CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TITLE : EXPERIMENT2

HIGHWAY ENGINEERING LAB Softening test

(CC302)

SOFTENING POINT TEST USING RING & BALL

METHOD
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TITLE :SOFTENING POINT TEST
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING LAB
USING RING & BALL METHOD
(CC302)

TITLE OF TEST : SOFTENING POINT TEST USING RING & BALL METHOD
PROCEDURES:The procedures for these tests are listed in detail in BS
OBJECTIVE : To determine the softening temperature for bituminous material
2000: Part 58: 1983

TEORY : When the temperature rises, solid bitumen will gradually and
imperceptibly change from brittle or exceedingly slow-flowing materials to softer
and less viscous liquid. Before bitumen mixed with aggregate to be used as
road pavement material, the condition of bitumen must be soft so that it easily
handled for paving works. The easiest way to soften the bitumen is by heating.
The softness of the bitumen temperature level is when it was tested under
certain influence. The commonly performed test for bitumen is ring and ball test.
Known that hard grade of bitumen type has a higher temperature level than the
soft grade of bitumen.
EQUIPMENTS: Beakers, steel balls, rings, balls, drivers, ring holder and
thermometer
THERMOMETER
BEAKERS
RING HOLDER
WORK PROCEDURES:
1. Pour hot bitumen into a set of rings and place both rings on its holder.
Put one thermometer in the middle of the ring holder.
2. Then place all the equipment into a beaker filled with water which was
cooled at 5ºC. Maintain this temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Using forceps place one steel ball (9.53 mm diameter) in each ball-
centering guide of bitumen sample.
4. Heat water in a beaker and stir gently. Note the increase in temperature
and the behavior of the two balls when bitumen began to soften.
Indicate the temperature at every ball that dropped from the starting to
the level of the plate at a distance of 2.5 cm
5. Take two temperature readings when both the ball first touches the
deepest parts of the plate at the height of 2.5 cm from the starting point
of the ball was dropped and calculate the average temperature to the
nearest 0.2ºC
6. If the temperature difference between the two balls more than 1ºC, this
test should be performed again.
7. Reminder: The temperature differences could not be more than the
following:
TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
Below 30ºC 2ºC
30ºC - 80ºC 1ºC
80ºC and above 2ºC

RINGS
REPORT VIDEO
STEEL BALLS