Compaction Quality of Bitumen Mixtures Based on Ultrasonic Methods

Water damage of asphalt concrete pavements has been one of the major distresses in highway engineering. Engineering experiences and research results indicate that this damage is due to the extortionate air voids of bitumen mixtures. Paranormal porosity of asphalt mixture is largely the result of the poor controlling of compact degree during paving process. The quality of asphalt pavement is subjected to the controlling methods of compacting of bitumen mixtures. Ultrasonic is an excellent method for non-destructive testing used in various engineering fields. It is also a potentially effective tool to be applied in the control and evaluation of the compaction quality of bitumen mixtures. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at the applicability of ultrasonic technology for evaluation of porosity and compaction quality of bitumen mixtures. It is shown that this technology, which has been successfully used for many years for evaluation of Portland concrete structures, might be used in asphalt pavement engineering to provide a simple, quick, and objective methodology for control and evaluation of the compact quality of bitumen mixtures. The results of laboratory testing demonstrate the potential of this technology.