IPC Global Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT)
Through a collaborative effort with InstroTek, Inc., IPC Global of Melbourne, Australia has introduced the Simple Performance Tester (SPT) or Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) to the U.S. market. The SPT determines the performance of asphalt mixtures with respect to rutting and fatigue cracking.
Born from two National Cooperative Highway Research Program projects (NCHRP), the IPC Global SPT has taken the lead in providing a simple, innovative and accurate method to predict the performance of hot-mix asphalt samples. The SPT is an integrated hydraulic testing machine incorporating a high performance hydraulic actuator, air-cooled hydraulic power pack, Control & Data Acquisition System (CDAS), a combined triaxial cell and environmental temperature control unit, all in one compact and affordable machine
The SPT was specifically designed to perform three tests developed under NCHRP projects 9-19 & 9-29:
- Dynamic Modulus Test-Provides a stiffness value (E*) for the asphalt mixture.
- Repeated Load/Flow Number Test-Simulates different loading conditions from passing traffic by placing a repeated load on an asphalt sample until it flows.
- Static Creep/Flow Time Test-Simulates a static load from stopped traffic by placing a steady pressure until the asphalt flows.
According to FHWA, review of these three tests has successfully verified a clear relationship between the volumetric properties and the performance of hot-asphalt mixes in the field.
With over 35 installations in the U.S. alone, and many more worldwide, the IPC Global SPT is the leader in asphalt mixture performance testing. The unit offers easy to install instrumentation, software with crisp, easy to understand graphic screens for test set up and review of results and an intuitive computer interface. But more importantly, the IPC Global SPT/AMPT has been used consistently for over 3 years in a real world environment to test a wide range of asphalt mixes.