Designation: D 7405 – 08a

Standard Test Method for

Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery (MSCR) of Asphalt
Binder Using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer1, 2
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 7405; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope C 670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements

1.1 This test method covers the determination of percent for Test Methods for Construction Materials
recovery and non-recoverable creep compliance of asphalt D 8 Terminology Relating to Materials for Roads and Pave-
binders by means of Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery ments
(MSCR) testing. The MSCR test is conducted using the D 2872 Test Method for Effect of Heat and Air on a Moving
Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) at a specified temperature. Film of Asphalt (Rolling Thin-Film Oven Test)
1.2 This standard is appropriate for unaged material, mate- D 5801 Test Method for Toughness and Tenacity of Bitu-
rial aged in accordance with Test Method D 2872 (RTFO), minous Materials
material aged in accordance with Practice D 6521 (PAV), and D 6084 Test Method for Elastic Recovery of Bituminous
material aged in accordance with both Test Method D 2872 and Materials by Ductilometer
Practice D 6521. D 6373 Specification for Performance Graded Asphalt
Binder
NOTE 1—The majority of development work on this test method was D 6521 Practice for Accelerated Aging of Asphalt Binder
performed on material aged in accordance with Test Method D 2872
(RTFO).
Using a Pressurized Aging Vessel (PAV)
D 7175 Test Method for Determining the Rheological Prop-
1.3 The percent recovery is intended to provide a means to erties of Asphalt Binder Using a Dynamic Shear Rheom-
determine the presence of elastic response and stress depen- eter
dence of polymer modified and unmodified asphalt binders. 2.2 AASHTO Standards:4
1.4 A precision and bias statement for this standard has not M 320 Specification for Performance-Graded Asphalt
been developed at this time. Therefore, this standard should not Binder
be used for acceptance or rejection of a material for purchasing TP 70 Test Method for Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery
purposes. (MSCR) of Asphalt Binder Using a Dynamic Shear
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as Rheometer
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard. 3. Terminology
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the 3.1 Definitions—For definitions of general terms used in this
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the standard, refer to Terminology D 8.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- 3.1.1 creep and recovery, n—a standard rheological test
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- protocol whereby a specimen is subjected to a constant load for
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. a fixed time period then allowed to recover at zero load for a
fixed time period.
2. Referenced Documents
3.1.2 non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr), n—the re-
2.1 ASTM Standards: 3 sidual strain in a specimen after a creep and recovery cycle
divided by the stress applied in kPa.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D04 on Road 4. Summary of Test Method
and Paving Materials and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D04.44 on
4.1 This test method is used to determine the presence of
Rheological Tests.
Current edition approved July 1, 2008. Published July 2008. Originally approved elastic response in an asphalt binder under shear creep and
in 2008. Last previous edition approved in 2008 as D 7405 – 08. recovery at two stress levels at a specified temperature. For
2
This test method is based on a work product of the Federal Highway
Administration. A similar standard is published as AASHTO TP 70.
3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
4
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM Available from American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Officials (AASHTO), 444 N. Capitol St., NW, Suite 249, Washington, DC 20001,
the ASTM website. http://www.transportation.org.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

1
 D 7405 – 08a
performance grade (PG) binders, the specified temperature will NOTE 3—If the creep and recovery curves will be used for modeling,
typically be the PG grade upper temperature as determined in more frequent data points may be required.
Specification D 6373 or AASHTO M 320. Sample preparation 8.3 Allowing no rest period between cycles, repeat the creep
and apparatus are in accordance with Test Method D 7175 and recovery cycle in 8.2 nine times for a total of ten cycles.
using the 25 mm parallel plate geometry with a 1-mm gap 8.4 Allowing no rest period following 8.3, repeat the ten
setting. The sample is loaded at constant stress for 1 s then creep and recovery cycles of 8.2 and 8.3 utilizing a load of
allowed to recover for 9 s. Ten creep and recovery cycles are 3.200 kPa.
run at 0.100 kPa creep stress followed by ten at 3.200 kPa
creep stress. NOTE 4—The total time required to complete the two-step creep and
recovery test is 200 seconds.
5. Significance and Use 8.5 For each of the twenty creep and recovery cycles record
5.1 This test method is used to identify the presence of the following:
elastic response in a binder and the change in elastic response 8.5.1 Initial strain value at the beginning of the creep
at two different stress levels. Non-recoverable creep compli- portion of each cycle. This strain shall be denoted as ´0.
ance has been shown to be an indicator of the resistance of an 8.5.2 The strain value at the end of the creep portion (that is,
asphalt binder to permanent deformation under repeated load. after 1.0 s) of each cycle. This strain shall be denoted as ´c.
5.2 This test method is also useful as a surrogate for other 8.5.3 The adjusted strain value at the end of creep portion
test methods used to measure elasticity in asphalt binders such (that is, after 1.0 s) of each cycle:
as Test Method D 5801 (Toughness and Tenacity), Test Method
´1 5 ´ c – ´ 0 (1)
D 6084 (Elastic Recovery), and Test Method D 7175 (DSR
phase angle). 8.5.4 The strain value at the end of the recovery portion
(that is, after 10.0 s) of each cycle. This strain shall be denoted
6. Apparatus as ´r.
6.1 Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR)—A dynamic shear 8.5.5 The adjusted strain value at the end of recovery
rheometer as described in the Apparatus section of Test Method portion (that is, after 10.0 s) of each cycle:
D 7175 and associated materials as described in the Materials ´10 5 ´r – ´0 (2)
section of Test Method D 7175. The rheometer shall run in
stress control mode. 9. Calculation
7. Preparation of Test Specimen 9.1 Using the results obtained in 8.5 determine the average
7.1 Prepare the test specimen in accordance with the Pre- percent recovery and non-recoverable creep compliance for the
paring Test Specimens section of Test Method D 7175. asphalt binder at creep stress levels of 0.100 kPa and 3.200 kPa
as follows:
NOTE 2—This test may be run on a specimen previously tested in 9.1.1 For each of the ten cycles at a creep stress of 0.100
dynamic shear in accordance with the Test Procedure section of Test kPa calculate the percent recovery, ´r(100, N), for N = 1 to 10:
Method D 7175.
~´1 – ´10! · 100
8. Procedure ´r~100, N! 5 ´1 (3)

