©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Asphalt Exam Questions With Correct
Answers.
Types of asphalt mixes - Answer✔Dense graded, open graded friction course, stone matrix
asphalt (SMA), sand mixes, sheet asphalt mixes
Dense graded - Answer✔Standard asphalt mixes of various quality and grades
Open graded friction course - Answer✔Surface course consisting high % of one sized coarse agg
to create high voids (16-23%) that results in rapid drainage of rainwater to reduce hydroplaning,
improve skid resistance, reducing splash and spray, and reduced tire pavement noise
Stone matrix Asphalt (SMA) - Answer✔Special gap graded (but dense) mixture with high
proportion of coarse agg to give very good point to point agg contact and high rutting resistance.
Special fillers and polymer modifiers used to make asphalt cement sufficiently viscous to avoid
drainage during placing
Sand mixes - Answer✔Sand only mixes (good finish - low quality?)
Sheet asphalt mixes - Answer✔Clean, angular graded sand with mineral fillers used for reservoir
liners and landfill caps - low permeability
Asphalt can be.. - Answer✔Hot, warm or cold; new or recycled materials
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASPHALT AND PC CONC - Answer✔Asphalt has higher
proportion of agg (~95%) than conc (~65%)
Asphalt cement is much more flexible than hardened Portland cement
In asphalt, agg particles are in contact; no interparticle contact in conc
Concrete hardens through chem reactions; asphalt hardens through evaporation or cooling
Asphalt vs PC conc - Answer✔Asphalt weaker, more flexible therefore used in pavements
Conc stronger, stiffer; therefore used in structures
Type of asphalts cement (often called "binder") - Answer✔Asphalt cement, liquid asphalts
(cutbacks and emulsions), air blown asphalt*
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Asphalt cement - Answer✔Primary residuum from refinery most commonly used for hot mix
asphalt (HMA)
Liquid asphalts (cutbacks and emulsions) - Answer✔Liquid at room temperature, easy to mix
with agg, used primarily for road repairs and surface seals
Lighter and more volatile products such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil... - Answer✔Are
removed and the residue is asphalt cement
Fractional distillation of crude petroleum - Answer✔Different products are separated at various
temperatures
Some crude oil sources have more asphalt residue than others.. - Answer✔And quality and
characteristics of asphalt will vary from source to source
Cutbacks - Answer✔Asphalt cement mixed with volatile solvent
Emulsified asphalt - Answer✔Asphalt cement mixed with water
Liquid asphalts - Answer✔Often used for chip seals, microsurfacing, fog seals
Cutback asphalts - Answer✔Add solvents to asphalt cement to liquefy
Less frequently used now due to environmental and cost considerations
After placement, the volatile solven evaporates leaving a solid mass
Rapid curing - very volatile solvent
Medium curing - less volatile solvent
Slow curing - low volatile solvent
Emulsified asphalts - Answer✔Water + finely divided droplets of asphalt (10^-4cm) and
emulsifying agent (soap) imparting either a positive (cationic) or negative (anionic) charge
Rapid, medium and slow setting grades
Coagulates and sets on the surface of the aggregate
PROPERTIES OF ASPHALT CEMENTS (5) - Answer✔Aging, viscosity and consistency,
stiffness and resistance to permanent deformation, low temperature performance, resistance to
fatigue cracking
Aging or age hardening - Answer✔heating and cooling occurs during mixing and curing
cyclical temp fluctuations occur during service life
this results in changes in structure and composition primarily due to volatilization, oxidation and
other processes
2|Page
Asphalt Exam Questions With Correct
Answers.
Types of asphalt mixes - Answer✔Dense graded, open graded friction course, stone matrix
asphalt (SMA), sand mixes, sheet asphalt mixes
Dense graded - Answer✔Standard asphalt mixes of various quality and grades
Open graded friction course - Answer✔Surface course consisting high % of one sized coarse agg
to create high voids (16-23%) that results in rapid drainage of rainwater to reduce hydroplaning,
improve skid resistance, reducing splash and spray, and reduced tire pavement noise
Stone matrix Asphalt (SMA) - Answer✔Special gap graded (but dense) mixture with high
proportion of coarse agg to give very good point to point agg contact and high rutting resistance.
Special fillers and polymer modifiers used to make asphalt cement sufficiently viscous to avoid
drainage during placing
Sand mixes - Answer✔Sand only mixes (good finish - low quality?)
Sheet asphalt mixes - Answer✔Clean, angular graded sand with mineral fillers used for reservoir
liners and landfill caps - low permeability
Asphalt can be.. - Answer✔Hot, warm or cold; new or recycled materials
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASPHALT AND PC CONC - Answer✔Asphalt has higher
proportion of agg (~95%) than conc (~65%)
Asphalt cement is much more flexible than hardened Portland cement
In asphalt, agg particles are in contact; no interparticle contact in conc
Concrete hardens through chem reactions; asphalt hardens through evaporation or cooling
Asphalt vs PC conc - Answer✔Asphalt weaker, more flexible therefore used in pavements
Conc stronger, stiffer; therefore used in structures
Type of asphalts cement (often called "binder") - Answer✔Asphalt cement, liquid asphalts
(cutbacks and emulsions), air blown asphalt*
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Asphalt cement - Answer✔Primary residuum from refinery most commonly used for hot mix
asphalt (HMA)
Liquid asphalts (cutbacks and emulsions) - Answer✔Liquid at room temperature, easy to mix
with agg, used primarily for road repairs and surface seals
Lighter and more volatile products such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil... - Answer✔Are
removed and the residue is asphalt cement
Fractional distillation of crude petroleum - Answer✔Different products are separated at various
temperatures
Some crude oil sources have more asphalt residue than others.. - Answer✔And quality and
characteristics of asphalt will vary from source to source
Cutbacks - Answer✔Asphalt cement mixed with volatile solvent
Emulsified asphalt - Answer✔Asphalt cement mixed with water
Liquid asphalts - Answer✔Often used for chip seals, microsurfacing, fog seals
Cutback asphalts - Answer✔Add solvents to asphalt cement to liquefy
Less frequently used now due to environmental and cost considerations
After placement, the volatile solven evaporates leaving a solid mass
Rapid curing - very volatile solvent
Medium curing - less volatile solvent
Slow curing - low volatile solvent
Emulsified asphalts - Answer✔Water + finely divided droplets of asphalt (10^-4cm) and
emulsifying agent (soap) imparting either a positive (cationic) or negative (anionic) charge
Rapid, medium and slow setting grades
Coagulates and sets on the surface of the aggregate
PROPERTIES OF ASPHALT CEMENTS (5) - Answer✔Aging, viscosity and consistency,
stiffness and resistance to permanent deformation, low temperature performance, resistance to
fatigue cracking
Aging or age hardening - Answer✔heating and cooling occurs during mixing and curing
cyclical temp fluctuations occur during service life
this results in changes in structure and composition primarily due to volatilization, oxidation and
other processes
2|Page
