Development of Criteria for Slab Compaction of Laboratory Roller Compactor (Turamesin)

Laboratory experiments should simulate to a high degree the conditions in the field, especially in term of compaction procedures. Presently available laboratory compaction methods do not seem to be able to produce specimens that can truly represent the mixtures as it exists in the field, especially for Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) mixtures. SMA is highly dependent on the method of compaction. As the application of the SMA is rapidly gaining acceptance worldwide, a suitable laboratory compaction method is evidently needed. Turamesin, a laboratory slab roller compactor was developed to enable laboratory compaction of asphalt mixtures in field simulation conditions. This study was carried out in order to establish criteria for slab compaction and identify the potential of the newly developed Turamesin. A total of nine slabs were prepared with different combination of compactive efforts and data were then analyzed to develop correlation and thus to determine the appropriate values of the compactive efforts that resulted in optimum performance of the asphalt mix slab due to 4% air voids. For the asphalt mix slab to be compacted to the desired ultimate compaction of 4% air voids, the compactive efforts of 8.0 kgf/cm2 of applied pressure and 75 numbers of passes of the roller compactor were required. These values of compactive efforts were considered as typical parameters for Turamesin in achieving a target air void of 4% regardless of SMA mixtures.