FprEN 12697-27

• Abstract:

  This document specifies test methods for sampling bituminous mixtures for roads and other paved areas to determine their physical properties and composition.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 03-Jan-2027
• ICS: 93.080.20 - Road construction materials
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 227 - Road materials
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 227/WG 1 - Bituminous mixtures
• Current Stage: 5020 - Submission to Vote - Formal Approval
• Start Date: 10-Sep-2026
• Due Date: 09-Feb-2026
• Completion Date: 10-Sep-2026
• Ref Project: kSIST FprEN 12697-27:2026 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 27: Sampling

• Revises: EN 12697-27:2017 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 27: Sampling
• Effective Date: 21-Feb-2024

FprEN 12697-27 is a CEN draft European Standard on sampling bituminous mixtures for roads and other paved areas. It specifies how to take samples so later tests can determine physical properties and composition. The methods are intended for people who need a representative sample from delivery, paving, compaction, plant output, or stockpiles.

What does FprEN 12697-27 specify?

FprEN 12697-27 specifies test methods for sampling bituminous mixtures used on roads and other paved areas. Clause 4 covers bulk samples from most material situations, Clause 5 covers coated chippings from stockpiles, and Clause 6 covers marking, reporting, and packaging of laboratory samples.

The document is organized into:

• Clause 1 - scope
• Clause 2 - normative references
• Clause 3 - terms and definitions
• Clause 4 - methods of obtaining bulk samples from all materials except coated chippings
• Clause 5 - sampling coated chippings from stockpiles
• Clause 6 - marking and packaging of laboratory samples

What are the key requirements of FprEN 12697-27?

FprEN 12697-27 focuses on how to take increments, combine them into bulk samples, and protect the sample after collection. The practical point is that the sampling method has to match the material condition and the later test.

Sampling from loads, plant discharge, and pavers

For a lorry load, Clause 4 requires several increments taken from below the surface and from positions spread across the load. Shovel or scoop sampling is used for smaller aggregate sizes, while a stainless steel sampling tube is used where that is suitable. This matters because the outer surface can be unrepresentative, so the sample needs to come from inside the mass.

For mastic asphalt during discharge from a mixer transporter, the sample is taken at the outlet chute after part of the load has already discharged. The document says to form a slab immediately so the sample can meet the size needed for the follow-on test in EN 12697-20. In practice, this avoids bias from the first or last material discharged unless that part is being examined on purpose.

Sampling from the material around paver augers is also covered. The increments are taken only when the augers are charged throughout their length, and the increments from both sides are combined. That gives a sample from the material actually being fed to the paver.

Sampling from heaps, trenches, and compacted layers

For workable material in heaps, Clause 4 requires increments taken from different positions below the outer surface, then combined into one bulk sample. The same idea is used when sampling from a cut trench in laid but not rolled material: the excavated material is collected, formed into a heap, and then sampled from that heap.

For compacted layers, the document gives two main routes. Coring is used when thickness, compacted density, void content, binder content, or grading are to be checked. Slabs can also be hacked out or sawn out when physical properties are to be measured, with care taken to avoid damage or distortion. The practical effect is that the sampling method must preserve the layer condition needed for the intended test.

Sampling from plant equipment and stockpiles

Clause 4 also covers sampling from a slat conveyor of a continuous process plant and from a material hopper/paver. In both cases, the sample is taken as several increments and combined, with enough material gathered for the intended laboratory work. Clause 5 covers coated chippings from stockpiles, using multiple increments from below the surface to make a bulk sample.

Marking, reporting, and packaging

Clause 6 requires each sample or container to be clearly marked and accompanied by a sampling report. The report identifies the project, location, sample reference, time, method, material type, and the sampler. Packaging must prevent contamination or damage, and mixtures prepared with added water must be sealed so the water cannot evaporate.

What terms does FprEN 12697-27 define?

• Increment - a single quantity taken from a larger body of material.
• Bulk sample - a sample made by combining increments so there is enough material for the required tests.
• Representative sample - a sample made from a specified number of increments to represent a specific quantity or area.
• Spot sample - a single sample taken at one place and time.
• Laboratory sample - the sample sent to the laboratory for testing.
• Coated chippings - chippings that are sampled separately from stockpiles under Clause 5.

Who uses FprEN 12697-27?

FprEN 12697-27 is used by road materials laboratories, asphalt producers, paving contractors, purchasers, and site quality staff. It helps the people who take samples, check delivery lots, agree sampling locations, and prepare material for testing or investigation. It is also relevant where the purchaser and supplier need to agree the pattern of coring or the area to be sampled.

What changed in FprEN 12697-27 from the previous edition?

FprEN 12697-27 will supersede EN 12697-27:2017. The foreword states two changes: the paragraph describing applicability was deleted, and Clause 6.2 now includes packaging guidance for bulk samples containing water.

Which standards are used with FprEN 12697-27?

• EN 58 - provides sampling requirements for bituminous binders and supplies terms used in Clause 3.
• EN 12697-20 - sets the specimen size needed when mastic asphalt is formed into a slab for further testing.

What does the FprEN 12697-27 document contain?

