ASPHALT ANSWERS
Proper compaction, whether static
or vibratory, is essential to award
winning jobs.
Compaction Basics
For Success
E
arly in my career, I was told a
truth that has rung true for
years. An experienced contactor
said, “A good roller man can
make a bad paving job look good, but
a bad roller man can really mess up the
best paving job.” There have been
many innovations in compaction over
the years, but the basics always ring
true, achieve density and make the wa-
ter run the right way. In this article I’m
going to discuss a few tips and actors
that are important to compaction ba-
sics.
Compaction starts behind the screed
both tamping and vibratory. In its
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most basic form you are getting the
air out of your asphalt mix in order to
reach maximum performance of your
mix. Operators have a short amount of
time to maximize density from our as-
phalt mix and road smoothness and is
directly impacted by your compaction
efforts.
Air Voids
The more air voids your asphalt mix
has, the more it is compromised in
terms of strength, durability, rutting,
and moisture damage, all leading to
a short life cycle for your pavement.
The asphalt paving industry relies on
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JOHN GREANEY
compaction to increase the pavement
density and extend the life of your
pavement. The binder and aggregate
particles mix, and are forced together
through compaction thus increasing
aggregate interlock and inter particle
friction reducing the air voids with
in your pavement. Vibration helps in
this effort, but over vibrating can cause
rideability issues.
Temperature, Temperature, Temperature
Asphalt mixtures cool quickly, so it
is highly important to compact while
the mix is hot. Typically asphalt comes
from the plant around 300°, so you
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