🧱 Indentation (depth of penetration) of mastic asphalt and other bituminous mixtures with aggregate up to 16 mm — pressing a cylindrical indentor pin with a flat, circular base into a cube specimen (70,7 mm edge) or a cylindrical specimen, PN-EN 12697-20

Construction PN-EN 12697-20

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card of PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07, in full (our translation of the Polish card text): “This document specifies a method for assessing the penetration of sealing asphalt and other types of asphalt when a force is applied to them via a pin with a flat, circular base. This document applies to aggregates with a maximum nominal size less than or equal to 16 mm.” (“Sealing asphalt” is the card's translation of the English “mastic asphalt”.) We do not have the text of the EN 12697-20:2020 edition. We read the preview of oSIST prEN 12697-20:2019, i.e. the DRAFT prEN 12697-20 of December 2018 submitted to CEN enquiry, from the cover to subclause 3.1.9 (page 4); the draft itself states that it is not a European Standard and is subject to change — the figures below come from the draft, not from the 2020 edition.

ACCORDING TO THE DRAFT prEN 12697-20:2018 (foreword, contents, clauses 1–3.1.9). The draft was prepared by CEN/TC 227 “Road materials” (secretariat DIN); it was to supersede EN 12697-20:2012. Title of the draft: “Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 20: Indentation using cube or Marshall specimens”; the PKN card of the 2020 edition gives the title with “cylindrical (CY)” specimens. Significant changes compared with the 2012 edition according to the foreword of the draft: the title no longer restricts the method to hot mix asphalt; editorial update; references to EN 13108-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -7 deleted; in Figure 1 the tolerances of the metal mould corrected to ± 0,5 mm in accordance with 3.1.1; in 5.3.2.3 and 5.3.3 the maximum temperature amended to 230 °C in accordance with EN 12697-35. Scope (Clause 1): the depth of indentation of mastic asphalt and other asphalt when a force is applied via a cylindrical indentor pin with a flat, circular base; aggregate with a maximum nominal size up to 16 mm. Normative references: EN 12697-27 (sampling), EN 12697-30 (specimen preparation by impact compactor), EN 12697-35 (laboratory mixing), EN 12970 (mastic asphalt for waterproofing), EN 13108-6 (mastic asphalt — specifications), ISO 48 (rubber hardness in IRHD). Apparatus for moulding mastic asphalt cubes (3.1): cubic mould — a composite metal mould with an internal edge of (70,7 ± 0,5) mm (Figure 1); oven maintaining (250 ± 10) °C; hardwood tamper of square cross-section, edge about 30 mm; spatula about 30 mm wide; mixing bowl with spoon; thermometer up to 300 °C accurate to 2 °C; thermometer up to 40 °C accurate to 1 °C; release agent (e.g. glycerine or waxed paper); adjustable mould for the test cube (Figure 6). Here the read preview ends. The table of contents of the draft then lists: indentation test apparatus (3.2) with loading apparatus (3.2.1); specimens — type, number, conditioning (Clause 4); procedure (Clause 5) — checking, test conditions, cube specimen preparation (size, mastic asphalt samples mixed on industrial scale, laboratory-mixed mastic asphalt, moulding), cylindrical specimen preparation, mounting and temperature conditioning, application of the force; result (6), precision (7) and test report (8).

