---
title: "Define highway material"
subject: "Transportation Engineering I"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_6/transportation_engineering_i:define-highway-material"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/define-highway-material
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Define highway material

Transportation Engineering I · Chapter 6: Highway Materials

- Asked in: 2079 Ashwin, 1 marks
- Video: [Subgrade Materials and Properties - Highway Material - Transportation Engineering 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYD_DKVbXmY) — Ekeeda
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/define-highway-material
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/chapter-6

## Question

Define highway material.

## Short answer

Highway materials are natural and manufactured substances used in road construction, strengthening and maintenance. They include soil, aggregates, binders, bituminous mixes, concrete, geosynthetics and steel. Their engineering covers properties, laboratory tests and use in pavement layers.

## Answer

**Highway materials** are all the natural and manufactured materials used in the construction, strengthening and maintenance of roads and pavements. They include **soil** (subgrade, embankment), **aggregates** (stone, gravel, sand), **binders** (bitumen, cutback, emulsion, tar, cement, lime), **bituminous mixes**, concrete, geosynthetics and steel; the engineering of highway materials deals with their properties, tests and use in each pavement layer.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Highway materials are best defined as
   A. Only the bitumen used for surfacing
   B. Natural and manufactured materials used in construction, strengthening and maintenance of roads and pavements
   C. Only the traffic-carrying vehicles on roads
   D. Only the soil of the subgrade
   Answer: B. The term covers soil, aggregates, binders, mixes, concrete, geosynthetics and steel. (Key point: Definition)

2. Which of these is a binder among highway materials?
   A. Moorum
   B. Sand
   C. Bitumen
   D. Geotextile
   Answer: C. Binders include bitumen, cutback, emulsion, tar, cement and lime. (Key point: Examples)

3. What does the engineering of highway materials deal with?
   A. Only traffic counting
   B. Only the cost of land
   C. Only road marking colours
   D. Their properties, tests and use in each pavement layer
   Answer: D. It covers properties, testing and use in each layer. (Key point: Scope)

## Related in other subjects

- [Soil stabilization methods and lime stabilized road](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Asoil-stabilization-methods-lime-road) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 3