ForConstructionPros.com

Compacting a new road surface for optimum smoothness, rideability and density can be challenging enough during the day given the number of variables that affect them. Coupled with a veil of darkness at night, the goal can become even more difficult.

But contractors such as Highways, Inc. are up to the task. Like a growing number of construction firms nationwide, the Tennessee-based company is experiencing an increased demand to take on night roadbuilding projects, due in part to the driving public's aversion to bottlenecks and detours during periods of high traffic volume typically found during the day.

Mark Odom, vice president of Highways, Inc., took on his first night roadbuilding project roughly eight years ago. He currently handles about six of these jobs a year, and anticipates the number of night job bid requests to continue to rise. He certainly isn't shying away from accepting them.

Carefully monitor temperature
According to Odom, one of the biggest challenges of nighttime operations is maintaining sufficient heat in the asphalt mix to ensure proper compaction. "Cooler temperatures are more conducive to workers," he notes. "But when combined with the wind and rush of air created by excessive highway truck traffic, they cool down the polymers."

"Monitoring the temperature drop in asphalt material is very important to the success of the compaction process," states Bruce Monical, marketing manager, Hamm Compaction Division. "That rapid fall in temperature has to be handled differently at night than during the day."