Bitumen PG 58-10 — Production, Specification & Applications
PG 58-10 has a 68-degree span, the narrowest in this range, and is the grade for genuinely temperate conditions where neither end of the thermometer governs design.
Where PG 58-10 sits on the temperature scale
Performance grading ties the binder to the climate of the road rather than to a refinery output slate. The shaded band is the range PG 58-10 is certified to serve, a useful span of 68 degrees.
What distinguishes PG 58-10
Both the 58 °C upper requirement and the 0 °C bending beam temperature are readily met by unmodified straight-run binder, which makes this one of the most economical grades in the series.
What buyers should know
The engineering argument for specifying it is not only cost. Using a binder stiffer than the climate requires raises fatigue cracking risk, because a stiff binder in a cool pavement flexes less under repeated loading and accumulates damage faster. Grading accurately is a durability decision as much as a commercial one.
How Bitumen PG 58-10 is produced
Understanding the refining route explains why some grades are readily available and others are not, and why two binders that look similar on a datasheet can behave differently in service.
From crude oil to vacuum residue
The refining route is the standard one. Crude is fractionated at atmospheric pressure and the long residue is charged to a vacuum column where the remaining gas oils are stripped. For a 58 °C upper grade the cut is taken shallower than for the 64-series, which leaves a softer residue with a higher proportion of the oily maltene fraction.
Reaching the PG 58-10 envelope
With a 68-degree span this is the least constrained grade in the standard range at both ends simultaneously. Almost any conventional crude slate at a moderate vacuum cut will satisfy both the dynamic shear requirement at 58 °C and the bending beam requirement at 0 °C. Neither modification nor selective crude sourcing is normally required, and production can be scheduled around whatever the refinery is already running.
Production control
Because the envelope is wide, the practical production concern is not meeting the specification but avoiding over-softness. A residue taken too shallow can fall below the 1.00 kPa dynamic shear minimum at 58 °C, so the upper grade remains the check value even though it is comparatively undemanding.
Derived test temperatures you can check
The two intermediate temperatures on a PG 58-10 certificate follow arithmetically from the grade, so a buyer can verify the document without reference to any other source.
| Test | Derivation | Result for PG 58-10 |
|---|---|---|
| PAV dynamic shear (fatigue) | (58 + −10) ÷ 2 + 4 | 28 °C |
| Bending beam (stiffness, m-value) | −10 + 10 | 0 °C |
Bitumen PG 58-10 specification
| Property | Test method | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Average 7-day max pavement design temperature | AASHTO M323 | 58 °C |
| Minimum pavement design temperature | AASHTO M323 | −10 °C |
| Original binder | ||
| Flash point, Cleveland open cup | AASHTO T48 | min 230 °C |
| Rotational viscosity @ 135 °C | AASHTO T316 | max 3 Pa·s |
| Dynamic shear G*/sinδ @ 58 °C | AASHTO T315 | min 1.00 kPa |
| After RTFOT (short-term ageing) | ||
| Change of mass | AASHTO T240 | max 1.00 % |
| Dynamic shear G*/sinδ @ 58 °C | AASHTO T315 | min 2.20 kPa |
| After PAV @ 100 °C (long-term ageing) | ||
| Dynamic shear G*·sinδ @ 28 °C | AASHTO T315 | max 5000 kPa |
| Creep stiffness S @ 0 °C | AASHTO T313 | max 300 MPa |
| m-value @ 0 °C | AASHTO T313 | min 0.300 |
The full PG 58-10 specification is tested to AASHTO M320 and reported on the certificate of analysis for every parcel. Nearest indicative equivalents: penetration grade 85/100, viscosity grade VG-10. These are reference points for discussion, not substitutions. A certificate of analysis accompanies every shipment; third-party inspection by SGS, Intertek or an equivalent surveyor can be arranged at the buyer instruction and account.
Where Bitumen PG 58-10 is used
Temperate provincial roads
District and provincial networks in moderate climates carrying light to medium traffic, where neither summer heat nor winter cold governs design.
Residential and estate streets
Roads where axle loading is low and design life is governed by weathering and oxidation rather than by traffic damage.
Lower pavement layers
Base and binder courses beneath a higher-grade wearing course, where the layer never experiences surface temperature extremes.
Maintenance overlays and surface dressing
Thin overlays and seals in temperate maintenance programmes, where workability and adhesion matter more than peak stiffness.
Cycle tracks and service roads
Light-duty sealed surfaces with minimal heavy vehicle exposure.
