MARSHALL ASPHALT BASE COURSE

132.6.16 INTRODUCTION

(a) Marshall asphalt base course shall consist of mineral

aggregate, filler and grade 60/80 Pen bitumen mixed in a
mixing plant and placed on a prepared underlying course in
accordance with the GMWS.
(b) The Contractor shall provide production and field test
summaries on an on-going daily basis (or other agreed
period) to monitor compliance and trends in test results and
submit these promptly to the Project Manager. The format
of the test summaries shall be agreed with the Project
Manager. The Contractor shall take appropriate action as
required (including raising non-conformance reports etc.) to
ensure compliance with the GMWS.

132.6.17 MATERIALS

132.6.17.1 General

(a) Aggregates, filler and bitumen for use in the construction of

Marshall asphalt base course shall meet the requirements
of the GMWS.
(b) The Contractor shall submit full details including the
proposed manufacturing plant, quality control procedures
and source material information for the Works.
(c) If material is obtained from more than one source each must
meet the requirements of the GMWS. The Contractor shall
supply evidence demonstrating that each material source
can meet the requirements of the GMWS. This evidence
shall be reviewed without objection by the Project Manager.

132.6.17.2 Bituminous Binder

(a) Bituminous binder shall be grade 60/80 Pen paving grade

bitumen. The procurement details shall be reviewed without
objection by the Project Manager.
(b) The Contractor shall submit full details including the
proposed manufacturing plant, quality control procedures
and source material information for any bituminous binder
that is to be manufactured on the Site.

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 (c) The grade 60/80 Pen paving grade bitumen shall meet the
requirements of BS 3690: Part 1 for 70 Pen bitumen (it
should be noted that BS 3690: Part 1 is partially superseded
by BS EN 12591:2009, where 70 Pen bitumen is no longer
specified). The viscosity at 60°C of the bitumen shall be a
minimum of 250 Pas when measured in accordance with
ASTM D2171.
(d) Bituminous binder shall be stored in accordance with a
quality control procedure which follows the manufacturer’s
instructions detailing the mode of circulation or agitation in
the storage tank necessary to ensure homogeneity is
maintained.

132.6.17.3 Aggregate

(a) Aggregate shall be obtained from a source which has been

reviewed without objection by the Project Manager.
(b) Aggregate shall consist of clean, hard, durable particles of
crushed granite rock blended if necessary with sand or
other inert finely divided mineral aggregate. Gravel or
crushed gravel shall not be permitted. Aggregate shall be
uniform, have an affinity for bitumen and be capable of
being coated evenly. Aggregate shall be free from
weathered material, vegetable material, disintegrated or
friable matter, clay, organic matter, and other deleterious
substances.
(c) The portion of the material retained on the 2.36 mm sieve
shall be known as coarse aggregate, the portion passing
the 2.36 mm sieve and retained on the 0.075 mm sieve as
fine aggregate, and the portion passing the 0.075 mm sieve
as filler.
(d) Coarse aggregate shall have the properties stated in Table
132.25.

Table 132.25: Properties of coarse aggregate

Property Requirement
Los Angeles Abrasion ≤30% wear after 500
revolutions
Magnesium Soundness ≤5% loss after five cycles
Ten Percent Fines Value ≥180kN
Flakiness Index (FI) ≤20%
Water Absorption ≤2%
Material finer than 0.075 mm in ≤2%
Aggregates (by washing)

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 Note: Alternatively FI < 25% if tested to BS EN 933-3 2012

(e) Coarse aggregate for each asphalt mix required shall be

supplied in not less than the following number of fractions:
(i) 20 mm and 28 mm nominal maximum size mix – three
fractions
(f) The grading for each fraction shall be submitted to the
Project Manager for review without objection.
(g) Fine aggregate shall consist of clean, hard, durable,
angular particles produced by crushing rock meeting the
requirements for wear and soundness specified for coarse
aggregate. If necessary, to obtain the required mixed
aggregate grading and required workability, natural sand
may be used. In this case the percentage of sand shall be
below 15% by weight of the total mixture.
(h) Fine aggregates shall comply with the requirements of
Table 132.26.

Table 132.26: Properties of fine aggregate

Property
Water Absorption:
. crushed aggregate
. uncrushed aggregate
Material finer than 0.075 mm
in Aggregates: (by washing)
. crushed aggregate
. sand aggregate
. combined aggregate
Magnesium Soundness
Sand Equivalent to ASTM D
2419
Methylene Blue Value (MBV)
to ISSA Technical Bulletin No
145
Plasticity Index
Requirement
Not more than 2.5%
Not more than 2.0%
Not more than 10.0%
Not more than 5.0%
Not more than 5.0%
Not more than 5% after 5
cycles
Not less than 45
Not more than 5mg/g
Non-plastic

132.6.17.4 Filler

(a) Added filler shall consist of hydrated lime to ASTM C 1097

(or BS EN 459-1: 2010). It shall be in accordance with the
limits given in Table 132.27.

