• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.3 no.2 s.8
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• pp.113-121
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• 2001

Among the currently available binder specifications, Superpave Performance Grade asphalt specification is regarded as a superior specification on its theoretical background as well as pavement performance relationship. Many difficulties are expected; however, for Superpave implementation in Korea because of heavy burden of equipment cost as well as lack of trained personnel in asphalt industry, which may too much barrier to overcome in Korean situation. As an effort to improve qualify of asphalt binder, recently, people discuss about a possibility of constituting a performance-based asphalt specification using rather easy-to-measure asphalt properties. The objective of this paper is to determine the possibility of constituting a performance-based asphalt specification using an empirical asphalt properties, such as penetration ring and ball softening point rather than using fundamental properties of asphalt. Nine straight asphalts, that covers entire straight asphalt from all Korean refineries, and eighteen modified asphalts that were modified from two modifiers were included in the study. An analysis was made through a comparison between empirical properties and Superpave PG criteria. This study concluded that it may possible to constitute a pseudo-Superpave-like specification using an empirical asphalt properties as a specification criteria. Therefore, more systematic research is needed to constitute the asphalt specification.