BEST PRACTICES for ASPHALT PAVING
FIELD OPERATIONS
BEST PRACTICES for ASPHALT PAVING
FIELD OPERATIONS
“Quality Means doing it right when no
one is looking.” –
Henry Ford
PRE-PAVE PLANNING
(Project Engineer / Paving Foreman)
 Check for availability of plant and material
 Specialized equipment needs: road widener,
road grader, walk behind rollers, automatics,
mobile reference, etc…
 Have plan if inclement weather might be
encountered
 What is the Specified Tack Material
 Will a Necept certified technician be on site?
 Is a density gauge required?
 Have a plan for constructing & compacting the
longitudinal joint?
MOBILIZATION
(Foreman / Equipment Manager)
 Equipment delivery
○ Proper equipment
○ Clean and serviced
○ Designated delivery area
PRE-PAVING DAILY
(Project Engineer / Paving Foreman)
 Daily Scheduling of Materials and Personnel
 Check existing conditions again of area to be
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
paved that day
Are we within surface & air temp requirements?
Is surface preparation or cleaning necessary?
Tack certification/rate/temp/break
Verify application rate
TACK APPLICATION
(Driver / Paving Foreman)
 Have a properly calibrated distributer with a
copy of certificate inside truck
 Adjust bars and nozzles to achieve proper width
and rate
 Do not tack a larger area
than can be protected
 Make sure tack is cured
before paving over
TACK APPLICATION
(Driver / Paving Foreman)

Do not tack a larger area than can be protected or paved
over in the event of breakdown or inclement weather
PAVER SETUP
(Paving Foreman/MechanicEquipment Dept.)
 Lead crown
 Auger height/head of material control
 Feed speed
 Paving speed to match production
 Pre strike
 Angle of attack
Paver Setup:
Factors Effecting the Screed’s Performance
Paver Speed
Depth Crank
Tow Point
Head of
Material
Angle of
Attack
Pivot Point
1.
Angle of Attack
2.
Paving Speed
3.
Head of Material
4.
Material Workability
PAVER SETUP
(Paving Foreman/Mechanic-Equipment
Dept.)










Lead crown
Auger height/head of material control
Feed speed
Paving speed to match production
Pre strike
Angle of attack
Automatic/manual-depth & slope control
Use of mobile reference/joint matcher, etc..
Use of auger extensions
Establish a guide line for paver to follow
PAVER SETUP
PAVER SETUP
SCREED WITHOUT VIBRATION
75 - 80% Gmm
SCREED WITH VIBRATION
80-85% Gmm
FIELD OPERATIONS
Segregation: Paver Operation
Control the
Head of
material ±
1” @ ½
auger
Never allow material lower
than the flow gates
Prevent
accumulation
of material in
the corners.
No Wings
Cycling if
Hopper
near
Empty
4 steps
Dumping
Procedure
4 Screed hot spots
No Spillage.
Courtesy Caterpillar
FIELD OPERATIONS
4 Potential Areas of Segregation:
1.
Center drive
2.
Quarter point
3.
End
Conveyors
4.
Tunnel –
Edger plates
3
1
2
Courtesy Ingersoll-Rand
SEGREGATION CONTROL
Possible Areas of Segregation:
Elevator
Hot Bins
Silos
Loading
Pug Mill
Dryer
Stockpiles
Cold feeds
RELEASE AND FIRST LOAD
(Paving Foreman)
 Check first ticket for proper information
○ Job Mix Formula (JMF)
○ Tonnage
○ Date
○ Temperatures
 Mix Design
 Asphalt Affidavit
MIX DESIGN
TRUCKS
(Paving Foreman / Dump Foreman)
 Are they arriving on time and properly tarped?
 Have a Dump man or other designated ticket
exchange person.
 Insure smooth pickup by paver/MTV
 Take initial and intermittent temperature checks
in the field
 Have a designated clean out area
GOOD
NOT ACCEPTABLE
FIELD QC on PAVING DAY
(Field Technician, Paving Foreman, Operators)
○ Review the placement mix design
○ Review the sampling plan if there are
cores/boxes to be taken
○ If a density gauge is required, has it been
standardized?
○ Understand depth and width requirements
and monitor during placement
○ Who will straightedge any transverse
joints?
FIELD QC on PAVING DAY (cont)
(Paving Foreman Field Technician / Operator)
 Rolling Train
○ Check water systems on rollers
○ Set roller amplitude and frequency
for given
placement
○ Special requirements/techniques if rubber tire is
in use
○ Set up initial rolling pattern with operators and
monitor
○ Monitor density and temperature of mat
○ Monitor density and appearance of joints
○ Check appearance of mat finished product
○ Adjust rolling pattern as needed
OPERATIONS: ROLLERS
3. Vibration • Amplitude
• Frequency
• Impact per Foot
• Travel Speed
Too Far Apart
IPF = 12
Proper Spacing
@ 2400 VPM - Travel Speed = VPM/IPF = 200 FPM
@ 3600 VPM - Travel Speed = VPM/IPF = 300 FPM
OPERATIONS: ROLLERS
STATIC COMPACTION
1. Static Loading
Pounds per Linear-Inch
• Roller Weight
• Drum width
• Drum diameter
2. Kneading
• Roller Weight
• Tire Profile
• Tire Pressure
ROLLING TECHNIQUES
(Field Tech / Paving Foreman / Operator)
 How to stop at end of pass
ROLLING TECHNIQUES
(Field Tech / Paving Foreman / Operator)
 How to deal with stoppages
MATERIAL SAMPLING LOOSE BOXES
(Field Technician)
MATERIAL SAMPLING LOOSE BOXES
(Field Technician)
MATERIAL SAMPLING LOOSE BOXES
(Field Technician)
MATERIAL SAMPLING LOOSE BOXES
(Field Technician)
MATERIAL SAMPLING - CORES
COMMUNICATIONS
(All Responsible Parties)
 Paving Crew / Plant
 Within crew
○ Everyone has a responsibility and everyone
needs to know what that is!
○ Foreman, Technicians, Mechanic, Operators
RECORDKEEPING
(All)
 Required paperwork for agency/owner
 In House Paperwork:
○ Density readings
○ Ambient and surface temps
○ Material temps
○ roller settings and # of passes,
○ troubleshooting, etc…
(Build a solid database of information – know
what works for any given situation)
ROLLING PATTERN FORM
SAFETY EDGE
Courtesy of PennDOT
LTAP
SAFETY EDGE
Courtesy of PennDOT
LTAP
SAFETY EDGE
Courtesy of PennDOT
LTAP
SAFETY EDGE
Courtesy of PennDOT
LTAP
Thank You!
Greg Tomon
Quality Control Field Manager
Lindy Paving
gtomon@lindypaving.com
Courtesy ODOT