## 4 Conclusions  
The data obtained from the EM density gauge demonstrated consistent homogeneity across all six job mix formulae (JMF41, JMF19, JMF23, JMF10, JMF17, and JMF34), with all readings falling within the acceptable range of air void content (3-8%). This uniformity indicates satisfactory compaction and adherence to quality standards. Given that each 1% increase in air voids may reduce the fatigue life of hot mix asphalt (HMA) by up to 35%, maintaining this range is critical for pavement durability and performance. The \(t\)-Student statistical analysis confirmed the rejection of the null hypothesis for all JMFs at a 95% confidence level (\(p<0.05\)), affirming that the observed differences are statistically significant and unlikely to occur by chance. These results validate the consistency and reliability of the EM gauge as a measurement tool. The percentage of air voids remains a key parameter in mechanistic-empirical pavement design frameworks, where physical characteristics of the HMA are closely linked to mechanical stress responses. As such, rigorous quality control over compaction levels is essential to ensure structural integrity and long-term performance. This study confirms that the EM density gauge serves as a reliable and effective non-destructive alternative to traditional coring, significantly enhancing statistical quality control without compromising pavement integrity. Nevertheless, a minimum of three cores per section is recommended to establish laboratory benchmarks (mean and standard deviation) for density and air voids, which can be used to calibrate and validate field readings. The comparative analysis revealed a measurement error of approximately 1.8% between the EM gauge and core sampling, with the correlation coefficient lying within the 95% confidence interval, further supporting the precision of the proposed method. In light of these findings, the Mexican Institute of Transport is encouraged to propose the formal adoption of the EM density gauge within national standards and manuals for non-destructive pavement testing under the jurisdiction of the SICT in Mexico. Future research should consider the influence of environmental variables such as ambient temperature and humidity during the construction process and investigate their relationship with real-time EM density readings. Additionally, establishing correlations between EM measurements and the mechanical performance of HMA under actual traffic loading conditions represents a promising area for continued investigation. Conceptualization, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A., J.F.M.-S. and M.A.N.-S.; methodology, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G. and M.A.N.-S.; software, M.A.N.-S.; validation, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G. and M.A.N.-S.; formal analysis, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A., J.F.M.-S., M.A.N.-S. and M.A.-S.; investigation, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A. and J.F.M.-S.; resources, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A., J.F.M.-S., M.A.N.-S. and M.A.-S.; data curation, M.A.V.-G. and M.A.N.-S.; writing--original draft preparation, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M. and H.D.-A. ; writing--review and editing, M.A.V.-G., H.L.C.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A., J.F.M.-S., M.A.N.-S. and M.A.-S.; visualization, M.A.V.-G., E.M.A.-G., W.M.-M., H.D.-A. and J.F.M.-S.; supervision, H.L.C.-G., [PERSON]-G., [PERSON]-M. and H.D.-A. ; project administration, H.D.-A. and J.F.M.-S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.