Standardization News

A proposed standard will measure the temperature of asphalt mixture during production to help ensure the quality of the final pavement. The standard (WK59386, Test Method for Field Measurement of Asphalt Mixture Temperatures by Hand Held Temperature Measurement Sensors), is being created by ASTM International’s committee on road and paving materials (D04).

Ensuring the correct temperature can help prevent asphalt from cooling too fast, a challenge that makes it difficult to obtain the needed level of compact density in the mixture. “This method will include a precision and bias for contact and non-contact methods,” says ASTM International member Andrew Lacroix of InstroTrek, Inc., in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

Lacroix says that producers of asphalt mixture and field crews that place asphalt pavements will find this standard most useful. The committee is looking for input regarding different types of measuring devices that are used in field production.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member here. The next meeting of the committee on road and paving materials is Dec. 5 to 7 at the Sheraton New Orleans in Louisiana, USA.