Rural district networks
Low-volume routes in temperate regions where cost per kilometre governs the binder choice.
Mix design and handling temperatures
Mixing and compaction temperatures are set from the binder viscosity–temperature relationship rather than from the grade designation alone. The ranges below are typical starting points for PG 58-10 and should be confirmed against the rotational viscosity figure on the delivered certificate.
| Operation | Typical range for PG 58-10 | Control note |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk storage | 145–165 °C | Circulate to prevent local overheating at the heating coils |
| Pumping and transfer | 145–165 °C | Confirm line tracing is operating before transfer begins |
| Hot mix asphalt mixing | 145–160 °C | Target viscosity approximately 0.17 Pa·s |
| Compaction | 125–145 °C | Target viscosity approximately 0.28 Pa·s; cease rolling below the lower figure |
| Maximum sustained heating | below 180 °C | Above this, oxidative hardening accelerates sharply |
Drummed material should be reheated in a controlled oven or hot room rather than by direct flame. Localised overheating hardens the binder at the drum wall and can take a compliant parcel out of specification before it reaches the mixer.
What happens when PG 58-10 is mis-specified
The characteristic error is using PG 58-10 in a climate that is warmer than assumed, which produces rutting in the first hot season. Because the grade is economical it is sometimes selected on price rather than on temperature data, and the resulting deformation appears quickly in wheel paths and at junctions where traffic slows.
Available packing for PG 58-10
| Packing | Net weight | Loading per 20 ft FCL | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| New steel drum | 150 / 180 / 185 / 200 kg | 110 drums, 20.35 MT at 185 kg | Smaller parcels, sites without bulk storage |
| Jumbo bag | 1 MT | 20 MT | Lower packing cost, requires melting facility |
| Flexitank / bitutainer | 20–22 MT | 1 unit | Bulk economics without a bulk vessel |
| Bulk vessel | by parcel | heated tanker | Terminal to terminal, largest volumes |
As a PG 58-10 supplier Bitumen Asphaltive ships on CFR, CIF and FOB terms with commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and certificate of analysis.
Questions specific to PG 58-10
Is it a mistake to specify a higher grade than the climate needs?
It can be. Over-specification raises cost and can raise fatigue cracking risk, because a binder stiffer than necessary flexes less under traffic in a cool pavement and accumulates damage faster. The standard is written to be matched to the climate, not exceeded as a safety margin.
Why does the bending beam get tested at 0 degrees?
The test temperature is the lower grade plus 10 °C. For a minus 10 grade that is exactly 0 °C. It is not a rounding convenience; it follows directly from the grade designation and applies to every grade with a minus 10 floor.
Can PG 58-10 be used as a base course binder under a PG 64-22 wearing course?
That is a common and reasonable design, because the lower layer never experiences the surface temperature extremes. The layer design should be confirmed by the pavement engineer against the project temperature profile at the relevant depth.
Does PG 58-10 require special crude selection?
No. With a 68-degree span it is the least constrained standard grade at both ends, and almost any conventional slate at a moderate vacuum cut will satisfy it. The production concern is avoiding over-softness rather than achieving stiffness.
How does PG 58-10 differ from penetration grade 85/100?
85/100 is the closest indicative equivalent on consistency at 25 °C, but the two are certified against different criteria. PG 58-10 additionally carries verified dynamic shear performance at 58 °C and bending beam results at 0 °C after pressure ageing.
The performance grade range
Intermediate temperatures below are derived from each grade, not selected by the supplier.
| Grade | Upper | Lower | Span | PAV DSR | Bending beam | Pen equiv. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG 70-10 | 70 °C | −10 °C | 80 °C | 34 °C | 0 °C | 40/50 |
| PG 64-22 | 64 °C | −22 °C | 86 °C | 25 °C | −12 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 64-16 | 64 °C | −16 °C | 80 °C | 28 °C | −6 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 64-10 | 64 °C | −10 °C | 74 °C | 31 °C | 0 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 58-22 | 58 °C | −22 °C | 80 °C | 22 °C | −12 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 58-16 | 58 °C | −16 °C | 74 °C | 25 °C | −6 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 58-10 | 58 °C | −10 °C | 68 °C | 28 °C | 0 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 52-10 | 52 °C | −10 °C | 62 °C | 25 °C | 0 °C | 120/150 |
Speak to a Bitumen PG 58-10 supplier
Send quantity in metric tonnes, required packing, destination port and preferred Incoterm. Offers are normally returned within one working day.