EN 12697-23:2026

• Abstract:

  This document specifies a test method for determining the (splitting) indirect tensile strength of cylindrical specimens of bituminous mixtures.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 15-Sep-2026
• 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: 6055 - CEN Ratification completed (DOR) - Publishing
• Start Date: 26-Jul-2026
• Due Date: 04-May-2026
• Completion Date: 26-Jul-2026
• Ref Project: kSIST FprEN 12697-23:2026 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile strength of bituminous specimens

• Revises: EN 12697-23:2017 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile strength of bituminous specimens
• Effective Date: 21-Feb-2024

Overview

EN 12697-23:2026 is a European standard developed by CEN that specifies the test method for the determination of the indirect tensile strength (ITS) of bituminous specimens. This standard outlines the procedure for testing cylindrical specimens, either laboratory-made or cored from a bituminous layer, to assess their tensile strength under specific conditions. The indirect tensile strength test is crucial for evaluating the mechanical properties of bituminous mixtures, which are widely used in road construction and pavement engineering.

This edition supersedes EN 12697-23:2017 and includes significant updates regarding apparatus specification, specimen conditioning, temperature control, and result reporting.

Key Topics

• Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS): Calculation of the maximum tensile stress developed in a cylindrical bituminous specimen loaded diametrically until it breaks.
• Specimen Types: Covers both laboratory-produced (impact, gyratory, vibratory, roller compacted) and site-cored specimens.
• Test Apparatus: Uses a Marshall-type compression testing machine or similar, fitted with a testing head and hardened steel loading strips.
• Sample Preparation: Details on specimen dimensions (80 mm to 160 mm diameter), aggregate size limits, and handling.
• Conditioning and Test Temperature: Specifies conditioning procedures in water bath or air chamber, with precise temperature control between +5°C and +25°C.
• Test Procedure: Loading at a steady rate until specimen failure, classification of failure types, and requirements for minimum specimen numbers.
• Calculation and Reporting: Formula for ITS, averaging over multiple specimens, and mandatory test report content including specimen details, test conditions, and observations on failure mode.

Applications

The standard is of practical importance for:

• Quality Assurance in Road Construction: Ensuring that asphalt and bituminous materials meet performance requirements for durability and resistance to cracking.
• Material Characterization: Supporting materials research and pavement design through accurate measurement of tensile strength properties.
• Routine Laboratory Testing: Used by material testing laboratories, civil engineering consultants, highway authorities, and contractors to evaluate and compare the performance of bituminous mixtures.
• Assessment of In-Situ Pavement: Enables extraction and testing of cored samples from existing roadways to assess aging, damage, or suitability for recycling and rehabilitation.

Benefits of applying EN 12697-23:2026 include enhanced reliability of test results, comparability across laboratories, and compliance with European regulatory frameworks for road construction materials.

Related Standards

When implementing EN 12697-23:2026, the following standards may also be relevant:

• EN 12697-27: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Sampling
• EN 12697-29: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Determination of the dimensions of a bituminous specimen
• EN 12697-30: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Specimen preparation by impact compactor
• EN 12697-31: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Specimen preparation by gyratory compactor
• EN 12697-32: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Specimen preparation by vibratory compactor
• EN 12697-33: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Specimen prepared by roller compactor
• EN 12697-34: Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Marshall test

These related standards provide complementary procedures for specimen preparation, testing, and quality control of bituminous materials used in road construction.

Implementing EN 12697-23:2026 in conjunction with related standards ensures comprehensive performance assessment and compliance with best practices in bituminous mixture testing.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
01-maj-2025
Bitumenske zmesi - Preskusne metode - 23. del: Ugotavljanje posredne natezne
trdnosti bitumenskih preskušancev
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile
strength of bituminous specimens
Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 23: Bestimmung der indirekten Zugfestigkeit von Asphalt-
Probekörpern
Mélanges bitumineux - Méthode d'essais - Partie 23 : Détermination de la résistance à la
traction indirecte des éprouvettes bitumineuses
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12697-23
ICS:
93.080.20 Materiali za gradnjo cest Road construction materials
oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 12697-23
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
March 2025
ICS 93.080.20 Will supersede EN 12697-23:2017
English Version
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23:
Determination of the indirect tensile strength of
bituminous specimens
Mélanges bitumineux - Méthode d'essais - Partie 23 : Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 23: Bestimmung der
Détermination de la résistance à la traction indirecte indirekten Zugfestigkeit von Asphalt-Probekörpern
des éprouvettes bitumineuses
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 12697-23:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
prEN 12697-23:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European Foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 4
5 Apparatus . 5
5.1 Compression testing machine . 5
5.2 Testing head with loading strips . 5
5.3 Measuring device . 6
5.4 Water bath . 6
5.5 Soft plastic bags. 6
6 Sample preparation . 6
6.1 Number of specimen . 6
6.2 Dimensions of test specimen . 7
6.3 Visual examination . 7
6.4 Measurement of dimensions . 7
6.5 Age of Specimen . 7
7 Conditioning . 7
8 Test temperature . 8
9 Test procedure . 8
10 Calculation . 9
11 Test report . 9
12 Precision . 9

oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
pEN 12697-23:2025 (E)
European Foreword
This document (prEN 12697-23:2025) 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 12697-23:2017.
prEN 12697-23:2025 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to
EN 12697-23:2017:
— [Clause 5.3] the wording, “accuracy of ± 0,2 kN”, amended to read “nearest 0,1 kN with a maximum
permissible error of 0,2 kN”;
— [Clause 5.4] amended to read: “Water bath, thermostatically controlled, or air chamber, capable of
maintaining the temperature in the vicinity of the specimen within ± 1 °C from the test temperature.”
— [Clause 7]. Subclause 7.1 and 7.2 deleted and merged under Clause 7. Completion with following
paragraph: “Bring the test specimen to the selected test temperature selected according to Clause 8
with a maximum permissible error of 1 °C. “;
— [Clause 8] deletion of 1st paragraph: “Unless defined elsewhere, the test temperature shall be (10 ±
2) °C. Replaced by: “The test temperature shall be selected between +5 °C to +25 °C”;
— [Clause 8], 2nd paragraph. Last two sentences deleted. 1st sentence reworded to NOTE;
— [Clause 9.1] Deletion of paragraph: “The testing machine shall be placed in a room with temperature
between 15 °C and 25 °C.;
— [Clause 10] Rounding of ITS changed to the nearest kPa instead of three significant figures.
oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025
prEN 12697-23:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document specifies a test method for determining the (splitting) indirect tensile strength of
cylindrical specimens of bituminous mixtures.
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 12697-27, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 27: Sampling
EN 12697-29, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 29: Determination of the dimensions of a
bituminous specimen
EN 12697-30, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 30: Specimen preparation by impact compactor
EN 12697-31, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 31: Specimen preparation by gyratory compactor
EN 12697-32, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 32: Specimen preparation by vibratory compactor
EN 12697-33, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 33: Specimen prepared by roller compactor
EN 12697-34, Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 34: Marshall test
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms an
...