Guides
7 tools and references for bitumen mix work in India, using local mix designations, densities and 2026 pricing.
Quick answers
| Designation | Description | Density (kg/m³) | Typical use | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC — Bituminous Concrete | Wearing course | 2,355 | 30–50 mm wearing course | MoRTH Clause 509 |
| SDBC — Semi-Dense Bituminous Concrete | Thin wearing course | 2,330 | 25–30 mm | MoRTH Clause 508 |
| DBM — Dense Bituminous Macadam | Binder / base course | 2,370 | 50–100 mm | MoRTH Clause 507 |
| BM — Bituminous Macadam | Open-graded base | 2,160 | 50–75 mm profile course | MoRTH Clause 504 |
| Premix carpet | Thin open-graded surfacing | 2,000 | 20 mm rural surfacing | MoRTH Clause 511 |
| Mix seal surfacing | Thin surfacing with seal | 2,050 | 20 mm | MoRTH Clause 512 |
| SMA | Stone Matrix Asphalt | 2,400 | High-traffic wearing course | IRC SP:79 |
| BC with modified binder | PMB wearing course | 2,365 | Heavy traffic corridors | IRC SP:53 |
| RAP / recycled mix | Reclaimed bituminous material | 2,000 | Base and shoulders | IRC 120 |
| WMM — Wet Mix Macadam | Granular base | 2,200 | 150–250 mm base | MoRTH Clause 406 |
| GSB — Granular Sub-Base | Unbound sub-base | 2,150 | 150–300 mm | MoRTH Clause 401 |
| VG-30 bitumen | Viscosity grade binder | 1,030 | Binder and tack coat only | IS 73 |
| Application | Surface course | Binder / base course | Unbound base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Village / rural road | 20 mm premix carpet | 75 mm WBM/BM | 150 mm GSB |
| Residential colony road | 25 mm SDBC | 50 mm DBM | 150 mm WMM + 150 mm GSB |
| Urban local road | 30–40 mm BC | 50–75 mm DBM | 250 mm WMM + 200 mm GSB |
| State highway | 40 mm BC | 75–100 mm DBM | 250 mm WMM + 200 mm GSB |
| National highway | 40–50 mm BC | 100–150 mm DBM | 250 mm WMM + 200–300 mm GSB |
| Expressway | 50 mm SMA or BC (PMB) | 150–190 mm DBM | 250 mm WMM + 300 mm GSB |
| Industrial yard | 40 mm BC | 100 mm DBM | 300 mm WMM |
| Parking area | 30 mm BC | 50 mm DBM | 200 mm WMM |
Calculator
Waste and compaction allowance
Loose material behind the paver occupies roughly 20% more volume than the finished compacted surface. Add edge trimming, material left in the vehicle body and normal measurement tolerance, and you need an allowance on top of the calculated tonnage.
| Situation | Allowance | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Simple rectangle, machine-laid, experienced crew | 5% | Minimal trimming and predictable compaction |
| Standard driveway or car park | 10% | Normal edge detail and some hand work at the perimeter |
| Curved edges or several separate zones | 15% | More offcuts and more hand placement |
| Hand-laid work and small patches | 15% | Hand compaction is less consistent |
| Recycled planings | 15–20% | Higher compaction factor and less predictable spread |
| Unbound granular base | 20–25% | Significant consolidation under the roller |
Round the final figure up to the nearest half tonne. Being short means a cold joint in the middle of the surface and a second delivery charge, which costs far more than the extra material would have.
The base underneath
The unbound layer under the surfacing does more structural work than the surfacing itself, and it is where most premature failures actually originate. A thinner bound layer over a deep, well-compacted, free-draining base will outlast a thicker bound layer over a shallow one.
| Subgrade | Approximate CBR | Base under domestic access | Base under commercial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Well-graded gravel | 20–40 | 100 mm | 150 mm |
| Sand, well drained | 10–20 | 100–150 mm | 150–200 mm |
| Silty sand | 6–10 | 150 mm | 200 mm |
| Loam | 5–8 | 150–200 mm | 200–250 mm |
| Silty clay | 3–5 | 200–250 mm | 250–300 mm |
| Heavy clay, poorly drained | 2–3 | 250–300 mm plus geotextile | 300–450 mm plus stabilisation |
| Peat or organic soil | under 2 | Excavate and replace | Excavate and replace |
Two additions repay their cost on marginal ground: a separation geotextile between the subgrade and the granular layer, which stops stone punching down into soft clay and can save 50–100 mm of aggregate; and proof-rolling with a loaded vehicle before any stone is placed, which finds the soft spots while they are still cheap to deal with.
Remember that the granular base is usually the larger tonnage of the two. A 100 m² area with 200 mm of base at 2,100 kg/m³ needs 42 tonnes of stone against roughly 12 tonnes of surfacing at 50 mm. Budget and order for both.
Standards and who administers them
Surfacing work in India is specified under MoRTH Specifications for Road and Bridge Works and IRC codes, administered by MoRTH, NHAI and the Indian Roads Congress. In practice that governs three things you will see on any quotation or drawing:
- The mix designation. Each layer has a defined material with a stated aggregate size, binder grade and target void content. This is what determines the density used in your tonnage calculation.
- The layer thicknesses. Minimum and maximum lift thicknesses are tied to the nominal aggregate size, because a lift thinner than about twice the largest stone cannot be compacted and one thicker than about three times it cannot be compacted through.
- Compaction acceptance. Density is normally specified as a percentage of the laboratory maximum rather than an absolute figure, because the maximum varies with the mix design.
For private domestic work none of this is legally binding, but the same physics applies. Asking a contractor which specification they are working to, and getting the compacted thickness written into the quotation in millimetres, is the single most useful thing you can do to make competing quotations comparable.