EN 12697-32:2019

Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 32: Specimen preparation by vibratory compactor

This document specifies a method for the preparation of bituminous test specimens using a vibratory compaction technique.
This document is applicable to loose mixtures and cores and is used to establish a refusal density for a bituminous mixture, or to determine the ease of compaction as described in EN 12697-10.

Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 32: Herstellung von Probekörpern mit einem Vibrationsverdichter

Dieses Dokument beschreibt ein Verfahren zur Herstellung von Asphalt-Probekörpern mit Hilfe einer Vibrationsverdichtungstechnik.
Dieses Dokument gilt sowohl für loses Mischgut als auch für Bohrkerne und ist bei der Bestimmung einer End-Raumdichte für einen gegebenen Asphalt oder bei der Bestimmung der Verdichtbarkeit nach EN 12697 10 anzuwenden.

Matériaux enrobés - Méthodes d'essai - Partie 32 : Confection d'éprouvettes par compacteur vibratoire

Ce document décrit une méthode de préparation d’éprouvettes bitumineuses avec une technique de compactage vibratoire.
Le présent document s’applique aux mélanges foisonnés et aux carottes et sert à établir une masse volumique de refus pour un mélange bitumineux, ou à déterminer la facilité de compactage telle que décrite dans l'EN 12697 10.

Bitumenske zmesi - Preskusne metode - 32. del: Priprava preskušancev z vibracijskim zgoščevalnikom

Ta evropski standard opisuje preskusno metodo za pripravo bitumenskih preskušancev s tehniko vibracijskega zgoščevanja.
Ta evropski standard se uporablja za mehke zmesi in jedra ter se uporablja za vzpostavitev gostote v postopku zavrnitve za bitumensko zmes ali za ugotavljanje preprostosti zgoščevanja, kot je opisano v standardu EN 12697-10.
V primeru vnovičnega segretja zmesi preskušanca ni dovoljeno uporabiti za ugotavljanje nadaljnjih mehanskih
lastnosti.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 05-Mar-2019
• Withdrawal Date: 29-Sep-2019
• 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: 9093 - Decision to confirm - Review Enquiry
• Start Date: 18-Jun-2025
• Completion Date: 23-Sep-2025
• Directive: 305/2011 - Regulation (eu) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 march 2011 laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing council directive 89/106/eec
• Mandate: M/124 - Mandate to CEN/CENELEC concerning the execution of standardization work for harmonized standards on road construction products
• Ref Project: SIST EN 12697-32:2019 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 32: Specimen preparation by vibratory compactor

Relations

• Replaces: EN 12697-32:2003+A1:2007 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods for hot mix asphalt - Part 32: Laboratory compaction of bituminous mixtures by vibratory compactor
• Effective Date: 13-Mar-2019

Overview

EN 12697-32:2019 is a European standard established by CEN that defines the test method for preparing bituminous mixture specimens using a vibratory compaction technique. This method applies to both loose mixtures and core samples taken from road surfaces. The purpose of this standard is to ensure consistent specimen preparation to determine key properties such as refusal density and ease of compaction, which are critical factors in evaluating the performance of bituminous materials used in road construction.

This updated 2019 version supersedes the earlier EN 12697-32:2003+A1:2007 and introduces clarifications and improvements aligned with related compaction and specimen preparation methods. It is widely adopted across European member countries, forming an essential part of quality control and research for road materials.

Key Topics

• Scope and Application
  EN 12697-32 is applicable for both laboratory-prepared loose bituminous mixtures and cores extracted from existing road pavements. It focuses on specimen preparation to simulate field compaction via a vibratory compactor.

