©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Construction Materials – Asphalt Exam
Questions With Correct Answers.
What is asphalt cement used for? - Answer✔HMA, patching
What is asphalt emulsion used for? - Answer✔Cold mix & maintenance applications
What is asphalt cutback used for? - Answer✔Cold mix & maintenance applications
What are the properties of asphalt cement (binder)? - Answer✔- Adheres well to most rock
- Waterproof
- Fairly durable
- Resistant to reaction with most acids, alkalis, and salts
- Temperature sensitive
What are the different layers of asphalt pavement? - Answer✔Surface, base, subbase, and
subgrade in that order
Asphalt binder is a visco-elastic material. What does that mean? - Answer✔- Viscous at high
temps, like a fluid
- Elastic at low temps, like a solid
- Its characteristics depend on both temperature and loading rate
What are asphalt binder's specifications based on? - Answer✔Physical properties
What is asphalt binder alone used for? - Answer✔For sealing and waterproofing
What is asphalt binder + aggregate used for? - Answer✔Mainly for hot mix asphalt pavement
surfacing (HMA)
What is asphalt cement made of? - Answer✔Asphalt binder
What is asphalt concrete made of? - Answer✔Asphalt binder + aggregate
True or false, asphalt is highly affected by temperature? - Answer✔True
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What does asphalt that is too brittle result in? - Answer✔Thermal cracking
What does asphalt that is too soft result in? - Answer✔Rutting
What are the different grades of asphalt? - Answer✔Soft (low viscosity) asphalt
Hard (high viscosity) asphalt
Where is soft (low viscosity) asphalt used? - Answer✔In cold climates to avoid thermal cracking
Where is hard (high viscosity) asphalt used? - Answer✔In hot climates to avoid rutting
Bituminous materials are hydrocarbons. What are hydrocarbons? - Answer✔- Very complex
chemical composition that depends on the oil source and refining method
- Mostly hydrogen & carbon atoms with some sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen
- Molecular structure is more important than composition
What is the common way to grade asphalt nowadays? - Answer✔Performance grading (PG)
What methods of asphalt grading were used in the past? - Answer✔- Penetration grading (pen)
- Viscosity grading (AC)
- Aged residue grading (AR)
What is superpave and what does it stand for? - Answer✔Superior Performing Asphalt
Pavements
- Mix design method for asphalt concrete
- Performance grading method for asphalt binder specification
What are the different performance grade binder characterizations? - Answer✔- Control specific
distresses (rutting, fatigue cracking, thermal cracking)
- Specific aging conditions (unaged, construction, long term)
What is the aging process known as Rolling Thin-Film Oven (RTFO)? - Answer✔Short-term
aging to simulate hardening during construction at 325F for 75 min
What is the aging process know as Pressure Aging Vessel? - Answer✔Long-term aging to
simulate hardening in service. It is aged in RFTO first, then 20 hours at 305 psi & 90-110C
What are the performance grade binder tests? - Answer✔1. Flash Point
2. Viscosity (rotational)
3. Dynamic shear rheometer
a. Neat
2|Page
Construction Materials – Asphalt Exam
Questions With Correct Answers.
What is asphalt cement used for? - Answer✔HMA, patching
What is asphalt emulsion used for? - Answer✔Cold mix & maintenance applications
What is asphalt cutback used for? - Answer✔Cold mix & maintenance applications
What are the properties of asphalt cement (binder)? - Answer✔- Adheres well to most rock
- Waterproof
- Fairly durable
- Resistant to reaction with most acids, alkalis, and salts
- Temperature sensitive
What are the different layers of asphalt pavement? - Answer✔Surface, base, subbase, and
subgrade in that order
Asphalt binder is a visco-elastic material. What does that mean? - Answer✔- Viscous at high
temps, like a fluid
- Elastic at low temps, like a solid
- Its characteristics depend on both temperature and loading rate
What are asphalt binder's specifications based on? - Answer✔Physical properties
What is asphalt binder alone used for? - Answer✔For sealing and waterproofing
What is asphalt binder + aggregate used for? - Answer✔Mainly for hot mix asphalt pavement
surfacing (HMA)
What is asphalt cement made of? - Answer✔Asphalt binder
What is asphalt concrete made of? - Answer✔Asphalt binder + aggregate
True or false, asphalt is highly affected by temperature? - Answer✔True
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What does asphalt that is too brittle result in? - Answer✔Thermal cracking
What does asphalt that is too soft result in? - Answer✔Rutting
What are the different grades of asphalt? - Answer✔Soft (low viscosity) asphalt
Hard (high viscosity) asphalt
Where is soft (low viscosity) asphalt used? - Answer✔In cold climates to avoid thermal cracking
Where is hard (high viscosity) asphalt used? - Answer✔In hot climates to avoid rutting
Bituminous materials are hydrocarbons. What are hydrocarbons? - Answer✔- Very complex
chemical composition that depends on the oil source and refining method
- Mostly hydrogen & carbon atoms with some sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen
- Molecular structure is more important than composition
What is the common way to grade asphalt nowadays? - Answer✔Performance grading (PG)
What methods of asphalt grading were used in the past? - Answer✔- Penetration grading (pen)
- Viscosity grading (AC)
- Aged residue grading (AR)
What is superpave and what does it stand for? - Answer✔Superior Performing Asphalt
Pavements
- Mix design method for asphalt concrete
- Performance grading method for asphalt binder specification
What are the different performance grade binder characterizations? - Answer✔- Control specific
distresses (rutting, fatigue cracking, thermal cracking)
- Specific aging conditions (unaged, construction, long term)
What is the aging process known as Rolling Thin-Film Oven (RTFO)? - Answer✔Short-term
aging to simulate hardening during construction at 325F for 75 min
What is the aging process know as Pressure Aging Vessel? - Answer✔Long-term aging to
simulate hardening in service. It is aged in RFTO first, then 20 hours at 305 psi & 90-110C
What are the performance grade binder tests? - Answer✔1. Flash Point
2. Viscosity (rotational)
3. Dynamic shear rheometer
a. Neat
2|Page
