WHAT A CONTRACTOR NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT ASPHALT PAVEMENT COMPACTION

PAVEMENT DURABILITY, STABILITY, TENSILE STRENGTH, FATIGUE RESISTANCE, STIFFNESS AND FLEXIBILITY ARE RELATED TO COMPACTION AT THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION AND TO THE DENSITY OF ASPHALT CONCRETE. TO INSURE ADEQUATE COMPACTION "IN PLACE" DENSITY SPECIFICATIONS, (EXPRESSED EITHER AS PERCENT OF THE STANDARD LABORATORY COMPACTED DENSITY OR AS SPECIFIED FIELD AIR VOIDS CONTENT) MUST BE SATISFIED. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE CONTRACTOR FOLLOW CERTAIN PROCEDURES TO INSURE ADEQUATE COMPACTION BEFORE THE PAVEMENT HAS COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW WHICH ONLY LIMITED ADDITIONAL COMPACTION COULD BE EFFECTED. THE TIMING OF COMPACTION OF THICK LIFT CONSTRUCTION IS NOT CRITICAL. INITIAL COMPACTION TO A LOW AIR VOID CONTENT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD TO PROVIDE THE DESIRED DENSITY AND OPTIMIZE MIXTURE CHARACTERISTICS. THE VARIABLES THAT AFFECT THE INITIAL DENSITY WHEN THE ASPHALT CONCRETE IS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE (AGGREGATES, ASPHALTS, AND EQUIPMENT) ARE DISCUSSED. FOR ADEQUATE DENSITY, AIR VOIDS IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 3 TO 5 PERCENT ARE DESIRABLE AND THE CONTROLLABLE VARIABLES AFFECTING THIS ARE LAYDOWN TEMPERATURE, LIFT THICKNESS, AND ROLLING SEQUENCE AND TIMING. SOME OF THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE DENSITY OF PAVEMENT DURING LIFE, NAMELY, INITIAL COMPACTION, PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS AND THE ASPHALT CONCRETE MIXTURE, TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ARE DETAILED.

• Authors:
  • Epps, J A
  • BENSON, F J
  • Gallaway, B M
• Publication Date: 1972-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 98-105
• Serial:
  • Roads and Streets
  • Volume: 115
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Donnelley (Reuben H) Corporation

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt; Asphalt concrete; Compaction; Contractors; Durability; Environment; Pavement performance; Pavements; Service life; Traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lift thickness
• Old TRIS Terms: Pavement life
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215550
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 20 1973 12:00AM