Demanding Driveways

Hand roll to seal edge
Once the first pass is down and the paver is out of the way, the crew uses a hand roller to seal the edge of the mat, both against the concrete apron and against the lawn. Sealing the edge by hand enables the operator of the power roller, in this case a 1 ½ ton static roller, to compact the pavement without having to work right at the edge, which might push the mix either onto the concrete or break the nice line on the edge and push it onto the lawn. This seals up the handwork the lute man did making the edge straight. It's important when handwork is done that it be sealed as quickly as possible. If you wait too long it won't look as good and could segregate before you get the roller on it. Note that the operator placed a piece of plywood over the concrete so as to not damage or stain it when moving the roller from the garage to the mat.

Working the mat for second pass
The lute man cuts away an edge with the lute, cutting into the material and raking it back toward himself so the paver operator will have something to match onto in the second pass. Cutting the edge and thinning it out ensures there aren't any humps in the mat, enabling the paver to level the mat with the next pass. Also, note the proper position of the roller handle, which should always be on the side nearest the operator so he can walk on the grass and not the mat when rolling and so he doesn't have to stretch over to push it.

Starting the second pass
The paver has backed to the garage and is accepting new hot mix from the dump truck. The operator watches the material flow into the hopper, all the while keeping his hand on the throttle to make sure the paver takes the correct amount of mix from the truck. The operator wants to make sure the mix does not overflow the sides or the front of the paver. If he sees that too much mix is flowing into the paver he can immediately push forward, and engage the machine to start paving.

First pass of the roller
The first paving pass has been made as far as the plan dictates, and the roller operator has started compacting. For the best compaction job work from the edge of the mat, which has been sealed by the hand roller, toward the paver. The paver has received its new load of hot mix and has positioned itself to start its next pass.

Dealing with too much mix
Sometimes too much mix will be dumped into the hopper - or the truck will pull away too quickly - leaving a pile of mix in front of the paver. It is essential that this excess mix be shoveled out of the way and deposited evenly across the base or even back into the hopper. If this material were left and paved over the driveway would have a permanent hump in the middle that could not be compacted away.

Why a two-man screed?
Any work on residential property requires neatness and exactness, as homeowners are spending their own hard-earned money on this investment. So when paving a driveway you will get the best result by operating with two operators on the screed. Each operator has control of the extensions and each can keep the paving pass up tight with the grass area on either side. In this case an 8-foot screed is used with extensions of a foot or so on each side. Also, operators on each side can adjust the thickness of the mat as necessary to make sure it matches the main screed across the width of the driveway.

Tipping and 2 x 4s
A few things to notice in this photo. First, the operator lifted the box of the paver up, tipping the mix down toward the conveyor so the mix slides more easily from the paver into the auger area. By tipping the hopper in this manner the material moves as a mass, sliding all at once, which reduces segregation. Note the 2 x 4s that are lined up with the tracks of the paver to provide a smooth transition from the driveway to the sidewalk. They also protect the edges of the sidewalk from chipping or breaking. Also note the guide bar (chain) hanging down on the front edge of the paver, which makes it easier for the operator to pave in a straight line. The operator is looking at the edge, lining up the tracks to make sure he hits those two pieces of wood.

Dealing with the sidewalk
it! The main drive is paved and the paver has reached the sidewalk. Notice the front of the endgate flush with the edge of the sidewalk. A very nice balancing act as they came right level into the sidewalk. Not as easy as it looks because as the paver reaches the sidewalk it angles upward slightly on the front end, and doesn't flatten out until the paver is on the sidewalk. Note again the 2 x 4 pieces of lumber on the opposite side of the sidewalk (and you can see them peeking out from beneath the paver as well). These 2 x 4s ease the transition from the driveway to the sidewalk and protect the edges of the sidewalk from damage caused by the weight of the paver.