This European Standard specifies the methods for characterizing the stiffness of bituminous mixtures by alternative tests, including bending tests and direct and indirect tensile tests. The tests are performed on compacted bituminous material under a sinusoidal loading or other controlled loading, using different types of specimens and supports.
The procedure is used to rank bituminous mixtures on the basis of stiffness, as a guide to relative performance in the pavement, to obtain data for estimating the structural behaviour in the road and to judge test data according to specifications for bituminous mixtures.
As this standard does not impose a particular type of testing device the precise choice of the test conditions depends on the operating scope and working range of the device used.
For the choice of specific test conditions, the requirements of the product standards for bituminous mixtures should be respected.
The applicability of this document is described in the product standards for bituminous mixtures.