Asphalt and Other Bituminous Materials
Simtec Materials Testing provides several asphalt and bituminous testing services, including diamond coring. Simtec's experienced site specialists are ready to help. They can gather test data for a complete reconstruction or to test the ride quality of a new road.
Working throughout the UK, Simtec support all construction and maintenance projects with expert materials testing solutions, including both CBR and Plate Load Testing services.
We can help make informed decisions, manage risk, and minimise cost by performing UKAS-accredited* testing. This testing can be used for resurfacing or carrying out a new project.
Specialist Asphalt Testing Services From Simtec:
- Qualified field technicians
- Competitively priced
- 24/7 nationwide service
- Nuclear and non-nuclear density meter surveys (density and air voids)
- Pavement investigation
- Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD)
- Falling Weight Deflectometer
- Texture and macrotexture analysis
- Coring of pavement surfaces CS229
- Skid resistance (Pendulum)
Bituminous Materials Testing Services
- Nuclear and non-nuclear Compaction Control (density and air voids)
- Bituminous Material Sampling
- Temperature and material laying records
- Bond/Tack Coat Rate of Spread
- Rate of Spread of chippings
- Surface Texture Testing
- Surface regularity (rolling and transverse straight edge)
Bituminous Material Sampling
Correct sampling is essential to gain truly representative samples for testing. Simtec technicians are fully conversant with this specification and can obtain good quality representative samples free from contamination and segregation.
Delivered loads can be sampled directly from the truck, paving machine hopper, augers, or workable heaps tipped on site. Recovered samples are returned to our laboratory in Leicester for further examination or testing as required.
Temperature Testing
Simtec use infra-red apparatus to sample bituminous material. This allows them to test the temperature of the material. They do this to ensure that enough heat is retained for placement and compaction. Simtec is one of the few operators to hold UKAS* accreditation. This accreditation covers both traditional methods and the new infra-red method outlined in BS EN 12697-13.
Bituminous Compaction Control using the Pavement Quality Indicator (PQI)
All highway contracts require a layer of bituminous material to support the design load caused by traffic. This ability is a necessity and needs to be checked on a regular basis.
The PQI is an electromagnetic instrument. It calculates the density of a layer of material by affecting an induced magnetic field.
Features include:
- Small and easily portable for on-the-spot monitoring
- Effective way to control compaction levels on-site
- Rapid testing for a reliable guide to levels of compaction
Other Asphalt Testing Services
Bond/Tack Coat Rate of Spread
Tack coats and bond coats are sprayed at a constant fixed rate according to the individual site requirements. Simtec can supply technical staff to monitor the rate of spread.
Surface Texture Testing using the Volumetric Patch Method
A newly laid Hot Rolled Asphalt (HRA) surface is spread with highly engineered chippings to give the maximum skidding resistance.
Rolling Straight Edge
This tests for surface irregularity to determine the ride quality of new highway surfacing and newly completed utility reinstatements.
Transverse 3m Beam or Straight Edge
Used on highway works and runways, this tests the transverse regularity across the carriageway.
Asphalt Diamond Coring Services
Simtec provides diamond coring services at an affordable price. We use the latest hydraulic drilling equipment, and our core barrels are fitted with high-quality diamond tips of varying sizes. Reinstatement is carried out to the highest standard.
Diamond coring† testing carried out on extracted asphalt cores includes:
- Logging and photography of cored specimens
- Bulk density and air voids
- Maximum density
- Binder and grading analysis
- Bitumen recovery
- Bitumen needle penetration & softening point
- Tar content
† Diamond Coring is outside of our UKAS* accredited scope of works.
Simtec’s reliable, professional diamond coring service comes with no minimum charge. Call today to find out more or for some friendly advice and guidance on project requirements.
Road Core Reinstatement
Coring is a regular part of Simtec's operations. Many clients trust the quality of the service to determine the pavement's thickness, compaction and air void content. Simtec pride ourselves on the quality of the reinstatement of core holes with prime materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why test asphalt?
How to test asphalt?
At Simtec, we offer various onsite and laboratory methods for testing asphalt.