In a Super-pave grading system, binders are rated according to their performance in extreme hot and cold conditions and are given the name performance grade bitumen. The PG system is a way of determining the effectiveness of the asphalt binder. When grading and selecting asphalt binder with the use of the Performance Grade system, the primary objective is to achieve the goal of ensuring that the binder possesses the required qualities for the environmental conditions that are present in the field. The selection of binders for asphalt of the Performance Grade takes into account not only the anticipated weather conditions but also the changes in traffic volume and speed. 
Therefore, in order to measure the physical properties of the binder, the Performance Grade system uses a standard battery of tests. These tests are designed so that the results can be directly related to the field performance of the pavement at its service temperatures, as determined by engineering principles. When selecting and classifying asphalt binders with the help of the PG system, the primary objective is to make certain that the selected binder possesses the appropriate qualities for the specific environment. In general, Superpave performance grade bitumen pavement is made with a type of bitumen known as Performance Grade (PG) bitumen. This type of bitumen is classified according to how well it performs at various temperatures. A particular method has been provided by the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) in order to compute the temperature of the pavement based on the temperature of the air over it. The highest and lowest temperatures of the pavement can then be determined using this information, and the bitumen that functions well within that temperature range can then be chosen. Both penetration grading and viscosity grading have some limitations when it comes to their capacity to completely define asphalt binder for use in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavement. As a result of this, as part of the Superpave research effort, new binder tests and specifications were developed in order to more accurately and completely characterize asphalt binders for use in HMA pavements. The rutting, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking of HMA pavement are some of the performance factors that these tests and specifications are designed to precisely address. 
The concept that the qualities of an HMA asphalt binder should be tied to the conditions under which it is employed is the foundation of the Superpave performance grading (PG) system. In the case of asphalt binders, this means thinking about the expected weather conditions as well as the effects of aging. Therefore, the PG system employs a common battery of tests (just like the older penetration and viscosity grading systems do), but it stipulates that a specific asphalt binder must pass these tests at specific temperatures that are determined by the particular climatic conditions of the area in which it will be used. This idea has been around for a while; the selection of penetration or viscosity-graded asphalt binders precedes the same logic. However, with the Superpave PG system, the correlations between asphalt binder qualities and conditions of use are fuller and more exact. The Superpave mix design method provides details on the information necessary to choose an appropriate PG asphalt binder for a given circumstance. The table that follows outlines how the Superpave PG system overcomes the general shortcomings of specific penetration, AC, and AR grading systems. Binders that have had their polymer structure modified are put to use in situations that call for increased performance and durability. As a result of polymer-modified binders' increased resistance to rutting, thermal cracking, fatigue failure, and stripping, as well as temperature susceptibility, asphalt has been largely replaced by polymer-modified binders in many paving and maintenance applications. Polymer modification is generally required whenever both good rutting resistance for high temperature and good thermal cracking resistance for low temperature are simultaneously required in the same application. 
This is especially true when the application requires both types of resistance simultaneously. Because the PG grading method is dependent on the weather, the grade notation is split into two parts: high pavement service temperature and low pavement service temperature. Rutting is the primary issue that arises with regard to high-temperature performance. Since rutting normally develops over the course of time, an average of the maximum temperature of the pavement over the course of seven days is used to describe the high-temperature climate. On the low-temperature side, thermal cracking can happen during a single really cold night; for this reason, the minimum pavement temperature is used for presenting the low-temperature climate. PG grades are incremented by 6°C for both the high-temperature grade and the low-temperature grade. The maximum temperature of the pavement over a period of seven days typically ranged from 46 to 82 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature of the pavement typically ranged from 46 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius. The performance criteria for a binder designated as PG 64-10 must be met at a maximum pavement temperature of 64 degrees Celsius on average over the course of seven days, as well as a minimum pavement temperature of ten degrees Celsius. Please be aware that the maximum temperature of the pavement is typically about 20 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature of the air around it. This is because the dark-colored pavement is better at absorbing and retaining heat than lighter-colored pavement. The depth at which the maximum temperature of the pavement is typically measured is approximately 1 inch below the surface of the pavement. However, the temperature of the air and the surface of the pavement are both considered to be the same when determining the minimum temperature of the pavement. 
The common minimum reliability that is used is 98%, which means that when the PG 64-10 binder is selected, the asphalt binder in the AC pavement should perform satisfactorily under normal traffic conditions at the location where the extreme pavement temperature is within the range of 10°C and 64°C throughout the entirety of its service life with a minimum confidence level of 98%. This is because the common minimum reliability that is used is 98%. When the conditions of the traffic are not typical, such as when there is extremely heavy traffic, such as on an interstate highway, or when there is slow traffic, such as at a bus stop or an intersection area, one or two grades of asphalt binder that are stiffer may be used to help prevent the rutting problem. Binders that have had their polymer structure modified are put to use in situations that call for increased performance and durability. As a result of polymer modified binders' increased resistance to rutting, thermal cracking, fatigue damage, and stripping, as well as temperature susceptibility, asphalt has been largely replaced by polymer modified binders in many paving and maintenance applications. Polymer modification is generally required whenever both good rutting resistance for high temperature and good thermal cracking resistance for low temperature are simultaneously required in the same application. This is especially true when the application requires both types of resistance simultaneously. For more information on different grades and types of bitumen, you can contact our sales executives. They will answer all your questions and provide you with all the necessary information.
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