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 Table 132.27: Grading requirements for filler

Sieve Size (mm) Percent by mass passing

0.6 100
0.3 95 – 100
0.075 70 – 100

(b) The reclaimed dust extracted from the aggregates during

asphalt production may also be used as filler, subject to the
requirements of Sections 132.6.17.4 (a) and 132.6.17.5
(b)(ii) being met.
(c) Filler shall be stored in dry conditions.

132.6.17.5 Combined aggregate and filler

(a) Combined aggregate and filler for Marshall asphalt base

course shall conform to the grading shown in Table 132.28,
and shall not vary from the low limit on one size of sieve to
the high limit on an adjacent sieve, or vice versa. The
Contractor shall initially target the centre of the grading
band to produce the combined aggregate grading. This
grading shall be adjusted should the specified Marshall
asphalt requirements be demonstrated as not achievable.
Table 132.28: Combined aggregate grading for Marshall
asphalt

Percent by mass passing

Sieve Size
Marshall Asphalt Base Course
(mm)

40 100
28 90 – 100
20 75 – 95
14 60 – 85
10 50 – 75
5 35 – 55
2.36 23 – 40
1.18 15 – 30
0.6 12 – 25
0.3 8 – 18
0.15 5 - 12
0.075 3-6

(b) The combined aggregate and filler shall also conform to the
following requirements:

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 (i) The material passing the 0.3 mm sieve shall be non-
plastic when tested in accordance with BS 1377: Part
2: 1990.
(ii) Between 1% and 1.5% by mass of the combined
aggregate and filler shall be hydrated lime filler.

132.6.17.6 Bituminous Sprays

Bituminous sprays to be applied to existing bituminous surfaces

shall comply with Section 132.8 of the GMWS.

132.6.18 DESIGN OF MARSHALL ASPHALT

132.6.18.1 General

(a) The Contractor shall notify the Project Manager at least

seven days before carrying out the mix designs and
associated tests.
(b) The mix design process shall be repeated each time that
there is a change in sources of material.

132.6.18.2 Marshall asphalt mix design

(a) Marshall asphalt shall be designed in accordance with the

Marshall Method of Mix Design stated in The Asphalt
Institute Handbook "MS-2 Mix Design Methods for Asphalt
Concrete and other Hot-mix Types" (TAI MS-2).
(b) In carrying out the tests mechanically operated compaction
equipment shall be used. This equipment shall deliver the
same compactive effort per blow as the standard Marshall
compaction hammer. The compaction shall be 75 blows
each side and three test specimens shall be prepared for
bituminous binder content used.
(c) The mix shall meet the grading requirements of Table
132.28. When plotted, the particle size distribution of the
aggregates, determined in accordance with BS EN 933-
1:2012, shall give a smooth curve within the specified
aggregate grading as listed in Table 132.28 and shall not
vary from the low limit on one size of sieve to the high limit
on an adjacent sieve nor vice versa.
(d) The laboratory manufactured samples for all Marshall
asphalt base course shall comply with the requirements
given in Table 132.29 at the target binder content when
determined for each mixture in accordance with the
procedures stipulated in TAI MS-2.

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 132.6.30.4 Non-compliance: Marshall asphalt cores

(a) If the result of any individual Marshall asphalt core density test
does not comply with the requirements of the GMWS then four
additional Marshall asphalt cores shall be taken from the same
sub-lot, at locations which are evenly spaced throughout the sub-
lot. The additional Marshall asphalt cores shall be tested in
accordance with Section 132.6.30.2 of the GMWS. In all cases
where non-compliance is noted, the Contractor shall
provide the Project Manager with justification, rationale and
details of corrective actions taken for acceptance of such
materials. In all cases where the average air void content of
any set of retest cores is outwith the range of 2.5% to 7.5%
and thickness of the core is not conforming to the
requirement shown in the drawings, the Contractor shall
offer to remove and replace at their own cost, the full extent
of the area represented by the related core. However, in all
cases of non-compliance this Section of the GMWS, the
Project Manager reserves the right to reject the material,
and instruct the Contractor to remove and replace at their
own cost, the full extent of the area concerned.
(b) If any individual Marshall asphalt core indicates that the
fresh overlying course and existing underlying course are
physically detached into separate layers then four
additional Marshall asphalt cores shall be taken from the
same sub-lot, at locations which are evenly spaced
throughout the sub-lot. If any of the additional Marshall
asphalt cores fail to meet the requirement of Section
132.6.30.3(e) then the non-complying layer of Marshall
asphalt shall be removed over the whole sub-lot and shall
be replaced with fresh material.
(c) Any fresh material installed to replace non-compliant lots or
sub-lots shall be tested in accordance with Section
132.6.30.2 of the GMWS and shall comply with the criteria
stated in Section 132.6.30.3 of the GMWS.

