Tests Required In The Construction Laboratory in Saudi Arabia

These Tests are according to MOT Specification Nov-1998(KSA)
* for the clearance please check the MOT Specification Nov-1998(KSA)

• Earth Works: 

Embankment and Sub-Grade: 
Classification - MRDTM 210 (All Required Tests)
Proctor - MRDTM 212 or MRDTM 214 if appropriate
California Bearing Ration (CBR) - MRDTM 213

Quality assurance:

Maximum Density
Optimum Moisture
Moisture Content Range
Field Density
Moisture Content
Plate Load Test(Optional)


Rock Fill Embankment:

Maximum particle size 2/3 loose layer thickness
Passing 0.6 mm (No. 30 Sieve) 25% maximum
Uniformity coefficient, Cu 5 minimum
Cu = D60/D10
where,
D60 = the particle size at which 60% passes
D10 = the particle size at which 1 0% passes


Maximum Thickness of Layer                          Minimum Roller Mass on Drum
(Loose Measurement)                                          (kilogram/unit width,)
Centimeters
40                                                                              2300-2900
60                                                                              2900-3600
80                                                                              3600-4300
100                                                                            4300-5000
** For multiple roller, this shall be assessed on the high axle load.
*** Required settlement 1% maximum.

• Aggregate Sub-base and Base Courses:

Aggregate Sub-base: 

Aggregate Sub-bases Gradation Requirements

Sieve Size                            Grading - I                           Grading -II

62.5 mm (2 inch)                        100                                        -
50 mm (2 inch)                         90-100                                  100
37.5 mm (11/2 inch)                     -                                       90-100
25 mm (1 inch)                             -                                       55-85
19 mm (3/4 inch)                          -                                       50-80
9.5 mm ( inch)                              -                                       40-70
4.75 mm (No. 4)                      35-70                                   30-60
2.54 mm (No. 10)                       -                                        20-50
0.425 mm (No. 40)                     -                                        10-30
0.075 mm (No. 200)                 0-15                                      0-15

Quality Requirements

Sand Equivalent (MRDTM 313)                                         25 Min.
Plasticity Index (MRDTM 208)                                            6 Max.
Abrasion Loss (MRDTM 309)                                           50 Max.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR)(MRDTM 213)                   50 Min.

Job Mix Formula Tolerances 

9.75 mm (3/8") and larger sieves,                            11 percentage points
4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve,                                           10 percentage points
2.36 mm (No. 8) sieve,                                            9 percentage points
0.300 mm (No. 50) sieve,                                        8 percentage points
0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve,                                       8 percentage points

Quality Assurance

Compaction
Thickness
Aggregate Gradation
Sand Equivalent
Plastic Limit
California Beating Ratio and Abrasion
Surface Tolerances

Aggregate Bases:

Aggregate Bases Grading Requirements

SIEVE SIZES                                         PERCENTAGE PASSING
                                            Grading I         Grading II       Grading III
50 mm (2 inch)                        100                    -                      -
37.5 mm (11/2 inch)                  -                    100                    -
25 mm (1 inch)                      55-85              70-95                 100
19 mm ( inch)                        50-80              55-85               70-100
4.75 mm (No. 4)                   30-60              30-60               35-65
0.425 mm (No. 40)               10-25              10-25               15-25
0.075 mm (No. 200)              3-10                 3-10                 3-10
*The fraction passing the No. 200 sieve shall not exceed the fraction passing the 0.425 mm (No. 40) sieve.

Quality requirements

Sodium Sulphate Soundness (MRDTM 311), & Loss                    12 Max.
Abrasion Loss (MRDTM 309)                                                      45 Max.
Sand Equivalent (MRDTM 313)                                                    45 Min.
Liquid Limit (MRDTM 209)                                                          25 Max.
Plasticity Index (MRDTM 208)                                                       6 Max.
California Bearing Ratio (MRDTM 213) Grading I                       100 Min.
California Bearing Ratio (MRDTM 213) Grading II                        80 Min.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) (MRDTM 213) Grading III            65 Min

