A grading system that classifies binder by its penetration: the depth a standard needle loaded with 100 grams sinks into a sample at 25 C in 5 seconds, read in tenths of a millimeter. A 60/70 pen binder lets the needle sink 6 to 7 mm, and a lower number means a harder binder. Pen grades are the usual specification across much of Europe, Asia and Africa, while North American highway agencies buy binder by performance grade.
Export job's quoting 60/70 penetration grade, so run it through the DSR and see what PG it really lands at.
Also heard as
- pen grade
- pen
Related terms
PG
Performance Grade: the binder rating that names the hottest and coldest pavement temperatures a binder can handle.
AC
Asphalt cement: the binder itself, and in pavement design talk, shorthand for the asphalt concrete layer.
Asphalt binder
The black, sticky petroleum cement that glues the aggregate together in an asphalt mix.