We provide comprehensive asphalt and bituminous material testing for pavement design, production control, and performance evaluation.
Asphalt pavement is a mix of aggregate and a bituminous binder. Testing covers both parts: binder tests describe the bitumen itself, while mix tests describe how the finished combination behaves.
The results are used to design a mix before production, to control the mix being produced, and to evaluate how a pavement will perform. The tests below are what fall under it.
These tests describe the consistency of the bitumen. Penetration measures how deeply a standard needle sinks into it, softening point is the temperature at which it becomes soft enough to flow, and viscosity measures how it flows at higher temperatures, which guides the temperatures used for mixing and compaction.
The Marshall test loads a compacted asphalt specimen until it fails. Stability is the maximum load the specimen carries, and flow is how much it deforms before failing. It is a widely used way to evaluate and control an asphalt mix design.
Superpave is a performance-based method for designing asphalt mixes. Aggregate and binder are selected to suit the traffic and climate of the project, and specimens are compacted in a gyratory compactor to find the binder content that meets the volumetric requirements.
The ignition method burns the binder out of a sample of asphalt mix in a furnace, and the weight lost gives the binder content. It is a fast way to check production mix against the job formula, and the aggregate that remains can then be used for gradation testing.
Once the binder has been removed, the aggregate is sieved to find its particle-size distribution. That gradation is compared with the mix design to confirm that the plant is producing the correct mix.
Bulk specific gravity and density measure how compact a laboratory or field-cored asphalt specimen is. The results are used to calculate air voids and the degree of compaction, both of which strongly influence how long the pavement lasts.
Indirect tensile strength is measured by loading a cylindrical specimen across its diameter until it splits. It indicates the mix's resistance to cracking, and it is also the measurement used in moisture susceptibility testing.
Moisture susceptibility testing checks whether water will strip the binder from the aggregate. Specimens are conditioned with water and freeze-thaw cycles, and their tensile strength is compared with unconditioned specimens. A large drop signals a mix likely to ravel or crack in service.
Methods shown are the governing ASTM / AASHTO standards. If your project specifies a different standard or a state DOT method, tell us and we'll confirm.
Share the tests you need, the specifications that apply, and your timeline.
We review the requirements with you and confirm the tests, standards and sample needs.
Your samples are tested in our Norcross, Georgia laboratory.
Reports can be ready in as little as 48 hours, depending on the test.
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View tests →Tell us about your project and we'll help you choose the right tests.