There is a widespread belief among many engineers that SMA, due to its peculiarity, should be designed by volume. The volume concept also forms the basis of an experimental method of design applied in the Netherlands.
To put it concisely, we can repeat what has been explained in the previous chapters of this book as follows:
• Air voids remain in the stone skeleton after its compaction.
• The volume of mastic, including the fine aggregate, filler, binder, and stabilizer (drainage inhibitor), has to be put into that free space.
The following description of this SMA design method includes the guidelines of 2004 and has been prepared based on information from two publications (Jacobs and Voskuilen, 2004; Voskuilen, 2000). This method was revised (simplified) in 2007; a description of the changes made is explained in Section 7.4.5.
