The content of SMA will be divided into the following parts (Figure 1.4):
• Coarse aggregate skeleton
• Mastic (i. e., binder, filler, fine aggregate, and stabilizer)
•
 |
 |
Voids in the asphalt mix
This division of SMA into parts (with the predominance of the main two—skeleton and mastic) has been adopted to better explain the roles of each component of the SMA mix. A similar division may be found as a directly applied approach in some designing methods (e. g., the U. S. and Dutch methods).
The SMA components of the aggrate skeleton and mastic will be discussed in Chapters 2 and 3, respectively, and the significance of voids in the SMA mix will be discussed in Chapter 6, when we look at designing SMA, and in Chapter 9, when we examine the laydown (placement) of SMAs.
Now it is time to tackle the subject on hand!