STATUS (cards as of 02.10.2026). The card of PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07 (English version) has no “Withdrawn” header — the standard is CURRENT: published 28-07-2020, 18 pages, price group J, Construction Sector, KT 212 Road Construction and Maintenance, ICS 93.080.20, “Introduces: EN 12697-20:2020 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN 12697-20:2012 - English version”. There is no Polish version of the 2020 edition in the catalogue: the PKN search for “PN-EN 12697-20” (02.10.2026) shows the editions 2020-07 (English), 2012 (English), 2007 (Polish) and 2004 (English). Card of PN-EN 12697-20:2012 (English version, “Bituminous mixtures — Test methods for hot mix asphalt — Part 20: Indentation (penetration) test on cube or cylindrical specimens (CY)”, introduces EN 12697-20:2012; “Scope” field among others: “The nominal grain size should be less than or equal to 16 mm”): “Withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07 - English version”, withdrawal date 28-07-2020. Card of PN-EN 12697-20:2007 (Polish version, “… Hardness (penetration) test on cube or Marshall specimens”, introduces EN 12697-20:2003, replaced PN-EN 12697-20:2004): “Withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 12697-20:2012”, withdrawal date 31-05-2012.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read 02.10.2026). The number 12697-20 appears in 10 records of 9 laboratories: AB 937 (2), AB 1269, AB 1414, AB 1483, AB 1484, AB 1529, AB 1532, AB 1538, AB 1689 (1 each). Current scopes on the PCA website (read 02.10.2026, scope issues from 11.07.2025 to 09.09.2026): 10 items, the same as in the copy. Forms: “PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07” — 7 laboratories (AB 1414, AB 1483, AB 1484, AB 1529, AB 1532, AB 1538, AB 1689); undated — AB 937 (two items) and AB 1269. None of these items is suspended. The “Laboratories” tab searches for entries BEGINNING WITH “PN-EN 12697-20” and shows all 9 laboratories — checked with the tab query on the production server labcoda.pl on 02.10.2026: 9 laboratories and 10 items (AB 937 — 2); under “EN 12697-20” — 1 Czech laboratory (1181).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (items in PCA). Object: bituminous mixtures — at eight laboratories; mastic asphalt — AB 1269 (item marked “E” — flexible scope of accreditation, next to sampling on discharge from a transport boiler according to PN-EN 12697-27). Name of the test: “Hardness (penetration) on cube specimens” — AB 1414, AB 1483, AB 1484, AB 1529, AB 1538, AB 1689; “Penetration on cube specimens” — AB 1532; “Hardness (penetration)” — AB 1269; “Permanent deformation on cube specimens” — AB 937 (in one item with a range of (1–25) mm and the description “Method of loading with a pin”; items marked “E”). No laboratory mentions cylindrical specimens in the name. Next to this standard the same scopes list, among others, wheel tracking (method B in air, small device), binder drainage, sampling according to PN-EN 12697-27 and air void content — according to other standards, which we do not describe here.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. With the edition: the title and the name of the test have changed — the 2007 edition spoke of “hardness (penetration)” on cube or Marshall specimens, the 2012 edition of “hardness (penetration)” on cube or cylindrical (CY) specimens for hot mix asphalt, the 2020 edition — of “penetration” without restriction to hot mix; the names in the scopes (“hardness”, “permanent deformation”) do not indicate the edition, and two laboratories give the number undated. With the preparation temperature: according to the foreword of the draft, the maximum temperature in 5.3.2.3 and 5.3.3 is 230 °C in accordance with EN 12697-35 — a change compared with the 2012 edition; we have not checked the value of the 2020 edition. With the mould: internal edge 70,7 mm with a tolerance of ± 0,5 mm (the draft corrected Figure 1 to this tolerance). With the aggregate: the method applies to mixtures with aggregate up to 16 mm — a result for a coarser mixture is outside the scope of the standard. With the specimens: the standard provides for cubes and cylindrical specimens; the laboratories' scopes mention only cube specimens.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We have neither the text of the 2020 edition nor the rest of the draft from 3.2 onwards: the indentation apparatus (pin dimensions, force, gauge), number and conditioning of specimens, test conditions (temperature, loading time), preparation of cubes and cylindrical specimens, the way the force is applied, calculation of the result, precision or the test report — so we do not give the force, pin area, test temperature, time, formula or penetration classes.

Method principle

From mastic asphalt (a production sample or a laboratory-mixed one) a cube is moulded in a metal mould with an internal edge of 70,7 mm — or a cylindrical specimen is prepared — it is temperature-conditioned and a cylindrical indentor pin with a flat, circular base is pressed into it with a specified force; the result is the depth of indentation (penetration). We do not give the force, pin dimensions, temperature or time — we do not have this part of the text.

Applications

• Bituminous mixtures — “hardness (penetration) on cube specimens” in the scopes of 7 laboratories (AB 1414, AB 1483, AB 1484, AB 1529, AB 1532, AB 1538, AB 1689)
• Mastic asphalt — hardness (penetration) with sampling from a transport boiler (AB 1269)
• “Permanent deformation on cube specimens”, range (1–25) mm, method of loading with a pin (AB 937)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07 (wersja angielska; EN 12697-20:2020 IDT)

Title (PL)

Mieszanki mineralno-asfaltowe — Metody badań — Część 20: Badanie penetracji na próbkach sześciennych lub cylindrycznych (CY)

Title (EN)

Bituminous mixtures — Test methods — Part 20: Indentation using cube or cylindrical specimens (CY)

Step-by-step procedure

1. Mixture sample

   Sampling according to EN 12697-27 (mastic asphalt from production) or laboratory mixing according to EN 12697-35; aggregate up to 16 mm. PN-EN 12697-20:2020-07 current (card as of 02.10.2026).

2. Moulding the cube or cylindrical specimen

   Cube in a mould with an edge of (70,7 ± 0,5) mm using release agent, tamper and spatula; cylindrical specimens — according to 5.4; temperature and moulding method NOT GIVEN (draft: at most 230 °C).

3. Conditioning

   Mounting and temperature conditioning of the specimen (5.5) — temperature and time NOT GIVEN.

4. Indentation

   Application of the force through a cylindrical pin with a flat, circular base (5.6) — force, time and reading NOT GIVEN.

5. Result and report

   Depth of indentation (Clause 6), precision (7), test report (8) — details NOT GIVEN; the report should state the edition of the standard and the specimen type (cube or cylindrical).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Hot mastic asphalt (oven up to 250 °C, maximum temperature 230 °C in the draft) — burns, fumes; gloves and face shield; the read text of the draft contains no safety warnings
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the text read is the draft prEN 12697-20:2018, not the 2020 edition — figures from the draft may differ from the standard; the result depends on the specimen type, temperature and force, which we do not give here

Frequently asked questions