FHWA NDE CENTER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
SGC Angle Validation Kit
Gyratory compactors are used by the asphalt industry to perform standardized tests on asphalt specimens and are used as a quality control tool. During testing loose-mix asphalt is placed inside a
metal mold, which is then put into the gyratory compactor. A constant consolidation pressure is applied to the sample while the
mold gyrates at a nominally constant angle and rate. The consistency at which these asphalt samples are produced is very
important to the validity of the tests performed on the specimens. Consistent samples are produced when the gyratory compactor
maintains known constant angles and rates of gyration while the specimen is under constant load.
There are several different vendors of gyratory compactors in use. Inconsistency in asphalt specimens produced with these
compactors has been attributed to variations in the gyration angle during compaction. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Center designed and developed the Superpave Gyratory Compactor Angle
Validation Kit. This kit can measure the dynamic compaction angle during testing in a gyratory compactor.
The instrument was designed for use in any type of commercially available gyratory compactor.
This angle validation kit can be used to periodically check the operation of a gyratory compactor. The instrument can be easily
placed in a mold and used to obtain information on the compactor performance during actual operation of the device with an asphalt
specimen.
For more information, please contact either by e-mail or telephone.
Frank Jalinoos (202) 493-3082
frank.jalinoos@fhwa.dot.gov
Back to the Instrumentation Design and Development Laboratory
