What is the optimum binder content in bituminous pavement?

The amount of binder to be added to a bituminous mixture cannot be too excessive or too little. The principle of designing the optimum amount of binder content is to include sufficient amount of binder so that the
aggregates are fully coated with bitumen and the voids within the bituminous material are sealed up. As such, the durability of the bituminous pavement can be enhanced by the impermeability achieved. Moreover, a minimum amount of binder is essential to prevent the aggregates from being pulled out by the abrasive actions of moving vehicles on the carriageway.

However, the binder content cannot be too high because it would result in the instability of the bituminous pavement. In essence, the resistance to deformation of bituminous pavement under traffic load is reduced by the inclusion of excessive binder content.

This question is taken from book named – A Self Learning Manual – Mastering Different Fields of Civil Engineering Works (VC-Q-A-Method) by Vincent T. H. CHU.