Bitumen Grade Equivalence Chart — Penetration, VG, PG, AC and Australian Grades Compared
There is no exact bitumen grade equivalence between grading systems, and any chart that claims otherwise is misleading you. Penetration, viscosity, performance and AC grading each measure different properties at different temperatures. What this guide gives you is the practical cross-reference used in trade — which grade is typically supplied against which specification — along with a clear explanation of where the equivalence breaks down and why that matters on a tender.
Why exact bitumen grade equivalence does not exist
This is the part most conversion charts leave out, and it is the reason a substitution that looks safe on paper can fail a tender.
Each grading system measures a different property, at a different temperature, on a differently conditioned sample:
| System | What it measures | At what temperature | Sample condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration | Depth a standard needle sinks in 5 seconds | 25 °C | Original binder |
| Viscosity (VG) | Absolute viscosity, resistance to flow | 60 °C | Original binder |
| Performance (PG) | Rheology across the full service range | Multiple, from −22 to +76 °C | Original, RTFO-aged and PAV-aged |
| AC | Absolute viscosity in poise | 60 °C | Original binder |
| Australian (C) | Viscosity in pascal-seconds | 60 °C | Original binder |
Two binders can match on one test and diverge on another. Two products both meeting 60/70 at 25 °C can behave quite differently at 60 °C, because penetration says nothing about temperature susceptibility. That is precisely the gap viscosity grading was introduced to close, and the gap PG grading closes further by testing after simulated ageing.
So use the tables below as a sourcing guide, not a specification substitution. If your contract names a grade, the certificate must state that grade tested to that standard.
Bitumen grade equivalence: penetration to viscosity grade
The most frequently requested cross-reference, because penetration grading dominates Europe, the Middle East and Africa while viscosity grading dominates India and much of South Asia.
| Penetration grade | Pen @25 °C (dmm) | Typical VG match | Viscosity @60 °C | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80/100 | 80–100 | VG10 | 800–1200 poise | Spray work, prime and tack coats, low-traffic roads |
| 70/100 | 70–100 | VG20 | 1600–2400 poise | Moderate traffic, cooler climates |
| 60/70 | 60–70 | VG30 | 2400–3600 poise | The global default for highways and urban roads |
| 40/50 | 40–50 | VG40 | 3200–4800 poise | Hot climates, airport pavements, heavy slow loading |
| 30/40 | 30–40 | Above VG40 | Not classified | Extreme heat, industrial hardstanding |
VG grades are defined in IS 73; penetration grades in EN 12591 and ASTM D946. A binder meeting 60/70 will not automatically pass VG30 — the correlation is typical, not guaranteed.
Bitumen grade equivalence: penetration to AC grade
AC grading, defined in ASTM D3381, is the older American viscosity system. It still appears in specifications across Latin America, parts of the Middle East and legacy contracts.
| AC grade | Viscosity @60 °C | Typical penetration match | Typical VG match |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC-10 | 1000 ±200 poise | 80/100 | VG10 |
| AC-20 | 2000 ±400 poise | 60/70 | VG20 to VG30 |
| AC-30 | 3000 ±600 poise | 50/70 | VG30 |
| AC-40 | 4000 ±800 poise | 40/50 | VG40 |
The AC number is the target viscosity in hundreds of poise. AC-20 and VG20 are not the same — they use different tolerance bands and, in some cases, different test conditioning. See our AC bitumen page for the full specification.
Bitumen grade equivalence: penetration to performance grade
PG grading works differently from everything above, and treating it as another viscosity scale is the single most common error we see on tender documents.
PG numbers are pavement design temperatures, not binder properties. In PG 64-22, the 64 is the seven-day average maximum pavement temperature the binder must resist in degrees Celsius, and the −22 is the minimum pavement temperature it must survive. The binder is tested at both extremes, and after simulated short-term and long-term ageing.
| PG grade | Design temperature range | Typical penetration match | Modified? | Where it is specified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG 58-16 | +58 to −16 °C | 80/100 | No | Temperate climates, moderate traffic |
| PG 64-22 | +64 to −22 °C | 60/70 | No | The most widely used PG grade worldwide |
| PG 70-10 | +70 to −10 °C | 40/50 to 60/70 | Usually not | Hot climates without severe winters — Gulf, North Africa |
| PG 70-16 | +70 to −16 °C | 40/50 | Sometimes | Hot climates, heavy traffic corridors |
| PG 76-10 | +76 to −10 °C | Modified base | Yes | Extreme heat, port aprons, intersections |
| PG 76-16 | +76 to −16 °C | Modified base | Yes | Airport pavements, heavy industrial loading |
| PG 76-22 | +76 to −22 °C | Modified base | Yes | Wide temperature range with heavy traffic |
The useful temperature interval rule
Add the two PG numbers together, ignoring the sign, and you get the useful temperature interval. PG 64-22 has an interval of 86 degrees. PG 76-22 has 98.
An unmodified binder can generally achieve up to roughly 90 degrees of interval straight from refining. Above that, polymer modification is required. That single calculation tells you whether a PG grade in a tender will need PMB or whether a straight refinery product will meet it — useful before you price the job.
Bitumen grade equivalence: Australian C grades
Australian grading under AS 2008 uses viscosity in pascal-seconds at 60 °C. The grade number is the target viscosity value.
| Australian grade | Viscosity @60 °C | Typical penetration match | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| C170 | 140–200 Pa·s | 80/100 | Spray sealing, general sealing work |
| C240 | 200–280 Pa·s | 60/70 to 70/100 | Asphalt production, moderate traffic |
| C320 | 260–380 Pa·s | 60/70 | The most widely used Australian paving grade |
| C450 | 370–530 Pa·s | 40/50 | Heavy duty asphalt, high traffic |
| C600 | 500–700 Pa·s | 30/40 to 40/50 | Extreme loading, industrial pavement |
Full specifications on our Australian grade bitumen page.
