CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

This paper outlines construction and maintenance practices that are important in addressing problems related to water in pavements. Drainage facilities should not be deleted if data indicate that groundwater could be a problem, even if water is not encountered during construction. Conversely, if unanticipated water is encountered during construction, it must not be ignored. When designing a complicated grade and alignment combination, it is not unusual to get into a situation of building in an area that does not drain as the designer anticipated. It is also possible that a change order changes surface or subsurface drainage in a way that makes the planned drainage installation obsolete or inoperable. Other problems in construction include crushed pipes and discontinuities in the pipe in the final drainage facility. Surface and shoulder materials should be designed to inhibit the percolation of surface water through them into the pavement or shoulder-subsurface sections. A diary, in effect over a long period of time, documenting the performance of an underdrain system, may be the only method of noting evolving changes in an installation. Such documentation of observations should include performance of drain outlets and evidence of seepage. Evidence of pavement cracking and any other evidence of pavement distress should also be documented. Repairs taken care of by maintenance should include the following items: cleaning of outlets, cleaning of ditches, making sure that water is not permitted to pond in ditches following cleaning, cleaning of horizontal drains, adding appropriate underdrains and horizontal drains, adding sections of permeable blankets beneath pavement surfacing, replacing or repairing permeable blankets that are not functioning properly, placing of seal coats, sealing cracks, treating medians, and adding overlays, thin drainage blankets, or additional paving.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at a 1973 workshop on Water in Pavements sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, held in Portland, Oregon.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Research, Development, Engineering and Highway Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Smith, T
• Conference:
  • Water in Pavements Workshop--Detailed Report--1973
• Publication Date: 1973

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 276-290

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Design; Ditches; Drainage; Drainage blankets; Drainage structures; Groundwater; Highway engineering; Highway maintenance; Horizontal drains; Infiltration; Overlays (Pavements); Pavement cracking; Pavement maintenance; Pavements; Permeability; Pipe; Problem solving; Road construction; Road shoulders; Seal coats; Seepage control; Subdrains; Surface course (Pavements); Water
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792272
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 6 2000 12:00AM