For binder content determination, the sample must be moisture free when weighed.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not necessary to dry
• D. It depends on moisture level

Answer: (A)

Binder content is calculated from the dry solids in the sample, so any moisture would add weight that isn’t asphalt or aggregate and would be removed later, skewing the results. Drying the sample to a constant mass ensures you start with a true baseline free of water, giving an accurate measure of how much binder is present. Water in the sample can also interfere with the solvent extraction used to recover binder, potentially altering the amount recovered. Therefore, the sample must be moisture free when weighed to obtain correct, repeatable binder content values.