A brief description of the Swedish Association for Test Methods of Road Materials and Pavements.

This Association started in 2008 with the Swedish Transport Administration as principal organizer and with representatives from most of the market participants. Here we handle with methodological issues concerning road materials both conventional test methods and function-based methods.

Why a Association for Test Methods of Road Materials and Pavements?

Testing and measurement are fundamental to the control and regulation of the composition, properties and conditions of the unbound and bound road materials. Tests need to be done in several stages of the construction and maintenance of roads, streets, bridges and airfields. Examples include control of input materials, proportioning of asphalt mix and production and quality control of asphalt mix or asphalt pavement. Even in research and development work and in damage analysis requires measuring or testing methods in a relevant manner to control and evaluate material properties. Contracts in operation also requires that there are test methods that can measure the function of the layer of material, such as strength and durability. More comprehensive, nondestructive measurements on newly laid surface can provide good information on the thickness, homogeneity, texture and degree of compaction while no interference in the road required.
The need for improvement or development of methods deemed to be large, particularly to better than today ensure that product of the expected quality. To reduce the spread between test results performed on the same or between different laboratories repeatability and reproducibility of the methods need to be improved. Tests often include various elements, such as sample preparation, testing / measurement and equipment requirements. An important factor is how the sampling is to be performed. European harmonization of different product standards means that for Swedish conditions, new testing methods may need to be included in the technical specifications. 

The Swedish Association consists of a steering committee and committees for asphalt, aggregate, binder and nondestructive field measurements.


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