132.6.31 REFERENCES

British Standards Institution

Standard Title Superseded or

complimentary
BS
BS 598-100 Methods of sampling and analysis n/a
BS 598-102 Sampling and examination of bituminous n/a
mixtures for roads and other paved areas.
Part 102. Analytical test methods
BS 598- Sampling and examination of bituminous n/a
110:1998 mixtures for roads and other paved areas.

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 Standard Title Superseded or
complimentary
BS
Part 110. Method of test for the determination
of wheel-tracking rate and depth
BS 812- Testing aggregates. Methods for Partially replaced
111:1990 determination of ten percent fines value (TFV) by BS EN 1097-
2:1998
BS EN 932- Tests for general properties of aggregates. BS 812-102
1:1997 Part 1. Methods for sampling
BS EN 933-1: Tests for geometrical properties of BS 812-103.1
2012 aggregates. Part 1. Determination of particle
size distribution. Sieving method
BS EN 933-3: Tests for geometrical properties of BS 812-105.1
2009 aggregates. Part 3. Determination of particle
shape of aggregates. Flakiness index
BS EN 933-10; Tests for geometrical properties of n/a
2009 aggregates. Part 10. Determination of fines.
Grading of fillers (air jet sieving)
BS EN 1097-2: Tests for mechanical and physical properties BS 812-111
2013 of aggregates. Part 2. Methods for the
determination of resistance to fragmentation
BS EN 1097-5: Tests for mechanical and physical properties BS 812-109
2008 of aggregates. Part 5. Determination of water
content by drying in a ventilated oven
BS EN 1097-6: Tests for mechanical and physical properties BS 812-2
2013 of aggregates. Part 6. Determination of
particle density and water absorption
BS EN 1367-2: Tests for thermal and weathering properties BS 812-121
2009 of aggregates. Part 2. Magnesium sulphate
test
BS 1377-2 Methods of test for soils for civil engineering Partially replaced
purposes. Part 2. Classification tests
BS EN 1426: Methods of test for petroleum and its BS 2000-49
2015 products. BS 2000-49: Bitumen and
bituminous binders-Determination of needle
penetration
BS EN 12591: Bitumen and bituminous binder. Specification BS3690-1
2009 for paving grade bitumens
BS EN ISO Quality management systems. Fundamentals n/a
9000: 2015 and vocabulary
BS EN 12697-6: Bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot BS 598-104
2012 mix asphalt. Part 6. Determination of bulk
density of bituminous specimens
BS EN 12697- Bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot
22: 2003 mix asphalt. Wheel tracking
BS EN 12697- Bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot BS DD 213
26: 2012 mix asphalt. Part 26. Stiffness
BS EN 12697- Bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot BS 598-100
27: 2001 mix asphalt. Part 27. Sampling

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 Standard Title Superseded or
complimentary
BS
BS DD AWF Methods for determination of the fatigue n/a
characteristics of bituminous mixtures under
indirect tensile fatigue
American Society for Testing and Materials

Standard Title
ASTM C295 Standard practice for petrographic examination of aggregates for
concrete
ASTM D5: 2013 Test method for penetration of bituminous materials
ASTM D36: Standard test method for softening point of bitumen (ring and ball
2014 apparatus)
ASTM D92 Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup
ASTM Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse
C136/C136M: Aggregates
2014
ASTM Standard practice for sampling of bituminous materials
D140/D140M:
2016
ASTM Standard Test Methods for Quantitative Extraction of Bitumen
D2172/D2172M - From Bituminous Paving Mixtures
11
ASTM D4402: Viscosity Determinations of Unfilled Asphalts Using the
2015 Brookfield Thermosel Apparatus

The Asphalt Institute

Standard Title
TAI MS2 Mix design methods for asphalt concrete and other hot-mix types
(Seventh
Edition) (2015)

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Standard Title
AASHTO TP5: Rheological Properties of Asphalt Binder Using Dynamic Shear
1998 Rheometer (DSR)
AASHTO T240: Test method for effect of heat and air on asphalt materials (rolling
2013 thin film oven test)
AASHTO T283: Resistance of bituminous mixtures to moisture induced damage
2014
AASHTO PP1 Practice for accelerated aging of asphalt binder using a
pressurized aging vessel (PAV)

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