Construction

Construction quality is crucial to the long-term pavement performance. Construction factors such as surface preparation, placement, joint construction and compaction/consolidation have an overwhelming effect on pavement performance, which cannot be ignored or compensated for in mix or structural design. Other construction considerations such as plant operations, mix transport and quality control procedures can also directly influence pavement performance.

Pavement construction is somewhat of a combination of science and art. Although the mix design and structural design are determined through carefully controlled experiments and equations, properly constructing a pavement can be done in many different ways, each of which may be appropriate for a specific combination of factors such as temperature, pavement thickness, material properties, and subgrade to name a few. Essentially, there are so many variables involved in construction that it is virtually impossible to reduce it down to a simple set of rules and equations; therefore, there is a significant amount of art to it. However, there are equipment and methods common to almost all pavement construction and there are accepted best practices.

Suggested Reading

  • Asphalt Institute. (2001). HMA Construction. Manual Series No. 22. Asphalt Institute. Lexington, KY.
  • Transportation Research Board (TRB). (2000). Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook 2000. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. Washington, D.C.
  • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1997). Segregation: Causes and Cures for Hot Mix Asphalt. QIP-110. Publication by the Joint Task Force on Segregation of AASHTO Subcommittee on Construction; AASHTO Subcommittee on Materials; and National Asphalt Pavement Association. AASHTO. Washington, D.C.

Publications Cited

  • Antigo Construction (2001). MHB Badger Breaker ®. Web page on the Antigo Construction Web site. (http://www.antigoconstruction.com/specs-mhb.html)
  • Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association (ARRA). (2001). Web page cold planning FAQ section. (http://www.arra.org/CPFAQ.htm)
  • Bell, C.A.; Hicks, R.G. and Wilson, J.E. (1984). Effect of Percent Compaction on Asphalt Mixture Life. Placement and Compaction of Asphalt Mixtures, F.T. Wagner, Ed. ASTM Special Technical Publication 829. American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia, PA. pp. 107-130.
  • Brock, J.D. (1986). Segregation of Asphaltic Mixtures. Proceedings of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, Vol. 55. pp. 269-277.
  • Brown, E.R. (1984). Experiences of Corps of Engineers in Compaction of Hot Asphalt Mixtures. Placement and Compaction of Asphalt Mixtures, F.T. Wagner, Ed. ASTM Special Technical Publication 829. American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia, PA. pp. 67-79.
  • Brown, E.R. and Brownfield, J.R. (1988). Investigation of Rutting and Segregation of Asphalt Mixtures in the State of Georgia. Georgia Department of Transportation.
  • Cross, S.A. and Brown, E.R. (1993). Effect of Segregation on Performance of Hot-Mix Asphalt. In Transportation Research Record 1417. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. Washington, D.C. pp. 117-126.
  • Geller, M. (1984). Compaction Equipment for Asphalt Mixtures. Placement and Compaction of Asphalt Mixtures, F.T. Wagner, Ed. ASTM Special Technical Publication 829. American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia, PA. pp. 28-47.
  • Hughes, C.S. (1989). National Cooperative Highway Research Program Synthesis of Highway Practice 152: Compaction of Asphalt Pavement. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. Washington, D.C.
  • Hughes, C.S. (October 1984). Importance of Asphalt Compaction. Better Roads, Vol. 54, No. 10. pp. 22-24.
  • The Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA). (2001). Web site FAQ section. (http://www.iqa.org)
  • Kennedy, T.W.; McGennis, R.B. and Holmgreen, R.J. (1987). Asphalt Mixture Segregation; Diagnostics and Remedies. Proceedings of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, Vol. 56. pp. 304-329.
  • National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT). (2001). Asphalt Paving Level II: Module 4, Surface Preparation. PowerPoint side show prepared for the Florida Department of Transportation. Construction Training Qualification Program, National Center for Asphalt Technology.
  • Roberts, F.L.; Kandhal, P.S.; Brown, E.R.; Lee, D.Y. and Kennedy, T.W. (1996). Hot Mix Asphalt Materials, Mixture Design, and Construction. National Asphalt Paving Association Education Foundation. Lanham, MD.
  • Scherocman, J.A. (1984, March). Guidelines for Compacting Asphalt Concrete Pavement. Better Roads, Vol. 54, No. 3. pp. 12-17.
  • Scherocman, J.A. and Martenson, E.D. (1984). Placement of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures. Placement and Compaction of Asphalt Mixtures, F.T. Wagner, Ed. ASTM Special Technical Publication 829. American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia, PA. pp. 3-27.
  • Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). (2001). Technical Advisory: Proper Use of Tack Coat. Technical Advisory 2001-1. Texas Department of Transportation. Austin, TX.
  • Transportation Research Board (TRB). (1999). Glossary of Highway Quality Assurance Terms. Transportation Research Circular, No. E-C010. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. Washington, D.C.
  • Williams, R.C.; Duncan, G. and White, T.D. (1996). Hot-Mix Asphalt Segregation: Measurement and Effects. In Transportation Research Record 1543. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. Washington, D.C. pp. 97-105.
  • Willoughby, K.A.; Mahoney, J.P.; Pierce, L.M.; Uhlmeyer, J.S.; Anderson, K.W.; Read, S.A.; Muench, S.T.; Thompson, T.R. and Moore, R. (2001). Construction-Related Asphalt Concrete Pavement Temperature Differentials and the Corresponding Density Differentials. Washington State Department of Transportation. Olympia, WA. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ppsc/research/CompleteReports/WARD476_1FinalCyclicSeg.pdf.