Job Mix Formula Tolerances 

9.75 mm (3/8") and larger sieves,                              9 percentage points
4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve,                                             8 percentage points
2.36 mm (No. 8) sieve,                                             7 percentage points
0.300 mm (No. 50 sieve,                                          6 percentage points
0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve,                                       4 percentage points

Quality Assurance

Compaction
Thickness
Aggregate Gradation
Sand Equivalent
Plastic Limit
California Beating Ratio and Abrasion
Surface Tolerances

• Bituminous Construction:

Bituminous Coating: 
Application Rate:


Prime coat. The approved application rate shall be determined from test sections
constructed using specified materials within the range 0.50 to 1.75 liters per square
meter.
Tack coat. The approved application rate shall be within the range 0.10 to 0.30
liters per square meter for RC-70 and 0.20 to 0.50 liters per square meter, prior to
dilution with additional water, for SS-1h and CSS-1h emulsified bituminous material.
Fog Seal. The approved undiluted application rate shall be determined from test
sections constructed using specified materials with the range of 0.30 to 0.70 liters per
square meter depending on the conditions of the existing surface.

Temperature Requirements:

MC-70, RC-70 -                              50 to 80 degrees Celsius
MC-250 -                                         75 to 100 degrees Celsius
SS-1h, CSS-1h -                               20 to 70 degrees Celsius
SS-1, SS-1h -                                    20 to 70 degrees Celsius



Test Sections and Selection of Application Rates:
A test section shall be at least three (3) meters wide by one hundred (100) meters long. Two (2) or more test sections shall be constructed for each grade of bituminous material specified for use or used and every type of material to be prime coated.

**Ministry of Transport Saudi Arabia Prefer the SUPER PAVE Hot Mix asphalt Method
ESAL and Traffic Designation
Class Designation     ESALs Range                                   Applications
VL(Very Light)          Less than 300,000                   Agriculture roads with light traffic,                                .                                                                               local and city streets without trucks
L (Light)                   300,000 to 3 million                 Agriculture roads, feeder and collector Roads
M(Meduim)              3 million to 10 million                Main Roads And City Streets
H(Heavy)                 10 million to 30 million             Highways and Expressway
VH(Very heavy)                    More than 30 million               Heavily Traffic Highways, Industrial Areas

Super Pave Standard NMS Mixers

Nominal Maximum Size (NMS)                 Maximum Size (MS)

  37.5 mm                                                     50.0 mm

  25.0 mm                                                     37.5 mm

  19.0 mm                                                     25.0 mm

  12.5 mm                                                     19.0 mm

    9.5 mm                                                     12.5 mm

   4.75 mm                                                    9.5 mm

Recommended NMS for Different Layer Types

    Layer                                             Recommended NMS

Sand Mix                                                      4.75 mm

Wearing Course                                 9.5 or 12.5 or 19.0 mm

Base Course                                      25.0 or 37.5 mm

Super Pave Criteria for Hot Mix Asphalt

1 Asphalt Binder Grade (AASHTO – M320)

Asphalt Binder Grade

a)     RTFO – Rolling thin film oven

b)    RV – Rotational Viscosity

c)     DSR – Dynamic Shear Rheometer

d)    PAV – Pressure Aging Vessel

e)     BBR – Bending Beam Rheometer

2 Consensus Properties Requirements.

Aggregate Properties

a)     Gradation (Select Three Blends)

b)    Coarse Aggregate Angularity(CAA) - ASTM D5821

c)     Fine Aggregate Angularity(FAA) - AASHTO T304

d)    Flat & Elongated Particles (F&E) - ASTM D4791

e)     Clay Content (SE) - AASHTO T176

f)      Toughness - AASHTO T 96

g)     Soundness – AASHTO T 112

3 Super pave Gyratory Compactive Effort(SGCE), Number of Gyrations for N_ini , N_des & N_max

4   %GMM at N_ini , N_des & N_max

5     %VMA:

6     %VFA:

     Dust Proportion (DP Ratio):

Moisture Sensitivity and Strength:

• Concrete:

Concrete Classes:

Fine Aggregate :

