Expeiiment .

Tianspoitation Engineeiing

SpeciIic Gravity Test

Ankur Bansal
09010408

9/6/2011
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1
SPECIFIC GRAVITY TEST
Introduction:
This test is done to determine the speciIic gravity oI semi solid bitumen road tars, creosote and anthracene oil as
per IS: 1202 1978. The principle is that it is the ratio oI mass oI a given volume oI bitumen to the mass oI an
equal volume oI water, both taken at a recorded/speciIied temperature. SpeciIic Gravity oI Bitumen is
measuredto Iind the volume oI bitumen required Ior a given mass during mix design.

AIM


To Iind the speciIic gravity oI the given sample oI bitumen.

APPARATUS
SpeciIic gravity bottle oI 50 ml capacity or ordinary capillary type bottle with 25 mm
diameter neck

PROCEDURE
The speciIic gravity bottle is cleaned, dried and weighed along with the stopper.
It is Iilled with Iresh distilled water, stopper placed and the same is kept in water
container Ior at least halI an hour at temperature 27
o
C /- 0.1
o
C.
The bottle is then removed and cleaned Irom outside. The speciIic gravity bottle
containing water is now weighed.
The bituminous material is heated to a pouring temperature and is poured in the
above empty bottle taking all the precautions that it is clean and dry beIore Iilling
sample materials.
The material is Iilled up to the halI taking care to prevent entry oI air bubbles.
To permit an escape oI air bubbles, the sample bottle is allowed to stand Ior halI
an hour at suitable temperature cooled to 27
o
C and then weighed.
The remaining space in the speciIic gravity bottle is Iilled with distilled water at
27
o
C, stopper placed and is placed n water container at 27
o
C. The bottle containing
bituminous material and containing water is removed, cleaned Irom outside
and is again weighed.

FORMULA USED
The speciIic gravity oI the bituminous material is calculated as Iollows:

SpeciIic gravity Weight oI bituminous material (c-a) / |(b-a) (d-c)|
Weight oI equal volume oI water at 27
o
C

where,


a Weight oI speciIic gravity bottle.
b Weight oI the speciIic gravity bottle Iilled with distilled water.
c Weight oI the speciIic gravity bottle halI Iilled with bituminous material.
d Weight oI the speciIic gravity bottle about halI Iilled with the material and
the rest with distilled water.
2
OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS



Sample
No.


Weight oI
bottle, g

Weight oI
bottle
distilled
water, g

Weight oI
bottle halI
Iilled
material, g
Weight oI
bottle halI
Iilled material
distilled
water, g



SpeciIic gravity
a b c d
1


2
3
Average value




SAMPLE CALCULATION
SpeciIic gravity (c-a) / |(b-a)-(d-c)|


RESULT
The speciIic gravity oI the given sample oI bituminous material

INFERENCE
Pure bitumen has a speciIic gravity in the range oI 0.97 to 1.02. (Higher penetration
grade bitumen and cut back bitumen have lower range oI speciIic gravity values). In case the
bitumen contains mineral impurity, the speciIic gravity will be higher. Vertical-retort tars
have a speciIic gravity range 1.10 to 1.25 whereas horizontal-retort and coke-oven tars have
values in the range 1.18 to 1.25.
The Indian Standards Institution speciIies that the minimum speciIic gravity values oI
paving bitumen at 27
o
C shall be 0.99 Ior grades A 25, A 35, A 45, A 65, S 35, S 45 and S 65,
0.98 Ior A 90 and S 90 and 0.97 Ior A 200 and S 200.