DeterminingLaboratoryMixingandCompactionTemperatures

AsphaltInstituteTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee
Approved7December2016

TheAsphaltInstituterecommendsthat,forunmodifiedasphaltbinders,thelaboratorymixingand
compactiontemperaturesshouldbedeterminedwheretheviscositytemperaturelinecrossesthe
viscosityrangesof0.170.02Pas(mixingtemperaturerange)and0.280.03Pas(compaction
temperaturerange).Thecorrespondingtemperaturesmaybereportedasarangeofvalues(e.g.,155
163C)orasasinglepointrepresentingthemidpointoftherange(e.g.,159C).Theviscosity
temperaturelineisdeterminedusingtheproceduredescribedinASTMD2493,StandardViscosity
TemperatureChartsforAsphalts,withoneofthefollowingtwooptions:
1) therotationalviscosityprocedure(AASHTOT316orASTMD4402)attwotesttemperatures;or
2) therotationalviscosityprocedureat135Cincombinationwiththedynamicshearrheometer
procedure(AASHTOT315orASTMD7175)atasinglehightesttemperature(e.g.,thePGhigh
temperatureoftheasphaltbinder).

Formodifiedasphaltbinders,theproceduresdescribedaboveoftenresultinunreasonablyhigh
temperaturesforbothlaboratorymixingandcompaction.Assuch,formodifiedasphaltbinders,the
AsphaltInstituterecommendstwooptions:
1) followtherecommendationofthesupplier,asmanysuppliershavedeterminedmixingand
compactiontemperaturesfortheirindividualproductsthathaveproventobeappropriate;or
2) conducttestingusingoneofthetwoproceduresrecommendedbyNCHRPReport648,Mixing
andCompactionTemperaturesofAsphaltBindersinHotMixAsphalttheDSRPhaseAngleor
DSRSteadyShearFlowanddeterminetheappropriatetemperaturesfromthattestingand
analysis.

Additionally,itshouldbenotedthattherecommendedproceduresfordetermininglaboratorymixing
andcompactiontemperaturesdonotapplytoasphaltbindersthathavebeenmodifiedwithgroundtire
rubber(GTR)usingthetraditionalWetProcessandwhichdonotmeettypicalsolubilityrequirements.
Usersshouldrefertootherexistingpracticestodetermineappropriatelaboratorymixingand
compactiontemperaturesforthesetypesofGTRmodifiedasphaltbinders.GTRmodifiedasphalt
binderswhichareproducedbymeansotherthanthetraditionalWetProcessandwhichdomeet
typicalsolubilityrequirementsshouldfollowtheproceduresrecommendedaboveformodifiedasphalt
binders.

Regardlessoftheprocedurechosentodeterminemixingandcompactiontemperatures,theAsphalt
Instituterecommendsthatlaboratorymixingtemperaturesdonotexceed177C(350F).

Finally,theAsphaltInstituteremindsthereaderthatlaboratorymixingandcompactiontemperatures
areintendedfordeterminingdesignvolumetricpropertiesoftheasphaltmixtureandarenotintended
torepresentactualfieldmixingandcompactiontemperaturesattheprojectlevel.

Forgeneralguidanceonstorageandfieldmixingtemperaturesbasedondifferentasphaltbindergrades,
pleaserefertoAsphaltInstitutesEC101,BestManagementPracticestoMinimizeEmissionsduring
HMAConstruction.