless
asphalt that is rich in hard bitumen and filler. The filler used is coarser
than that used in road asphalt. The mastic may be extended with coarse
aggregate depending on end-use. It is impermeable and used to surface
large flat roofs, multistorey car park decks, and bridge decks. Sand
carpet is similar to mastic asphalt in that it is bitumen rich, but contains
less filler, the remainder of the mix being made up with fine aggregate.
Unlike mastic asphalt, it contains no coarse aggregate. It is used in
several specialized applications such as on bridge decks where it is used
to protect underlying waterproofing polymer membranes (sand carpet
is sometimes coloured red when used for this application).
Porous asphalt comprises uniformly graded (open-graded) aggregate
with low bitumen content and an open texture (20% large
interconnected air voids). It is free draining and is used on airfield
pavements to prevent aquaplaning and it is increasingly used on roads
as it reduces the rolling noise of traffic.
Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) comprises gap-graded aggregate with voids
almost completely filled by a rich mastic of bitumen/fine
aggregate/filler. Cellulose fibres or polymer modified bitumen may also
be incorporated. The material was designed in Germany to resist
studded snow tyres and SMA is now being used in the UK and North
America as it has good resistance to rutting and high durability.
Grouted macadam is laid using a two-stage process and comprises
open-graded asphalt topping with a void content of 20–25%, which is
later flooded with cementitious mortar. The resulting composite has a
high resistance to point loading and chemical/fuel spillage. It is being
increasingly used at container parks, docks, airport aprons, and garage
forecourts.
The common causes of premature deterioration in bituminous mixture
surfacings are related to loss of structural strength and wear,
disintegration, or loss of surface characteristics. Currently under-
utilized, microscopy can provide valuable information regarding the
causes and magnitude of road construction material deterioration.
The principal applications of petrographic examination to investigation
of bituminous mixtures are:
•
Determining the number material types and layers present (and
their thickness).
•
Identifying aggregates and filler used.
•
Determination of the air void structure.
•
Identifying the causes and extent of defects and deterioration.

Jeremy P. Ingham,
10 - Bituminous mixtures,
Editor(s): Jeremy P. Ingham,
Geomaterials Under the Microscope,
Academic Press,
2013,
Pages 171-174,
ISBN 9780124072305,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407230-5.50018-2.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B97801240723
05500182)