After placement and compaction, in-place air voids should be no more than what percentage?

• A. 8.0%
• B. 10%
• C. 5%
• D. 12%

Answer: (A)

After placement and compaction, the amount of air voids in the asphalt mix is kept at a level that prevents both stickiness/bleeding and excessive permeability. The specified maximum is eight percent. This limit helps ensure the mixture is dense enough to resist water intrusion and aging, while still leaving enough void space to accommodate binder and allow proper workability and compaction. If air voids exceed eight percent, durability and resistance to moisture-related damage can decline, leading to premature distress. In practice, field tests of cores that show Va at or below eight percent meet the standard, while higher values indicate a need to adjust the mix design or compaction.