It's Not the Asphalt, It's Your Fault: Use of Innovative Paving Practices to Achieve Excellent Pavement Density

摘要

Insufficient pavement density, whether within the asphalt mat or at a joint is the number one reason a pavement fails before it reaches its design life. There are a number of variables in asphalt production and paving processes that can cause lower than desired density. This paper describes innovative technologies, proper paving practices, and quality control processes used during the Petersburg, Alaska Airport Apron and Taxiway Pavement Rehabilitation Project. The purpose of using these technologies was to ensure consistent mat and joint densities were achieved. Intelligent compaction, use of a material transfer vehicle, infrared joint heating, and warm mix additives were all used on the project. Thermal cameras, intelligent compaction data, and core samples from the mat and joints were used to verify complete rolling patterns, identify thermal segregation (or lack of), and ensure that the infrared joint heater was heating existing asphalt to target temperatures. These processes, combined with a good quality control program, resulted in a high quality pavement. Mat and joint densities met project specifications and 98 Percent Within Limits (PWL). The maximum allowable bonus for asphalt, density, and joint density was received.