Tribhuwan University

Khwopa College of Engineering

(An undertaking of Bhaktapur Municipality)

Libali-8, Bhaktapur

Lab Report on

Transportation Engineering –I
Practical No: 3

(Determination of Penetration Value of Bitumen)

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

Bishal Kaji Thapa Er. Ramesh Bala
KCE077BCE019 Department of Civil Engineering

Date of Submission : 2080/10/18

OBJECTIVE
 To determine consistency of bitumen or the grade of the bitumen by penetration test.
 To assess the suitability of bitumen for its use under different climatic condition and
type of construction.

THEORY

Bitumen is the residue or by-product obtained by the refining of crude petroleum. The type
of construction decides the type of bitumen needed to be used. Penetration is a
measurement of hardness or consistency of bituminous material. It is the vertical distance
traversed or penetrated by the point of a standard needle into the bituminous material under
specific condition of load, time and temperature. This distance is measured in one tenth of a
millimeter. This test is used for evaluating consistency of bituminous materials.

The consistency of bitumen is directly related to its penetration value, where softer bitumen
has higher penetration values, indicating a greater penetration depth.The standard
conditions for the penetration test include a temperature of 25°C, a load of 100g applied
for 5 seconds, and the penetration depth is measured in tenths of a millimeter. The test
provides valuable insights into the rheological properties of bitumen, helping engineers
and researchers make informed decisions about its application in construction projects.

The bitumen grade is specified in terms of penetration value. 80-100 or 80/100 grade
bitumen means that the penetration value of the bitumen is in the range 80 to 100 at
standard test condition. The penetration values of various types of bitumen used in
pavement are ranged between 20 to 225. 30/40, 60/70 and 80/100 grade bitumen are
more commonly used, depending on construction type and climatic condition. In hot
climates, lower penetration grade bitumen like 30/40 bitumen is preferred.

APPARATUS USED
 Container :
A flat bottomed cylindrical metallic dish 55 mm in diameter and 35 mm in depth is
required. If the penetration is of the order of 225 or more deeper dish of 70 mm dia.
and 45 mm depth is required.

fig: moulds

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 Needle :
A straight, highly polished, cylindrical hard steel rod .

fig: needle

 Penetrometer:
It is the testing machine for bitumen penetration tests. It allows fixation of
penetration needle, plunger, weight, and a dial. It allows the needle to penetrate into
the sample placed in the cup without considerable friction. It should be accurately
calibrated so that it gives the results in one-tenth of a millimeter.

fig: Penetration apparatus

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  Water bath:
It should contain a minimum of 10 liters of water. Bitumen specimen should be
immersed to at least 100 mm depth from the top. Moreover, the specimen should be
supported over a perforated shelf which should be above 50 mm from the bottom of
the bath. The water bath is maintained at 25 ± 0.1 °C temperature.

fig: water bath

PROCEDURE
1. Bitumen was softened to a pouring consistency, thoroughly stirred, and then poured
into the test containers. The depth of the bitumen in the container was maintained at
least 15mm higher than the expected penetration.
2. The sample containers were subsequently placed inside a temperature-controlled
water bath set at 25°C for a duration of one hour to ensure consistent testing
conditions.
3. After precisely one hour in the water bath, the samples were removed. The needle
was brought into contact with the surface of the bitumen sample, and the initial
reading of the dial was either set to zero or noted upon contact with the surface.
4. The needle was allowed to penetrate the sample for 5 seconds, and the final reading
on the dial was recorded. This process was repeated four times, with each penetration
observation taken at intervals of no less than 10 mm.
5. Post each test, the needle was cleaned using benzene, and thoroughly dried. The
amount of penetration was carefully noted and recorded for each observation.
6. All penetration readings were documented in units, with 1 unit equating to 0.1 mm,
providing a precise measure of the bitumen's penetration characteristics.

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OBSERVATIONS

Table 1: Observaton Table

Penetrometer dial
S.N reading Penetration value (in one tenth mm)
Initial Final
1 0 40 40
2 0 36 36
3 0 33 33
4 0 42 42

40+36+33+42
Penetrarion Value= = 37.75
3 4

RESULTS
37.75
Average Penitration Value= = 3.77mm
10
Grade of bitumen =30/40

CONCLUSION
30/40 grade bitumen was obtained.

DISCUSSION
We performed the test to determine the grade of the bitumen. The grade of bitumen
obtained was 30/40 means that the penetration made by the needle is between 3-4mm at
25±2oC. As per IRC, for bituminous macadam and penetration macadam, grade of 30/40,
60/70 and 80/100 are acceptable. Since the grade of the sample bitumen was 30/40, it is
suitable for bituminous macadam. This grade is generally preferred in warmer regions in
order to prevent softening.
In hot 30/40 bitumen is preferred. The value of temperature effects the use of the bitumen.
Lower penetration grade is used in warm climate condition to avoid softening and high
penetration grade range of 180/210 are used in cold climate condition to prevent it from
excessive brittleness.

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PRECAUTIONS
 The container was not moved while the needle penetrated into the sample.
 Benzene was used to clean up the needle, which was dried before penetration.
 The temperature of the bitumen should be 25±2oC.
 The time of penetration should be exact 5 seconds.
 Penetration must be done not less than 10mm apart from previous experiment and
not less than 10mm from the side of dish.

REFERENCE
 Lab manual
 Pictures of apparatus from google
 https://theconstructor.org/building/building-material/penetration-value-of-
bitumen/1403/

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