A comprehensive comparison of PG grade requirements, MSCR implementation, PAV conditions, polymer mandates, and key exclusions across every U.S. state and Washington, D.C.
Performance-Graded (PG) asphalt binder specifications are not monolithic. Every state DOT interprets the AASHTO framework through its own climate demands, traffic realities, and institutional history — resulting in a patchwork of requirements that can differ substantially even between neighboring states. This analysis distills the binder specifications from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia into a single interactive reference.
The foundational standard, AASHTO M320, provides the baseline PG grading framework: DSR tests on original and RTFO-aged binder, BBR creep stiffness and m-value from PAV-aged residue, and flash point and viscosity requirements. What varies dramatically is how states layer additional requirements on top — or depart from M320 entirely in favor of M332's Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery (MSCR) framework.
"The shift from elastic recovery to MSCR is still actively unfolding. As of early 2026, fewer than a third of states have fully moved to M332 — but that share is growing."
AASHTO M332, which replaced elastic recovery testing with the MSCR protocol's Jnr and percent recovery metrics, was finalized in 2014. Yet adoption has been uneven. States like Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and the Combined States Binder Group members (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Dakota) implemented full M332 relatively quickly. Others — including Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Michigan — remain on M320 with traditional elastic recovery or no modifier-specific requirement at all.
A third cohort occupies a middle ground: states such as Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Delaware apply MSCR criteria only to their modified or high-performance grades while retaining M320 for standard neat binders. Several states are explicitly transitioning — Wyoming began phasing in M332 grades in October 2024, and Montana introduced MSCR via special provision in 2025.
Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) conditions are largely standardized at 100°C, 20 hours, 300 psi — but meaningful exceptions exist. States in colder climates (Alaska, Illinois for PG46 grades, Massachusetts) use 90°C to better simulate long-term aging at lower pavement temperatures. At the other end, Arizona mandates 110°C for PG70 and above, Nevada specifies 110°C for its NV-designated modified grades, and Michigan runs 110°C for PG76+.
A growing development is the Delta Tc (ΔTc) parameter, derived from the BBR test on 40-hour PAV-aged binder. Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Utah now require ΔTc values — typically ≥ −5.0°C — as an indicator of binder embrittlement and fatigue susceptibility. Utah applies a tighter threshold of ≥ −1.0°C for modified grades. Expect this parameter to appear in more specifications as the research base matures.
Polymer modification requirements vary from fully prescriptive to entirely performance-based. Alabama mandates polymer for PG 64-22 and 76-22 and requires FTIR verification. Kansas requires polymer modification for all grades above PG 64-22. New York mandates PMA for all mixtures except temporary pavements. Vermont has standardized on PG 70-28 (PMA) for all projects. Texas, by contrast, allows any grade to meet its MSCR percent recovery thresholds without specifying a modifier type.
Exclusions are perhaps the most consistently enforced area of differentiation. Re-refined Engine Oil Bottoms (REOB) is prohibited in over a dozen states and restricted in most others. Air-blown asphalt is prohibited in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA) treatment is outright prohibited in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, and Pennsylvania; capped at 0.5–1.0% in Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska, and others; and unrestricted or undeclared in the remainder.
Search, filter, and compare binder specifications across all 51 jurisdictions. Click column headers to sort.
| State | PG grades | MSCR status | DSR original | DSR RTFO | BBR S max | m-value min | PAV temp | ΔTc req. | Polymer notes | REOB policy |
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| State | Standard | Implementation notes | Test temp | Jnr 3.2 limit | % Recovery basis |
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| State | PAV temp (standard) | PAV temp (mod / high-PG) | Duration | Pressure | ΔTc requirement |
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| State | Polymer types allowed | Grades requiring polymer | REOB | PPA | Air blown | Other notes |
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Specification data was extracted directly from each state DOT's official binder specification sheet, with revision dates ranging from 2020 through early 2026. Where multiple tables exist within a state's specification (e.g., separate requirements for non-modified, SBS-modified, and GTR-modified binders), the overview table reflects the most commonly applied grade tier. Readers should consult each state's current specification document directly before specifying materials for a project.
The standard BBR requirements — creep stiffness S ≤ 300 MPa and m-value ≥ 0.300 — are universal across all 51 jurisdictions and are not a point of differentiation. Variation occurs in the PAV aging temperature used to condition the BBR specimen, the BBR test temperature itself (which is grade-dependent in all cases), and — in Utah — a narrower acceptable stiffness range for some grades.