en.Wedoany.com Reported - SAMI Bitumen Technologies has officially inaugurated its SAMI Technical Centre (STC) in Australia, a dedicated facility focused on advanced testing and research and development (R&D) of asphalt and asphalt mixtures, aimed at strengthening technical support capabilities in Australia's road infrastructure sector.
Located within a two-storey facility with a total floor area of 700 square metres, the new technical centre houses specialised laboratories for binder, asphalt mixture, emulsion, and cold mix asphalt testing, along with meeting rooms, training areas, and collaborative spaces. The centre represents a significant step for SAMI in consolidating its research, development, and quality control activities into a modern, purpose-designed environment.
According to Hamidreza Sahebzamani, R&D and Technical Support Manager at SAMI Bitumen Technologies, previous facilities could no longer meet the demands of future development, new equipment, and optimised workflows. The new centre is designed to provide a more streamlined environment with improved workflows, enhanced collaboration, and a dedicated focus on technological innovation and testing.
The STC laboratory can conduct routine and advanced testing on a wide range of bituminous products, including asphalt, polymer-modified binders, crumb rubber-modified binders, emulsions, hot mix asphalt, cold mix asphalt, micro-surfacing, and spray seals. The facility is equipped with advanced instruments such as a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR), Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF), wheel tracking tester, fatigue testing system, and gyratory compactor. All testing is carried out in a laboratory environment accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
Beyond its testing capabilities, the STC is designed to support collaboration with universities, researchers, and international technical teams within the broader Colas network, including the Colas Core Centre in Paris and the Tipco Advanced R&D Laboratory in Bangkok. SAMI believes that one of the STC's key advantages lies in its ability to combine laboratory testing with practical product knowledge and field understanding. Unlike independent third-party laboratories, SAMI's technical team is closely involved in the manufacturing and supply of bituminous products across Australia, enabling them to interpret test results within a broader operational and performance context.
This capability was demonstrated in a regional spray seal project. When a contractor's binder test results exceeded conventional specification limits, facing potential non-compliance issues despite no apparent signs of poor field performance, the STC team was called in to conduct a more detailed technical assessment. The investigation included NATA-accredited retesting, advanced rheological analysis, and evaluations against both specification requirements and performance criteria. The assessment focused not only on pass or fail results but also considered the binder's relaxation behaviour, cracking susceptibility, and potential field performance under real operating conditions. The final conclusion confirmed that, although the specification results were borderline, the binder still met performance expectations. The client accepted the technical conclusion, resolved the non-compliance issue by extending the project warranty period, and the contractor received full payment.
The company stated that this case highlights the growing importance of performance-based evaluation, particularly when specification limits alone may not fully reflect a material's field behaviour. SAMI believes that the establishment of the STC is not merely about creating a testing laboratory, but rather a collaborative technical centre capable of supporting innovation, investigation, and practical problem-solving in the infrastructure sector. It will play an increasingly important role in supporting material performance, technical confidence, and long-term pavement outcomes in the future development of Australia's road construction industry.
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