Proudly Introducing Superpave Independent Assurance Laboratory Support

Superpave mix design is the result of $50M of federal research to improve the performance and durability of roads while incorporating provisions for the use of recycled asphalt pavement as a source of asphalt binder and aggregate. Caltrans has announced its intention to move in the direction of the national Superpave standard for HMA mix design which required the re-writing of Section 39 of the Standard Specification. As part of the transition, Caltrans will also be converting from California Test Methods (CTM) to National Standard test methods such as AASHTO and ASTM where applicable. BSK has made the investment in our people and Material Testing Laboratory. We are proud to be one of the first Material Testing Laboratories in California to invest in Superpave equipment, technology and certifications to support our clients.

Independent Assurance Laboratory & Testing Support

• Material Selection–Aggregate QA testing for gradation, evaluation of aggregate blends and binders
• Design – Verification of trial blends, asphalt structure, binder content, mix design
• Construction–Field QA testing of construction materials including soil, in accordance with ASTM

Equipment

BSK has made significant capital investments to support our clients as you incorporate Superpave in your capital improvement budgets:

Gyratory Compactor – Uses a gyrating motion to improve the mix design’s ability to simulate field compaction, gyrations chosen based on design traffic level

Hamburg Wheel Tracker – Technology to check aggregate structure, binder stiffness, moisture susceptibility

Tester & Laboratory Certifications

BSK maintains personnel trained in the proper use of Superpave hot-mix asphalt technology. Our  field technicians are proficient in AASHTO/ASTM test methods, hold applicable Caltrans certifications, and are employees of BSK.  Our Livermore materials testing laboratory is accredited by the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL) Program and the Caltrans for testing in accordance with “Superpave” test methods and Section 39 of the Caltrans Standard Specifications.