Penetration value is a measure of hardness or consistency of bituminous material. It is not regarded as suitable for use in connection with the testing of road tar because of the high surface tension exhibited by these materials.Penetration test is a commonly adopted test on bitumen to grade the material in terms of its hardness. A 80/100 grade bitumen indicates that its penetration value lies between 80 & 100.Grading of bitumen helps to assess its suitability in different climatic conditions and types of construction. For bituminous macadam and penetration macadam, IRC suggests bitumen grades 30/40, 60/70, 80/100. In warmer regions, lower penetration grades are preferred to avoid softening whereas higher penetration grades like 180/200 are used in colder regions to prevent the occurrence of excessive brittleness. High penetration grade is used in spray application works.
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