Desiccator (road construction)
A desiccator is a device used in road construction and is used to carry out the swelling test on asphalt according to DIN 1996 (part 9).
features
The desiccator used in road construction is a 16 cm high glass vessel with 19 cm inner diameter, which is closed at the bottom. There is a flange ring at the top . In the tube there is a perforated plate on three feet for the sample to be examined. The desiccator has a lid and three acrylic glass attachments, each with a pointed measuring needle in the middle. The measuring needles are of different lengths. In the floor there is a connection for the inflow and outflow of water. From the tube a hose leads over three to a storage container and to a burette . To carry out the experiment, asphalt specimens are placed in the glass vessel and then water is poured in. The remaining air is removed from the vessel using a pump, creating a vacuum. A relative increase in volume on the asphalt when stored under water (so-called swelling) is measured.