Marshall Stability and Flow of Asphalt Concrete

ASTM Designation: ASTM D1559

Purpose: To determine the Marshall stability and flow values of asphalt concrete.
Significance and Use: This test method is used in the laboratory mi desi!n of
bituminous mitures accordin! to the Marshall procedure. The test results are also used
to characteri"e asphalt mitures.
Apparatus
1. Testin! machine producin! a uniform vertical movement of 5#.$ mm per minute
%& in.'min(
&. )rea*in! heads havin! an inside radius of curvature of &+in.
,. -oad cell or rin! dynamometer. strip chart recorder or flow meter. water bath. and
rubber !loves.
Test Procedure
1. )rin! the compacted specimen to a temperature of /#
o
0 by immersin! it in a
water bath ,# to 1# minutes or by placin! it in the oven for & hours.
&. 2emove the specimen from the water bath then 3li!htly4 dry and place it in the
lower se!ment of the brea*in! head. 5lace the upper se!ment of the brea*in!
head on the specimen. and place the complete assembly in position on the testin!
machine.
,. 5repare the strip chart recorder or place the flowmeter in position over one of the
!uide rods. and ad6ust the flowmeter to "ero while holdin! the sleeve firmly
a!ainst the upper se!ment of the brea*in! head.
1. Apply the load to the specimen by means of the constant rate of movement of &
in'min. until the maimum load is reached and the load decreases. The elapsed
time for the test from removal of the test specimen from the water bath to the
maimum load determination should not eceed ,# seconds.
5. 2ecord the Marshall stability %maimum load( and the Marshall flow
%deformation when the maimum load be!ins to decrease in units of #.&5 mm or
hundredths of an inch(. 7n some machines the maimum load and the flow values
are read from the rin! dynamometer and the flowmeter. respectively.
/. 7f the specimen hei!ht is other than &.5+in.. multiply the stability value by a
correction factor
Report
1. Describe how the samples were initially prepared.
1. 0alculate the avera!e Marshall stability and flow and standard deviation for the
samples tested.
&. Discuss why the stability is important. and the si!nificance of what the data from
the Marshall stability and flow test provides.
,. Discuss the factors that influence stability and flow of asphalt concrete. and how
the stability and flow may be increased.
1. Discuss what affect temperature susceptibility has on stability and flow of asphalt
concrete.