The APA features an Automated Data Acquisition System, which obtains rutting measurements and displays these measurements in a numeric and graphical format. Five measurements can be taken during a single pass over a beam specimen and two measurements can be taken during a single pass over a cylindrical specimen.
The APA features controllable wheel load and contact pressure that are representative of actual field conditions. Each sample can be subjected to a different load level (up to 113 kg/250 Ibs) resulting in Contact Pressures up to 200 psi (1378 kpa). Triplicate beam samples, or six cylindrical (gyratory, vibratory, marshall pills, roadway cores) samples in three specially designed sample molds can be tested under controllable temperature and in dry or submerged-in water environments.
Fatigue cracking resistance of asphalt concrete can be determined by subjecting beam samples to a repeated wheel load of controllable magnitude and contact pressure in a low temperature environment. Triplicate beam samples can be tested under dry or submerged-in water environments.