Roadway Sampling Evaluation

Asphalt used on Florida roads must meet very specific standards. Beginning in 1998, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) moved from a system in which the department tested asphalt mixtures for use in road construction to one in which the sampling and testing was conducted by the contractor at the production facility. This system was accepted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on the condition that FDOT verify contractor methods. With recent staffing cuts and budget reductions, FDOT has considered alternative sampling programs that would provide greater staffing flexibility while assuring that a quality product is placed on Florida roadways. One method being considered is sampling the asphalt mixture at the work site rather than the production facility. In this project, Auburn University researchers compared asphalt testing at contractor plants with roadway testing. The researchers surveyed the practices of 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The survey included interviews with transportation engineers to determine which agencies require, or allow, field sampling for acceptance and whether those efforts have been successful. They found 22 states that sample from the truck at the plant, 22 that sample at the roadway, and 8 that allow both locations. The survey revealed many details about sampling practices. The project also included field work to evaluate the sampling and testing variability of samples taken at the plant compared to those taken at the roadway either from the roadway mat or the paver auger. A statistical evaluation was performed to compare results from this study to the specification limits currently being used.

• Record URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-pr6535008-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-pr6535008-sum.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  National Center for Asphalt Technology

  Auburn University, 277 Technology Parkway
  Auburn, AL  United States  36830

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Authors:
  • Watson, Don
  • Brown, E Ray
• Publication Date: 2014-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 47p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Contractors; Evaluation; Sampling; Surveys; Transportation departments
• Identifier Terms: Florida Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Pavements; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01554407
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: PR6535008
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 26 2015 9:49AM