SUPERPAVE MIX DESIGN

Some of the most apparent deficiencies of

Marshall method are its empirical nature and
lack of scientific background, the fact that it
does not take into consideration the traffic
and temperature of the project.
• Also the compaction does not simulate the
actual paving and finally the designer cannot
identify the performance of the mix after use
as a result of high temperature and traffic.
• To overcome such deficiencies a new
technology has emerged called “ Superior
Performing Asphalt Pavements” i.e.
SUPERPAVE System. This method was largely
effective in solving the asphalt mix problems
resulting from loads and temperature
variations.
• It is now considered as the alternative method
for designing and making asphalt mixes as it
can avoid the shortcomings and limitations of
the conventional method.
• In 1988, the Strategic Highway Research Program
(SHRP) was initiated with a primary goal of
developing an improved mix design program. At the
conclusion of the SHRP program in 1993, a system
was developed that contained the following
elements:
• A new grading system for asphalt binder,
• Consensus properties for aggregate,
• A new volumetric mix design procedure, and
• Mixture analysis procedures to estimate a pavements
future performance.
• This system is referred to as the Superior
Performing Asphalt Pavement System
(Superpave) (Roberts, et al., 1996). The
unique feature of the Superpave system is that
it is a performance-based specification system.
The tests use physical properties that can be
directly related to field performance (The
Asphalt Institute, 1996).
Primary elements of Superpave volumetric
design are:

• Selection of materials,
• Selection of design aggregate structure,
• Selection of design asphalt binder content
• Evaluation of moisture susceptibility