Standards & Specifications

B4 - Bitumen & Road Emulsion

Bitumen is the visco-elastic binder that gives bituminous mixtures their flexibility and durability.  It is produced by distilling crude oil.

Bitumen is visco-elastic.  Its properties are affected by temperature and the length of time a force is applied to it.  Different grades of bitumen have differing visco-elastic resistance to deformation.

Bitumen can be dispersed in water to form a bitumen emulsion.  The bitumen is distributed throughout the emulsion as very small particles that are held in suspension by electrostatic charges created by the addition of an emulsifier. 

Full details are given in:

• BS Guidance   
  PD6691, for bitumen in mixtures
  BS 594987, for tack and bond coats
• Standards
  BS EN 12591, Bitumen and bituminous binders. Specification for paving grade bitumen
  BS EN 13808, Bitumen and bituminous binders. Framework for specifying cationic bituminous emulsions

BS EN 12591 replaced most of: BS 3690-1, Bitumens for building and civil engineering

BS EN 13808 replaced most of: BS 434-1, Bitumen road emulsions (anionic and cationic). Specification for bitumen road emulsions