Standardization News

A new ASTM International standard will help grade the performance of pavement materials. The new specification (D8239) provides performance standards for liquid asphalt used in road construction, using the multiple stress creep and recovery test. The classifications rate an asphalt for resistance to: high-temperature rutting, low-temperature cracking, and durability over a range of temperatures and traffic loads.

“This standard will be used by pavement materials and design engineers to ensure pavements will last as long as intended,” says ASTM International member Bob Kluttz, Kraton Polymers. Kluttz adds that engineers will specify performance grades for their projects and asphalt producers will use the standard’s tests on their products. Contractors, agencies and third-party test laboratories will also use the standard to conduct quality assurance testing.

The new ASTM standard has an equivalent standard (M332) published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. ASTM and AASHTO, through the cooperation of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration expert task groups, cooperate to improve both sets of standards and keep them in sync, according to Kluttz.

This standard was published by the ASTM International committee on road and paving materials (D04).