Which grading system is used where
Knowing which system a market works in tells you what a buyer’s tender will name before they send it.
| Region | Dominant system | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe, Middle East, most of Africa | Penetration | EN 12591 / ASTM D946 | 60/70 is the default across most of the region |
| India, Bangladesh, Nepal, parts of Africa | Viscosity (VG) | IS 73 | Also appears wherever Indian contractors work |
| United States, Canada | Performance (PG) | AASHTO M320 | Superpave system, now the North American norm |
| Latin America, legacy contracts | AC and penetration | ASTM D3381 | PG increasingly specified on newer work |
| Australia, New Zealand | Class (C) | AS 2008 | Separate multigrade and PMB classes exist |
| South Africa | Penetration | SANS 4001-BT1 | Modified binders under SATS 3208 on high-traffic work |
How to use a bitumen grade equivalence chart safely
Four rules, in order of how much money they save.
1. The certificate must match the specification, not the equivalence. If a tender names VG30, a certificate showing 60/70 to EN 12591 does not satisfy it, however close the material is. Ask your supplier to certify against the named standard.
2. Equivalence works better within a system than across it. Moving between two penetration grades is predictable. Moving from a penetration grade to a PG grade is not, because PG tests properties that penetration grading never measures.
3. Check the ageing requirement. PG grading tests after RTFO and PAV conditioning. Penetration and viscosity grading generally do not. A binder can meet 60/70 comfortably and still fail PG 64-22 on the low-temperature BBR test.
4. When in doubt, send the specification rather than the grade name. A supplier who can read a tender specification will tell you what actually meets it. One who only recognises grade names will guess.
Grades outside the paving systems
Two families are graded on entirely different principles and have no equivalence to the tables above.
Oxidized bitumen is named by softening point and penetration together — 85/25 means a softening point around 85 °C and penetration of 20 to 30 dmm. It is a waterproofing and industrial material, not a paving binder, and cannot substitute for any penetration grade.
Cutback and emulsion grades are named by curing or setting speed — MC-70, RC-250, CSS-1h. These are application products carrying a base binder, not binder grades in themselves. See our comparison of cutback bitumen vs bitumen emulsion.
Frequently asked questions about bitumen grade equivalence
These are the questions we are asked most often when a buyer is working across two grading systems.
What is the VG30 equivalent in penetration grade?
60/70 is the typical match. VG30 has an absolute viscosity of 2400 to 3600 poise at 60 °C under IS 73; 60/70 has a penetration of 60 to 70 dmm at 25 °C. They usually correspond in practice, but the tests measure different properties and a binder meeting one does not automatically pass the other.
Is PG 64-22 the same as 60/70?
Typically comparable but not the same. PG 64-22 describes pavement design temperatures and is verified across the full service range after simulated ageing; 60/70 describes consistency at a single temperature of 25 °C on unaged binder. Most PG 64-22 material falls in the 60/70 penetration band, but the reverse does not hold — plenty of 60/70 binders would fail the PG 64-22 low-temperature requirement.
What is AC-20 equivalent to?
Roughly 60/70 penetration grade, or VG20 to VG30 depending on the exact viscosity. AC-20 targets 2000 poise at 60 °C with a tolerance of plus or minus 400. Note that AC and VG grades with the same number are not interchangeable — the tolerance bands and conditioning differ.
Which Australian grade matches 60/70?
C320 in most cases, and C240 where the specification allows a softer binder. C320 is the most widely used Australian paving grade and typically corresponds to 60/70 penetration material.
Can I substitute one grade for another if the chart says they match?
Not without approval from the specifying engineer. An equivalence chart tells you what is typically supplied against a specification; it does not tell you what will pass an audit. If the contract names a grade and standard, the certificate of analysis must show that grade tested to that standard.
How do I know if a PG grade needs polymer modification?
Add the two numbers, ignoring the sign, to get the useful temperature interval. PG 64-22 gives 86 degrees, which an unmodified refinery binder can generally achieve. Above roughly 90 degrees — PG 76-22 at 98, for example — polymer modification is required. That calculation tells you the cost implication before you price the job.
Does oxidized bitumen have a penetration grade equivalent?
No. Oxidized grades are named by softening point and penetration together, and they are produced by air blowing rather than straight distillation. They are waterproofing and industrial materials with a much higher softening point than any paving binder, and they cannot substitute for a penetration grade in a pavement.
Can you supply against any of these grading systems?
Yes. We ship penetration grades to EN 12591 and ASTM D946, viscosity grades to IS 73, performance grades to AASHTO M320, AC grades to ASTM D3381 and Australian class grades to AS 2008, with a batch certificate of analysis stating the standard tested against. Mixed grades in one shipment are accepted provided each grade reaches one full container.
Reference standards
The specifications behind each system are published by the bodies below. Where a tender cites a clause number, it will come from one of these.
-
Penetration grades
EN 12591 (European Committee for Standardization) and ASTM D946, published by ASTM International.
-
Viscosity grades
IS 73, published by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
-
Performance grades
AASHTO M320, published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
-
AC grades
ASTM D3381, the viscosity-graded asphalt cement specification.
-
Australian class grades
AS 2008, published by Standards Australia.
-
South African grades
SANS 4001-BT1 for penetration grades and SATS 3208 for modified binders.
Not sure which grade your specification requires?
Send us the tender specification rather than the grade name. We will confirm what meets it, tell you whether polymer modification is required, and issue a batch certificate of analysis against the standard your contract names. If two grades would both work and one is cheaper, we will say which.
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