• Specimen Preparation Procedure
  Specimens are compacted in a standard split mould mounted with a base plate, using a laboratory electric vibrating hammer operating between 20 Hz and 50 Hz frequency with power consumption of 750-1000 W. Key steps include:

  • Heating materials or cores to compaction temperature
  • Placing the material in the mould with release agents such as silicone grease and paper discs
  • Applying vibratory compaction at predetermined points around the mould for specified times
  • Reversing and re-compacting to achieve refusal density

• Refusal Density and Air Voids
  The refusal density represents the maximum density achievable by the mixture under vibratory compaction, closely simulating field conditions. The refusal air voids content quantifies the volume of air voids remaining at this density, critical for durability assessments.

• Apparatus and Materials
  The standard details required equipment including vibrating hammers, mould assemblies, heating ovens, and auxiliary tools such as thermometers and callipers. It also outlines the use of sealing compounds, paper discs, and void fillers to enhance test accuracy.

• Precision and Repeatability
  Precision data report a repeatability of 1.2 and reproducibility of 1.8 for percentage refusal density using 150 mm cores. This provides confidence in the test’s reliability across labs.

• Test Reporting
  The test report must reference EN 12697-32 and document mixture identification, preparation method or sampling location, and measured refusal density or compactability results.

Applications

EN 12697-32:2019 is widely used for:

• Quality Control in Asphalt Production
  Ensures laboratory samples mimic site compaction conditions, helping manufacturers optimize mixture design and adjust production parameters.

• Road Construction and Maintenance
  Assesses the compactability of asphalt mixtures to predict field density, aiding contractors in achieving durable pavements.

• Research and Development
  Supports development of new bituminous materials and compaction technologies by providing standardized specimen preparation.

• Compliance and Certification
  Used by regulatory bodies and certification labs to verify that materials meet specified compaction and density criteria.

• Comparison of Mixing Methods
  Enables comparison between plant-mixed, laboratory-mixed, and in-situ cores for performance benchmarking.

Related Standards

EN 12697-32 interacts closely with other standards in the bituminous mixtures series, including:

• EN 12697-6 – Determination of Bulk Density of Bituminous Specimens
• EN 12697-8 – Determination of Void Characteristics of Bituminous Specimens
• EN 12697-10 – Compactability Testing of Bituminous Mixtures
• EN 12697-27 – Sampling of Bituminous Mixtures
• EN 12697-35 – Laboratory Mixing of Bituminous Mixtures
• EN 1097-5 – Determination of Water Content in Aggregates

Using EN 12697-32 in combination with these standards ensures a comprehensive evaluation of mixture properties from sampling through compaction and density measurement.

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Keywords: EN 12697-32, bituminous mixtures, vibratory compactor, specimen preparation, refusal density, compactability test, asphalt testing, road materials standards, bituminous test methods, laboratory compaction, European standard, CEN road materials.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2019
1DGRPHãþD
SIST EN 12697-32:2004+A1:2007
%LWXPHQVNH]PHVL3UHVNXVQHPHWRGHGHO3ULSUDYDSUHVNXãDQFHY]
YLEUDFLMVNLP]JRãþHYDOQLNRP
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 32: Specimen preparation by vibratory
compactor
Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 32: Herstellung von Probekörpern mit einem
Vibrationsverdichter
Matériaux enrobés - Méthodes d'essai - Partie 32 : Compactage en laboratoire de
mélanges bitumineux par compacteur vibratoire
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12697-32:2019
ICS:
93.080.20 Materiali za gradnjo cest Road construction materials
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 12697-32
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
March 2019
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 93.080.20 Supersedes EN 12697-32:2003+A1:2007
English Version
Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 32: Specimen
preparation by vibratory compactor
Matériaux enrobés - Méthodes d'essai - Partie 32 : Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 32: Herstellung von
Compactage en laboratoire de mélanges bitumineux Probekörpern mit einem Vibrationsverdichter
par compacteur vibratoire
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 19 November 2018.