The document contains illustrated sampling tools and arrangements, including shovels, scoops, sampling tubes, trays, and a scoop for coated chippings. It also includes an example of how to draw three bulk samples with a sampling tube. Clause 4 and Clause 5 give the apparatus and procedures for each sampling situation, while Clause 6 covers the sampling report and packaging. The figures support field use by showing the sampling tools and the way some samples are removed, framed, or stored.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
01-maj-2025
Bitumenske zmesi - Preskusne metode - 27. del: Vzorčenje
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 27: Sampling
Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 27: Probenahme
Mélanges bitumineux - Méthodes d'essai - Partie 27: Prélèvements d'échantillonnage
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12697-27
ICS:
93.080.20 Materiali za gradnjo cest Road construction materials
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 12697-27
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
March 2025
ICS 93.080.20 Will supersede EN 12697-27:2017
English Version
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 27: Sampling
Mélanges bitumineux - Méthodes d'essai - Partie 27: Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 27: Probenahme
Prélèvements d'échantillonnage
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 227.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12697-27:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
prEN 12697-27:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Methods of obtaining bulk samples from all materials except coated chippings . 5
4.1 Sampling from a lorry load of material . 5
4.1.1 Apparatus . 5
4.1.2 Procedure . 5
4.2 Sampling mastic asphalt during discharge from a mixer transporter . 5
4.2.1 Apparatus . 5
4.2.2 Procedure . 6
4.3 Sampling from the material around the augers of the paver . 6
4.3.1 Apparatus . 6
4.3.2 Procedure . 6
4.4 Sampling of workable material in heaps . 6
4.4.1 Apparatus . 6
4.4.2 Procedure . 6
4.4.3 General . 7
4.4.4 Apparatus . 7
4.4.5 Procedure . 7
4.5 Sampling from the laid but not rolled material from a cut trench . 7
4.5.1 General . 7
4.5.2 Apparatus . 7
4.5.3 Procedure using sampling shovel . 7
4.5.4 Procedure using asphalt sampling scoop . 8
4.6 Sampling of laid and compacted materials by coring . 8
4.6.1 Apparatus . 8
4.6.2 Procedure . 8
4.7 Sampling of laid and compacted material by hacking out or sawing out slabs . 8
4.7.1 Apparatus . 8
4.7.2 Procedure . 9
4.8 Sampling from the slat conveyor of a continuous process plant . 9
4.8.1 Apparatus . 9
4.8.2 Procedure . 9
4.9 Sampling from material hopper/paver . 9
4.9.1 Apparatus . 9
4.9.2 Procedure . 10
5 Sampling coated chippings from stockpiles . 10
5.1 Apparatus . 10
5.2 Procedure . 10
6 Marking and packaging of laboratory samples . 10
6.1 Sampling report . 10
6.2 Packaging . 11
Bibliography . 16
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
prEN 12697-27:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 12697-27:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 227 “Road
materials”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 12697-27:2017.
prEN 12697-27:2025 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to
EN 12697-27:2017.
— [European Foreword] deletion of paragraph describing the applicability of this document.
— [Clause 6.2] added description for packaging of bulk samples containing water.
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
prEN 12697-27:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document specifies test methods for sampling bituminous mixtures for roads and other paved areas
to determine their physical properties and composition.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 58, Bitumen and bituminous binders - Sampling bituminous binders
EN 12697-20, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 20: Indentation using cube or Marshall specimens
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 58 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
increment
single quantity of material taken from a larger body of the material under examination
3.2
bulk sample
sample obtained when increments from the material being sampled are combined to provide sufficient
material for all required purposes
3.3
representative sample
sample consisting of a specified number of increments purposely taken to represent a specific quantity
or area of material
Note 1 to entry: A representative sample is assumed to have the same composition as the material sampled,
within the limits of precision associated with the method of sampling.
3.4
spot sample
sample of material taken in a single operation at a single place and time of the material being sampled
Note 1 to entry: If it can be assumed that the material is homogeneous, a spot sample can be regarded as a
representative sample. If the material is not homogeneous, a spot sample only can be regarded as representative of
a limited region around the sampling point.
3.5
laboratory sample
sample despatched to the laboratory
Note 1 to entry: It can be the whole or part of the bulk or representative sample. A laboratory sample is assumed
to be of sufficient quantity for all tests required.
oSIST prEN 12697-27:2025
prEN 12697-27:2025 (E)
4 Methods of obtaining bulk samples from all materials except coated chippings
4.1 Sampling from a lorry load of material
4.1.1 Apparatus
a) sampling shovel (such as that shown in Figure 1); or
b) sampling scoop (such as that shown in Figure 2) for materials whose nominal size is 16 mm and
smaller; or
c) sampling tube of stainless steel (see Figure 3 and Figure 4). Pipe size M may not be used when the
nominal maximum size for aggregate is greater than 16 mm.
4.1.2 Procedure
4.1.2.1 Using a sampling shovel or scoop, take a minimum of four increments of approximately:
a) 2 kg each for material containing aggregate of nominal size equal or smaller than 16 mm;
b) 3 kg each for material containing aggregate of nominal size larger than 16 mm.
For mixtures with aggregate size ≥ 32 mm eight increments is recommended.
Take the increments from about 100 mm below the surface of the material from different positions as
widely spaced as practicable but not closer than 300 mm from the side of the lorry. Remove all the surface
material including any coarse material that may fall into the hole during sampling.
With some less cohesive materials the use of a metal plate, pushed into the material to facilitate digging
100 mm down is recommended to stop surface material falling into the hole.
4.1.2.2 Using a sampling tube (size M or N), take a minimum of three increments of approximately
4 kg.
To enable representative sampling the lorry should be loaded with at least half the volume with current
material.
Take the increments of the material from different positions as widely spaced as practicable but not
closer than 0,5 m from the side of the lorry. Push the tube horizontally in the mass and so far that the
entire tube is filled. Pull out the tube and empty the contents into the packaging.
NOTE When more than one bulk sample is needed, an example of sample drawing for three bulk samples is
given in Figure 9.
4.1.2.3 Combine the increments obtained to form the bulk sample.
The number of increments spe
...