oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025

Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile strength of bituminous specimens

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

Asphalt - Prüfverfahren - Teil 23: Bestimmung der indirekten Zugfestigkeit von Asphalt-Probekörpern

Dieses Dokument legt ein Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung der indirekten Zugfestigkeit (Spaltzugfestigkeit) von zylindrischen Asphalt-Probekörpern fest.

Mélanges bitumineux - Méthode d'essais - Partie 23 : Détermination de la résistance à la traction indirecte des éprouvettes bitumineuses

La présente Norme européenne spécifie une méthode d’essai permettant de déterminer la résistance à la traction indirecte (fendage) d’éprouvettes cylindriques de mélanges bitumineux.

Bitumenske zmesi - Preskusne metode - 23. del: Ugotavljanje posredne natezne trdnosti bitumenskih preskušancev

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 28-May-2025
• ICS: 93.080.20 - Road construction materials
• Technical Committee: CES - Roads
• Current Stage: 4020 - Public enquire (PE) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 27-Mar-2025
• Due Date: 14-Aug-2025
• Completion Date: 06-Aug-2025
• Ref Project: prEN 12697-23 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile strength of bituminous specimens

Relations

• Revises: SIST EN 12697-23:2018 - Bituminous mixtures - Test methods - Part 23: Determination of the indirect tensile strength of bituminous specimens
• Effective Date: 21-Feb-2024

Overview

The oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025:2025 standard, developed by CEN/TC 227, defines a precise test method for determining the indirect tensile strength (ITS) of cylindrical specimens made from bituminous mixtures. ITS measurement is crucial for evaluating the tensile properties and durability of asphalt materials used in road construction.

This updated European Standard supersedes EN 12697-23:2017 and introduces important technical revisions to improve measurement accuracy and specimen conditioning. The method involves loading cylindrical specimens diametrically until failure, with ITS calculated from the peak load and specimen dimensions.

Key Topics

• Scope: Applies to cylindrical bituminous mixture specimens, either laboratory-prepared or cored from asphalt layers or slabs.
• Sample Preparation: Specimens must have diameters of 80, 100, 120, 150, or 160 mm, with height between 35 and 75 mm, and prepared according to related EN standards.
• Test Equipment: Requires a compression testing machine (minimum 28 kN capacity), loading strips matched to specimen size, precise load measuring devices, and temperature-controlled water baths or air chambers.
• Conditioning: Specimens must be conditioned at test temperature between +5 °C and +25 °C for 2 to 4 hours depending on diameter, using watertight protection in baths or temperature-controlled air chambers to ensure thermal equilibrium.
• Test Procedure:
  • Specimens are loaded diametrically at a constant deformation rate of 50 ± 2 mm/min until failure.
  • Failure modes are classified visually as 'clear tensile break,' 'deformation,' or 'combination'.
  • Peak load values are recorded and specimens inspected for aggregate breakage.
• Calculation: ITS is calculated using the specimen dimensions and peak load, expressed in kilopascals rounded to the nearest kPa.
• Reporting: Test reports include reference to the standard, sample details, specimen dimensions, test temperature, loading data, and failure observations.

Applications

The test method outlined in oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025:2025 is widely applicable in:

• Road construction quality control: Ensuring bituminous mixes meet tensile strength requirements for durability.
• Material research and development: Evaluating new asphalt mixtures or additives to optimize performance.
• Structural assessment: Testing cores from existing pavements for maintenance and rehabilitation planning.
• Contract specifications compliance: Verifying construction materials per national and international regulations.

This standard supports reliable, reproducible assessment of bituminous mixture tensile properties, helping engineers and contractors improve asphalt pavement performance and longevity.

Related Standards

oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025 interacts closely with other parts of the EN 12697 series addressing bituminous mixtures:

• EN 12697-27: Sampling methods for bituminous mixtures.
• EN 12697-29: Measurement of specimen dimensions.
• EN 12697-30, -31, -32, -33: Various specimen preparation techniques including impact, gyratory, vibratory, and roller compactors.
• EN 12697-34: Marshall test method detailing loading machine requirements often used interchangeably.

By following oSIST prEN 12697-23:2025 alongside these complementary standards, stakeholders can ensure comprehensive and standardized testing workflows for road construction materials and processes.

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Keywords: indirect tensile strength, ITS test, bituminous mixtures, cylindrical specimens, asphalt tensile strength, road construction materials testing, EN 12697-23, CEN standards, asphalt quality control, tensile strength measurement

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
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
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
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.

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

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.
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.
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
...