TABLE CONTENT

NO. TITLE PAGE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 OBJECTIVE 1

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENTPROBLEM STATEMENT 1

4.0 APPARATUS 2

5.0 PROCEDURE 3-4

6.0 DATA & ANALYSIS 5-7

7.0 DISCUSSION 7

8.0 CONCLUSION 8 - 10

9.0 APPENDIX 11

10.0 REFERENCE 12
1.0 INTRODUCTION (Nursyazana Afiqah)

Unlike some substances bituminous materials do not have a definite melting point. Instead, as the
temperature rises, these materials slowly change from brittle or very thick and slow-flowing
materials to softer and less viscous liquids. For this reason, the determination of 'softening point'
must be made by a fixed, arbitrary and closely defined method if results are to be comparable.
Being very simple in concept and equipment, the Ring-and-Ball Test has remained a valuable
consistency test for control in refining operations, particularly in the production of air-blown
bitumens. It is also an indirect measure of viscosity or, rather, the temperature at which a given
viscosity is evident. The softening point value has particular significance for materials, which are
to be used as thick films, such as joint and crack fillers and roofing materials. A high softening
point ensures that they will not flow in service. For a bitumen of a given penetration (determined
at 25oC), the higher the softening point, the lower the temperature sensitivity. Research has
shown that, for conventional paving grade bitumens, the Ring and Ball softening point
temperature is the same as that which would give a penetration of 800d-mm. This, together with
the penetration at 25oC, can be used to compute the Penetration Index.

2.0 OBJECTIVES (Hanim Suraya)

● To determine the quality of bitumen used in flexible pavement.

● To measure the hardness or softness of bitumen by measuring the depth of
penetration.

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT (Nursyazana Afiqah)

Your firm has given a task to design a new asphalt road connecting to a new building complex in
the campus. One of the task required is to make sure that the material to be used shall conform to
the requirement in the standard given by the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR). Your team is required to
take few samples of bitumen to the laboratory and to determine the softening point of the
samples using Ring-and-Ball apparatus and the Penetration Index of the sample.

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4.0 APPARATUS & MATERIAL

a) Ring-and-Ball Test (Abdul Ronie)

1. Rings
2. Balls
3. Balls-centering guide
4. Ring holder
5. Beaker
6. Stirrer
7. Water bath
8. Thermometer
9. Bitumen sample
10. Stopwatch
11. Water

b) Penetration Test (Adli Amin)

1. Bitumen sample
2. Container
3. Thermometer
4. Automatic penetrometer
5. Penetration needle
6. Plunger
7. Cloth
8. Benzene
9. Dial device
10. Timing device

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5.0 PROCEDURE

a) Ring-and-Ball Test (Abdul Ronie)

1. Water and ice were poured into a beaker.

2. The beaker was put on top of
3. Stirrer was put inside the beaker to stir the water in order to ensure the
temperature of water raised at uniform rate.
4. Heat was applied at the water bath.
5. Then, the water was kept to be under zero degree celsius for 5 mins.
6. Bitumen samples were put into a ring holder.
7. Next, the bitumen samples along with the apparatus were immersed into
the beaker.
8. The metal ball was placed in the middle of the bitumen sample by being
guarded with the ball centering guided to ensure the ball stay in place and
the water was heated to increase the water temperature by five degree
celsius for every one minute.
9. The temperature of the water was taken by every one minute until both
bitumen samples soften enough for the metal ball to drop and touch the
metal plate.

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 b) Penetration Test (Adli Amin)

1. The samples were heated at the temperature 90℃ and stirred the sample to
make a homogeneous mix and removed air bubbles.
2. The samples were poured into three containers and placed in the water
bath for one hour before the test and the temperature of the water was
25℃.
3. The needle has been cleaned and fixed in the position carefully and the
free movement has been ensured.
4. The sample was placed below the needle and the needle was brought in
contact at the top surface of the sample.
5. The scale was adjusted to make sure the initial reading started with zero.
6. The timer was set at five seconds then the timer was switched on.
7. The data is recorded.
8. The procedure from step three until seven were repeated at least three
times for determinations on the sample, and each determination at least 10
mm from the side of the container and at least 10 mm apart.
9. The procedures were repeated using another two samples.

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6.0 DATA & ANALYSIS

a) Ring-and-Ball Test (Hanim Suraya)

Table 1: Results of softening point

Time (minute) Temperature (ºC)

Steel ball A Steel ball B

1 5.6 5.6

2 6.8 6.8

3 9.8 9.8

4 11.6 11.6

5 13.8 13.8

6 16.4 16.4

7 19.2 19.2

8 22.6 22.6

9 26.0 26.0

10 29.4 29.4

11 33.0 33.0

12 36.8 36.8

13 40.6 40.6

14 44.2 44.2

15 48.0 48.4

Softening point temperature = (48 + 48.4)/2 = 48.2 ºC

The both specimens used in this experiment with bitumen grade 60/70 reach the softening point
at the temperature of 48.2 °C at the 15th minute.

