General Requirements for Bituminous Layers

1) Materials:
a) Binder:
o Selection of viscosity grade (VG) bitumen is based on highest and lowest daily
mean temperatures at a particular site.
Highest daily mean air temperature, C
Lowest daily mean air temperature, C
Less than 20 C 20 to 30 C More than 30 C
More than -10 C VG-10 VG-20 VG-30
-10 C or lower VG-10 VG-10 VG-20
o The highest daily mean air temperature and the lowest daily mean air temperature
can be obtained for the weather station nearest to the project site from Indian
Meteorological Organization (IMO).
b) Coarse Aggregates:
o Shall consist of crushed rock, crushed gravel or other hard material retained on
2.36 mm sieve.
o Shall be clean, hard, durable, of cubical shape, free from dust and soft friable
matter, organic or other deleterious matter.
o Where crushed gravel is proposed for use as aggregate, not less than 90 percent by
weight of crushed material retained on 4.75 mm sieve shall have at least two
fractured faces, except that in the case of bituminous concrete, the requirement
shall be 95 percent.
o The coarse aggregates shall satisfy the physical requirements set forth for the
material.
c) Fine Aggregates:
o Shall consist of crushed rock naturally occurring material, or a combination of the
two, passing 2.36 mm sieve and retained on the 75 m sieve.
o Shall be clean, hard, durable, dry and free from dust, and soft or friable matter,
organic or other deleterious matter.
o Natural sand shall not be allowed in binder and wearing courses. However, natural
sand up to 50 percent of the fine aggregates may be allowed in base courses.
o Fine aggregates shall have a sand equivalent value of not less than 50.
o Plasticity index of the fraction passing 425 m shall not exceed 4.
o The fine aggregates shall satisfy the physical requirements set forth for the
material.

2) Mixing:
o Pre-mixed bituminous materials shall be prepared in a hot mix plant.
o Mixing, laying and rolling temperatures for bituminous mixes:
Mixed
Bitumen Bitumen Aggregate Laying Rolling
Material
Viscosity temperature, temperature, temperature, temperature,
temperature,
grade C C C C
C
VG 40 160 to 170 160 to 175 160 to 170 150 (Min.) 100 (Min.)
VG 30 150 to 165 150 to 170 150 to 165 140 (Min.) 90 (Min.)
VG 20 145 to 165 145 to 170 145 to 165 135 (Min.) 85 (Min.)
VG 10 140 to 160 140 to 165 140 to 160 130 (Min.) 80 (Min.)
o Difference in temperature between the binder and aggregate shall at no time
exceed 14 C.

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3) Transporting:
o Bituminous materials shall be transported in clean insulated and covered vehicles.
o An asphalt release agent such as soap or lime water may be applied to the interior
of the vehicle to prevent sticking and to facilitate discharge of the material.

4) Laying:
a) Weather and Seasonal Limitations: Laying shall be suspended:
o In presence of standing water on the surface,
o When rain is imminent, and during rains, fog or dust storm,
o When the base/binder course in damp,
o When the air temperature on the surface on which it is to be laid is less than 10  C
for mixes with conventional bitumen and is less than 15 C for mixes with
modified bitumen,
o When the wind speed at any temperature exceeds 40 kmph at 2m height.
b) Cleaning of Surface:
o The surface on which bituminous work is to be laid shall be cleaned of all loose
and extraneous matter by means of a mechanical broom and air jet.
o Equipment for applying a high pressure air jet from a compressor to remove dust
or loose matter shall be available.
c) Spreading:
o Except in areas where paver cannot get access (where hand tools shall be used),
bituminous materials shall be spread, levelled and tamped by a self-propelled
paving machine equipped with an electronic sensing device.
o As soon as possible after arrival at site, the materials shall be supplied
continuously to the paver and laid without delay.
o The paver laying binder course or wearing course when approaches an expansion
joint of a structure, machine laying shall be stopped 300 mm short of the joint.
o The remainder of the pavement up to the joint, and the corresponding area beyond
it shall be laid by hand tools, and the joint or joint cavity shall be kept clear of
surfacing material.
o Bituminous material with a temperature greater than 145 C shall not be laid or
deposited on bridge deck water-proofing systems unless precautions are taken
against heat damage.
d) Cleanliness and Overlaying:
o Bituminous material shall be kept clean and uncontaminated.
o The only traffic permitted to run on bituminous material to be overlaid shall be
that engaged in laying and compacting the next course.
o Binder course material shall be covered by either the wearing course or surface
treatment.