8.1 Allow the specimen to reach thermal equilibrium at the 9.1.2 For each of the ten cycles at a creep stress of 3.200
desired test temperature in accordance with the Test Procedure kPa calculate the percent recovery, ´r(3200, N), for N = 1 to 10:
section of Test Method D 7175. If the specimen has previously ~´1 – ´10! · 100
been tested in dynamic shear, allow the specimen to remain ´r~3200, N! 5 ´1 (4)
unloaded for at least one minute before starting the creep and
recovery test. 9.1.3 Calculate average percent recovery at 0.100 kPa:
8.2 Load the specimen at a constant creep stress of 0.100 R100 5 SUM~´ r~100, N!! / 10 for N 5 1 to 10 (5)
kPa for 1.00 second duration creep and follow with a zero 9.1.4 Calculate average percent recovery at 3.200 kPa:
stress recovery of 9.00 second duration. The commanded full
R3200 5 SUM~´ r~3200, N!! / 10 for N 5 1 to 10 (6)
torque for each creep cycle shall be achieved within 0.003
seconds from the start of the creep cycle as certified by the 9.1.5 Calculate percent difference in recovery between
equipment manufacturer. Record the stress and strain at least 0.100 kPa and 3.200 kPa:
every 0.10 seconds for the creep cycle and at least every 0.45 Rdiff 5 ~~R100 – R3200! · 100! / ~R100! (7)
seconds for the recovery cycle on a running accumulated time
9.1.6 For each of the ten cycles at a creep stress of 0.100
such that, in addition to other data points, data points at 1.00 s
kPa calculate the non-recoverable creep compliance, Jnr(100,
and 10.00 s for each cycle’s local time are explicitly recorded.
N), for N = 1 to 10:
8.2.1 If the DSR does not record the strain at exactly 1.00
and 10.00 seconds then the DSR software shall extrapolate ´10
Jnr~100, N! 5 100 (8)
prior data to determine the strain value at the required time.
Extrapolation data shall include a measured data point no more 9.1.7 For each of the ten cycles at a creep stress of 3.200
than 0.05 s prior to the required time for a creep cycle, no more kPa calculate the non-recoverable creep compliance, Jnr(3200,
than 0.30 s prior to the required time for a recovery cycle. N), for N = 1 to 10:

2
 D 7405 – 08a
´10 10.1.6 Non-recoverable creep compliance at 0.100 kPa,
Jnr~3200, N! 5 3200 (9)
Jnr100, to three significant figures;
9.1.8 Calculate average non-recoverable creep compliance 10.1.7 Non-recoverable creep compliance at 3.200 kPa,
at 0.100 kPa: Jnr3200, to three significant figures; and
Jnr100 5 SUM~Jnr~100, N!! / 10 for N 5 1 to 10 (10) 10.1.8 Percent difference between non-recoverable creep
9.1.9 Calculate average non-recoverable creep compliance compliance at 0.100 kPa and 3.200 kPa, Jnr-diff, to nearest
at 3.200 kPa: 0.1 %.
Jnr3200 5 SUM~Jnr~3200, N!! / 10 for N 5 1 to 10 (11) 11. Precision and Bias
9.1.10 Calculate percent difference in non-recoverable creep
11.1 Precision—The within-laboratory repeatability and
compliance between 0.100 kPa and 3.200 kPa:
between-laboratory reproducibility of this test method are
Jnr2diff 5 ~~Jnr3200 – Jnr100! · 100! / ~Jnr3200! (12) being determined according to Practice C 670 and will be
10. Report available on or before June 2008. Therefore, this standard
should not be used for acceptance or rejection of material for
10.1 Report the following information: purchasing purposes.
10.1.1 Sample identification;
11.2 Bias—This test method has no bias because the values
10.1.2 Test temperature, to the nearest 0.1ºC;
determined are defined only in terms of the test method.
10.1.3 Average percent recovery at 0.100 kPa, R100, to the
nearest 0.1 %;
12. Keywords
10.1.4 Average percent recovery at 3.200 kPa, R3200, to the
nearest 0.1 %; 12.1 asphalt binder; creep and recovery; DSR; dynamic
10.1.5 Percent difference between average recovery at 0.100 shear rheometer; elastic recovery; MSCR; non-recoverable
kPa and 3.200 kPa, Rdiff, to the nearest 0.1 %; creep compliance; polymer modified asphalt

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