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 b) Penetration Test (Nursyazana Afiqah)

Table 2: Result of penetration test

Reading of penetration
(dmm)
Sample

1 2 3

1 55 50 54

2 50 51 46

3 44 41 48

55+50+54 50+51+41 44+41+48

Average 3
= 53 3
= 49 3
= 44

Average for 3
48.7
samples

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 Figure 1: Nomograph for the Penetration Index of bitumen

Sample A and B (60/70)

Penetration Value (dmm) = 48.2
Softening point (˚C) = 48.2
Penetration index, PI = - 1.5

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7.0 DISCUSSION

This experiment objective is to determine the quality of bitumen used in flexible

pavement. The bitumen samples that have been tested in this experiment to determine the
softening point of bitumen which is to find the mean temperature when the bitumen
softens and sags downward.
Based on the experiment that has been done, the softening point of bitumen is at
48.2˚C at the 15th minute. In the experiment, the softening point is being determined
when the bitumen sample starts to touch the steel plate. Both samples should at most have
1˚C differences or the experiment will be considered a failure. The theoretical value
according to the standard specification for road works from Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) is
60 ˚C. This value is normally criteria in porous asphalt that is used for wearing course in
new road construction. From this experiment, the bitumen sample that has been tested can
be used as polymer modified emulsion because it has not achieved the standard value for
porous asphalt which has a softening point only at 48.2˚C. Therefore, by referring to
Figure 2, this type of bitumen that has been tested is suitable as polymer modified
emulsion for crack sealing for preventive road maintenance which is a softening value at
45˚C until 60˚C.

Figure 2: Table 4.14.2 Properties of Polymer Modified Emulsion

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 There are three characteristics for penetration index which are when the value PI
≤ -2, it is temperature susceptible bituminous material. Secondly, if -2 < PI < +2, it is
conventional paving bituminous material and thirdly when the value of PI ≥ +2, it is
blown bituminous material. Therefore, based on Figure 1 the nomograph for the
penetration index of bitumen is -1.5 which is suitable for conventional paving bituminous
material.
During this laboratory, the precautions step that must be taken is to ensure that
both samples should at most have 1˚C differences or the experiment will be considered a
failure. Firstly, the water bath must have a constant temperature for 5 minutes before the
water bath is heated. Other than that, ensure the size of the both steel balls must pass
through the hole in the brass ring. This is due to avoid any error in the experiment that
will make it difficult for the sample bitumen to soften and sag downward. Therefore, to
obtain a more accurate result, the experiment needed to be done cautiously to avoid any
slight changes.
Next, from the nomograph of the penetration index, the penetration index is -1.5.
As the typical range of a good bitumen grade is from -1.5 to +1.0, the penetration index
obtained shows that the bitumen grade is good for road and highway constructions. The
lower the penetration index, the more sensitive the bitumen is to thermal changes. The
penetration test is the most widely used to investigate the consistency of the bituminous
material. But, there are a few precautions that should be taken in order to obtain a reliable
result. First off, the needle is adjusted until it touches the surface of the sample without
penetrating it beforehand. Next, the temperature of the sample will have to be maintained
at 25°C before and during the experiment. Last but not least, before every penetration, the
needle should be cleaned so that there will not be any obstruction for the needle to
penetrate.

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8.0 CONCLUSION

The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the bitumen quality used in flexible
pavement. The bitumen’s softening points are determined using ring and ball test. The
softening point of various bituminous materials is assessed using this test, which consists
of two brass rings and two steel balls. Based on the result, the data can be concluded that
the purpose of this study is achieved. The average softening point temperature was 48.2
ºC for 15 minutes. In a nutshell, the objective of penetration test of bitumen to measure
the hardness or softness of bitumen by measuring the depth of penetration is achieved.
The result can be concluded as

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9.0 APPENDIX

Appendix 1: Set up for Ring-and-ball test. Appendix 2: The temperature has been recorded

for every 1 minute

Appendix 3: Set up apparatus for penetration Appendix 4: Penetration needle on surface

bituminous quality. of bituminous sample

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10.0 REFERENCE

● Raya, J. K. (2008). Standard specification for road works. JKR/SPJ/rev2005.

● Ohinola, O. A., Felode, O. A., & Jonathan, G. (2012). Softening point and Penetration
Index of bitumen from parts of Southwestern Nigeria. Nafta, 63(9-10), 324-327.
● Hamzaoui, R., Guessasma, S., & Bennabi, A. (2012). Penetration testing and thermal
behavior of bitumen 35/50 and modified bitumen 13/40. The European Physical
Journal-Applied Physics, 59(1).
● Harvey, J. A. F., & Cebon, D. (2005). Fracture tests on bitumen films. Journal of
materials in civil engineering, 17(1), 99-106.
● Zoorob, S. E., Castro-Gomes, J. P., & Oliveira, L. P. (2012). Assessing low shear
viscosity as the new bitumen softening point test. Construction and Building Materials,
27(1), 357-367.
● Ongel, A., & Hugener, M. (2015). Impact of rejuvenators on aging properties of bitumen.
Construction and building materials, 94, 467-474.
● Hofko, B., Cannone Falchetto, A., Grenfell, J., Huber, L., Lu, X., Porot, L., ... & You, Z.
(2017). Effect of short-term ageing temperature on bitumen properties. Road Materials
and Pavement Design, 18(sup2), 108-117.
● Zolotarev, V., Pyrig, Y., & Galkin, A. (2020). Cohesion of bitumen: its opportunities and
prospects. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 21(5), 1399-1412.
● Zhu, J., Lu, X., Langfjell, M., & Gudmarsson, A. (2021). Quantitative relationship of
fundamental rheological properties of bitumen with the empirical Ring and Ball softening
point. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 22(sup1), S345-S364.

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