Fineness Modulus, AASHTO M 6                                      2.3 to 3.1

Sodium Sulfate Soundness,MRDTM 311, 5 cycles,          Percent Loss 10% Maximum

Clay lumps and Friable Particles MRDTM 312,                 1% Maximum

Organic Impurities, MRDTM 315                                      Lighter than standard

Sand Equivalent, MRDTM 313                                          75 Minimum

Potential Cement-Aggregate Reactivity,                               Innocuous

ASTM C 289, as supplemented by ASTM C 227

Fine Aggregate Gradation: 

Sieve Size                                          Percent Passing by Weight

9.5 mm (3/8 inch)                                        100

4.75 mm (No. 4)                                       95-100

1.18 mm (No. 16)                                     45-80

0.300 mm (No. 50)                                   10-30

0.150 mm (No. 100)                                  2-10

0.075 mm (No. 200)                                  0-4

Coarse Aggregate:

Sodium Sulfate soundness,MRDTM 311, 5 cycles,                       Percent Loss 12% Maximum

Clay Lumps and Friable Particles AASHTO T 12                             1% Maximum

Soft Fragments and Shale, AASHTO M 80                                      5% Maximum

Flakiness Index MRDTM 423                                                         15

Potential Cement Aggregate Reactivity,

ASTM C 289, as supplemented by ASTM 227                                 Innocuous

Coarse Aggregate Gradation:

                                     Size A             Size B           Size C                Size D

Sieve Size                   Aggregate        Aggregate      Aggregate          Aggregate

                                     50 mm            62.5 mm         25 mm               19 mm

62.5 mm (21/2 inch)        - - -                 100              - - -                     - - -

50 mm (2 inch)                100                95-100          - - -                     - - -

37.5 mm (11/2 inch)      95-100              - - -              - - -                     - - -

25 mm (1 inch)                - - -               35-70             100                      - - -

19 mm (3/4 inch)           35-70              - - -              95-100                 100

12.5 mm (½ inch)           - - -               10-30             - - -                    90-100

9.5 mm (3/8 inch)          10-30               - - -             20-55                  40-70

4.75 mm (No. 4)             0- 5                 0-5               0-10                    0-15

2.36 mm (No. 8)            - - -                - - -                0-5                     0-5

0.075 mm (No. 200)        0-1                 0-1                0-1                     0-1

Combined Aggregate:

Material passing the 200 sieve by weight                 3% Maximum

Water-soluble Chlorides, MRDTM 319             0.04% Maximum

Water-soluble Sulfates, MRDTM 318:

Pre-stressed concrete                                          0.5% Maximum

Reinforced concrete                                            1.0% Maximum

Non-reinforced concrete                                     2.0%

Reinforced concrete in humid environment and exposed to chloride     0.10%

Reinforced concrete in humid environment but not exposed to chloride 0.15%

Prestressed concrete                                                                           0.06%

Potential Reactivity Tests.

- Gel Pat Test (National Building Studies, Research Paper No. 14).

- ASTM Test C 289 - Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali-Silica reactivity of Aggregates (Chemical Method).

- ASTM Test C 227 - Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali-Silica reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar Bar Method).

Shrinkage Test.

Reactivity Test.

Petrographic examination and description, including approximate 

composition, ASTM C295.

Water Tests:

Type of Work                       Chlorides              Sulfates

                                        (Parts per million)

Nonreinforced concrete           2000                     1500

Conventionally reinforced        500                       1000

Prestressed concrete               500                     10000

Slump Test:

Type of Work                                            Slump (mm)1,2

Concrete Pavement                                        25 - 50

Non-Reinforced Concrete Facilities                25 - 100

Reinforced Concrete Structures:

Sections over 30 cm thick                               25 - 75

Sections 30 cm thick or less                            25 - 100

Concrete placed under water                          50 - 150

Cast-in-place concrete piles:

40 cm diameter or less                                    75 - 150

43 cm to 60 cm diameter                                50 - 125

over 60 cm diameter                                      25 - 100

1Determined in accordance with MRDTM 516 and 517.

2Maximum slump is two hundred (200) mm if the approved mix design contains a high

range water reducer.

Compressive Strength of Concrete (MRDTM 528) at 7 and 28 days.

Air Content Test