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. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists 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, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2019 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12697-32:2019 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 5
5 Materials . 5
6 Apparatus . 5
7 Preparation of test specimens . 6
7.1 Core specimens . 6
7.2 Plant-mixed materials . 7
7.3 Laboratory-mixed materials . 7
8 Calculation and expression of results . 7
9 Test report . 7
10 Precision . 8
Annex A (normative) Test method for determining the suitability of a vibrating hammer for
laboratory compaction . 10
A.1 Principle . 10
A.2 Apparatus . 10
A.3 Materials . 10
A.4 Preparation of sample . 10
A.5 Procedure. 10
A.6 Calculation and expression of results . 11
A.7 Calibration certificate . 12
European foreword
This document (EN 12697-32:2019) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 227 “Road
materials”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by September 2019, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by September 2019.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 12697-32:2003+A1:2007.
The following is a list of significant technical changes since the previous edition:
— The series title no longer makes the method exclusively for hot mix asphalt;
— Title shortened to be in line with other compaction methods;
— [7.1.11] De-moulding of sample clarified;
— [7.3.1] Reference to EN 12697-30:2004+A1:2007 replaced by EN 12697-35;
— [A.2.8] Reference to apparatus for water content: EN 1097-5 replaces EN 12697-14;
— [A.6] Deletion of brackets in formulae: [A.1] and [A.2].
A list of all parts in the EN 12697 series can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for the preparation of bituminous test specimens using a vibratory
compaction technique.
This document is applicable to loose mixtures and cores and is used to establish a refusal density for a
bituminous mixture, or to determine the ease of compaction as described in EN 12697-10.
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 1097-5, Tests for mechanical and physical properties of aggregates — Part 5: Determination of the
water content by drying in a ventilated oven
EN 12697-6, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods for hot mix asphalt — Part 6: Determination of bulk
density of bituminous specimens
EN 12697-8, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods— Part 8: Determination of void characteristics of
bituminous specimens
EN 12697-10, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 10: Compactability
EN 12697-27, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 27: Sampling
EN 12697-35, Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 35: Laboratory mixing
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
bulk density
mass in air per unit volume of the compacted specimen at ambient temperature
3.2
refusal density
mass per unit volume, including voids, of the specimen compacted to refusal
3.3
refusal air voids content
air voids content of specimen compacted to refusal in accordance with the test method
3.4
percentage refusal density
ratio of the initial bulk density of the compacted specimen to its refusal density, expressed as a
percentage
4 Principle
After the mixing, preparation and conditioning of a bituminous material in the laboratory, the heating of
a core extracted from the road surface to compaction temperature, or the conditioning of plant-mixed
material, the material or core is placed in a standard mould with attached base plate and collar and
compacted by a vibratory hammer.
NOTE For loose material prepared or compacted in the laboratory, or plant-mixed material compacted in the
laboratory, the refusal density is an indication of the potential maximum density which may be achieved under
field conditions.
5 Materials
5.1 Sealing compound.
5.2 Paper discs, to prevent the ends of the specimen from sticking to the base plate or the tamping
foot.
5.3 Silicone grease, for use as a release agent.
5.4 Inert void filling material.
6 Apparatus
6.1 Drying oven, to maintain a temperature of between 25 °C and 45 °C.
6.2 Balance.
6.3 Water bath.
6.4 Split core mould and base plate (see Figure 1).
6.5 One spare base plate.
NOTE Only one spare base plate is needed for a complete set of moulds.
6.6 Heating oven, with fan-assisted circulation.
6.7 Electric vibrating hammer, conforming to Annex A and suitable for laboratory compaction. The
hammer shall have a power consumption of 750 W to 1 000 W and shall operate at a frequency of 20 Hz
to 50 Hz.
6.8 50 mm or 75 mm wide point stripping knife and a pallet knife.
6.9 (102 ± 2) mm diameter tamping foot and a (146 ± 2) mm diameter tamping foot, for use with the
electric vibrating hammer (see 6.7).
6.10 300 mm steel rule.
6.11 Pair of external callipers.
6.12 Stopwatch or clock.
6.13 Thermometer.
...