Iraqi Kurdistan region

University of Duhok
College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Highway Transportation

Lab name: Highway lab.

Test name: Softening point of Bitumen

Prepared By: Mateen Mahdi Mohammedsadiq

Group name: A
NO. Of Test: Two
Date of Test: 05 / 11 / 2018
Date of Report Submit: 12 / 11 / 2018

Supervised By: Dr.Sheerzad & Dr. Baran

Introduction:-
Bitumen is viscous elastic material without sharply defined melting
points. They gradually become softer and less viscous as the
temperature rises. This is the reason why the softening point of
bitumen is determined. Softening point is not a melting point,
bituminous material do not melt but instead gradually change from
semi solids to liquids on application to heating. Softening point is
indicative of the tendency of the material to flow at elevated
temperature encountered in service.

Softening point is defined as the temperature at which the steel

ball of (3.5 g) weight and 1/8 in diameter passes through a
bitumen sample heated at 5 C˚/min through a determined
distance of (1 in) in a distilled water & empty from air.
Or Softening point is the temperature at which the substance
attains a particular degree of softening under specified conditions
of test.

Or The softening point is defined as the mean of the temperatures

at which the bitumen disks soften and sag downwards a distance
of 25 mm under the weight of a steel ball.
Bitumen with higher softening point may be preferred in warmer
places. Softening point should be higher than the hottest day
temperature, which is anticipated in that area otherwise bitumen
may sufficiently soften and result in bleeding.
Purpose:-
1. This test is useful for determining the consistency of
bitumen and the classification of bitumen as one element in
establishing the uniformity of shipment or source of supply.
2. The test gives an idea of the temperature at which the
bituminous materials attain a certain viscosity.

Apparatus:-
1. Ring: - two brass rings with (5/8 in) diameter.

2. Ball: - Two steel balls, 9.53 mm (3/8”) in diameter, weighing

between 3.55 ± 0.5 grams.
3. Ball Centering Guide: - A guide for centering the ball and made
of brass.
4. Ring Holder: - The rings shall be supported on a brass ring
holder.
5. Thermometers :- having a range from -2 to +80°C.

6. Beaker & Container:- A glass vessel, capable of being heated,

not less than 85 mm in diameter and not less than 120 mm in
depth from the bottom of the flare.
7. Heater: - With the range of 5C˚/min heating.
Sample Preparation & Procedure:-
1. Heat the material to a temperature between 75 to 100 0C above its
softening point.
2. Stir until it is completely fluid and free from air bubbles and water.
3. Place the rings, previously heated to a temperature approximately to
that of molten material on a metal plate, which has been coated with
a mixture of equal parts of glycerin and dextrin.
4. Fill the mould with sufficient melt to give excess above the level of the ring.
5. Remove the excess material with a warmed sharp knife after cooling in
air for 30 minutes.
6. Assemble the apparatus with the rings, thermometer and ball guides
in position.
7. Fill the bath to a height of 50mm above the upper surface of the rings
with the freshly boiled distilled water or pure glycerin at a temperature
of 5C˚.
8. The water bath liquid shall be freshly boiled distilled water when
testing materials having softening points below 80 0C and pure
glycerin for material having softening points above 80 0C.
9. There shall be exactly 25mm difference between the bottom of the
rings and the top surface of the bottom plate of the support, if any, or
the bottom of the bath.
10. Maintain the bath at a temperature of 5C˚ for 15 minutes after which
place the balls previously cooled to a temperature of 5C˚ by forceps in
each ball guide.
11. Apply heat to the bath and stir the liquid so that the temperature
rises at a uniform rate of 5 C˚/min until the material softens and allow
the balls to pass through the ring.
12. Record the temperature shown by the thermometer for each ring
and ball at the instant the sample surrounding the ball touches the
bottom plate of the support.
Calculation:-
T1 = 57 C˚  Left Sample.

T2 = 61 C˚  Right Sample.

T2 - T1 = 61 C˚ - 57 C˚ = 4 C ˚ > 2 C˚

The test fails.

Discussion:-
At the end the test fails because the difference between the
temperatures of samples was greater than two degrees and due to
specification the difference should be less than two. The reasons
for occurring such result are using balls with different sizes or
different weights, the balls weren’t at the center, our rate of
heating wasn’t same as specifications we heated the samples at
10C˚/min and the specified rate was 5C˚/min, placing the rings
incorrectly, and maybe our bitumen was used many times before.