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  Module 4: Pavement Design
Lecture 23 Pavement materials:Bitumen
  

Softening point test

Softening point denotes the temperature at which the bitumen attains a particular degree of softening under the specifications of test. The test is conducted by using Ring and Ball apparatus. A brass ring containing test sample of bitumen is suspended in liquid like water or glycerin at a given temperature. A steel ball is placed upon the bitumen sample and the liquid medium is heated at a rate of 5$^o$ C per minute. Temperature is noted when the softened bitumen touches the metal plate which is at a specified distance below. Generally, higher softening point indicates lower temperature susceptibility and is preferred in hot climates. Figure 0.1 shows Softening Point test setup.
Figure 1: Softening Point Test Setup
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