TD Construction Testing, the UK’s most comprehensive provider of UKAS accredited DSR testing, has strengthened its capabilities in pavement analysis, offering a comprehensive range of services designed to provide deeper insight into road material performance and lifespan.
The company delivers a complete suite pavement testing, from core extraction through to binder recovery and grading, supporting local authorities, contractors and consultants. Its work focuses on both virgin and recovered binders, helping clients better understand the condition of road materials and make informed maintenance decisions.
A key area of development is high-quality binder recovery. TD Construction Testing has refined its extraction process to minimise any change to the material, ensuring that recovered binders closely reflect in-service performance. This level of accuracy is essential for assessing remaining pavement life and planning effective maintenance strategies.
Alongside recovery, the laboratory provides a range of established characterisation tests, including needle penetration and softening point testing. While these traditional methods remain widely used, the company has placed increasing emphasis on study through rheology, the science of how materials flow and deform, to deliver more detailed performance data.
Using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), TD Construction Testing analyses how binders respond to controlled stress and strain. Frequency sweep testing enables the measurement of complex shear modulus (G*) and phase angle (δ), key indicators of stiffness and material behaviour under different conditions. Testing is carried out across a range of temperatures and loading frequencies to replicate varying traffic speeds and climates. It also determines the linear viscoelastic region, ensuring that the binder is tested under conditions where its behaviour is predictable and scientifically valid.
The company also offers the Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery Test (MSCRT), which assesses a binder’s ability to recover following repeated heavy loading, providing insight into rutting resistance on heavily trafficked roads.
These advanced techniques allow for the evaluation of recovered binder condition in line with CD 227 Section E/2, including the calculation of T(VET) and G*(VET) values. The resulting data supports a more detailed understanding of pavement ageing and remaining service life.
The company’s in-house developed testing sequences enable efficient turnaround times, while maintaining compliance with both BS EN and equivalent AASHTO standards.
As the UK’s most comprehensive provider of UKAS accredited DSR testing, TD Construction Testing positions itself as a key supplier of high-quality pavement analysis in the UK.
(Image – TD Construction Testing)