CoreLok Device

The CoreLok device is a vacuum sealing method/device used to determine the Saturated Surface Dry (SSD) parameters used for determining the specific gravity of compacted HMA. The device was designed to aid engineers in the SSD determination of open-graded and SMA mixes, since it is well known that water can quickly drain out of these mixes.

The CoreLok uses specially designed polymer bags to seal the HMA sample. The penetration of the polymer material into the sample differentiates between the “artificial surface voids”, created by the laboratory compactors, and the “legitimate voids”, critical to the durability of the asphalt mixes (Figure 12).

Figure 12 - CoreLok Device Used for Determining Bulk Gravity