5) Compaction:
o Bituminous materials shall be laid and compacted in layers.
o Compaction of bituminous materials shall commence as soon as possible after
laying.
o Compaction shall be completed before the temperature falls below the minimum
rolling temperatures.
o Rolling of the longitudinal joints shall be done immediately behind the paving
operation.
o Rolling shall commence at the edges and progress towards the centre
longitudinally except that on super elevated and unidirectional cambered portions,

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 it shall progress from the lower to the upper edge parallel to the centre line of the
pavement.
o Rolling shall continue until all roller marks have been removed from the surface.
o All deficiencies in the surface after laying shall be made good by the workers
behind the paver, before initial rolling is commenced.
o The initial or breakdown rolling shall be done with 80 to 100 kN static weight
smooth-wheel rollers.
o The intermediate rolling shall be done with 80 to 100 kN static weight vibratory
roller or with a pneumatic tyred roller of 120 to 150 kN static weight with a tyre
pressure of at least 5.6 kg/cm2.
o The finish rolling shall be done with 60 to 80 kN smooth wheeled tandem rollers.
o Rolling shall continue until the specified compaction is achieved.
o Bituminous materials shall be rolled in a longitudinal direction, with the driven
rolls nearest to the paver.
o Overlapping on successive passes of roller shall be at least one-third of the width
of the rear roller or, in the case of a pneumatic-tyred roller, at least the nominal
width of 300 mm.
o Rollers should move at a speed of not more than 5 km per hour.
o The roller shall not be allowed to stand on pavement which has not been fully
compacted.
o Precautions shall be taken to prevent dropping of oil, grease, petrol/diesel or other
foreign matter on the pavement either when the rollers are operating or standing.
o The wheels of rollers shall be kept moist with water to prevent the mixture from
adhering to the wheels.
6) Joints:
Where joints are made (longitudinal joints), the material shall be fully compacted and the joint
made flush in the following manner:
o All joints shall be cut vertical to the full thickness of the previously laid mix.
o All loosened material shall be discarded and the vertical face shall be coated with
suitable viscosity grade hot bitumen, or cold applied bitumen emulsion.
o While spreading the material along the joint, the material spread shall overlap 25
to 50 mm on the previously laid mix beyond the vertical face of the joint.
o The thickness of the loose overlap material should be approximately a quarter
more than the final compacted thickness.
o The overlapped mix shall be dragged back to the hot lane so that the roller can
press the small excess into the hot side of the joint to obtain a high joint density.
o Otherwise, by using two or more pavers operating in parallel, where this is
practicable and in sufficient proximity for adjacent widths to be fully compacted
by continuous rolling.
o All longitudinal joints shall be offset at least 300 mm from parallel joints in the
layer beneath.
o Joints in the wearing course shall coincide with either the lane edge or the lane
marking, whichever is appropriate.
o Longitudinal joints shall not be situated in wheel track zones.
o For transverse joints, adopt similar procedure as reported above.
o Transverse joints in the successive and adjoining layers shall have a minimum
offset of 2 m.
7) Profile Corrective Course:
o A profile corrective course for correcting the existing pavement profile shall be
laid to varying thickness.

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o Any high spots in the existing black-topped surface shall be removed by a milling
machine and all loose material shall be removed.
o Where the maximum thickness of profile corrective course will not be more than
40 mm, the profile corrective course shall be constructed as an integral part of the
overlay course. In other cases, the profile corrective course shall be constructed as
a separate layer.
o Correction of local depressions, camber and super-elevation:

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