Abstract
The ignition test, developed by the National Center for Asphalt Technology, has proved to be a fast, pollution-free, automated, and inexpensive method for determining the asphalt content of a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) sample. The time required to perform this test is about 30 to 40 min, which is significantly less than the time required to perform a solvent extraction test procedure. However, having the ability to determine asphalt content in 10 to 15 min would allow the technician to identify any problem in mix production much earlier and thus save a significant amount of time and money. Presented are the results of a study carried out to develop a method for estimating the asphalt content of an HMA sample within 10 to 15 min after testing begins. The method consists of determining the prediction factor on the basis of test results from two samples and then predicting the asphalt content of additional samples on the basis of the prediction factor and the asphalt content loss at 10 to 15 min of test. Use of this method is expected to provide a good estimate of the measured asphalt content in less than half the test time. This shortcut method should be used for quality control only and should not be used for acceptance or rejection of the mixtures.
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