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How Temperature Impacts Compaction
Paving crews can improve their finished pavement by keeping the rollers close to the paver and to each other
The proper position of the roller train behind the paver aids compaction efforts. The paver needs to place the mix while the temperature is between 350˚F and 290˚F. To the right of the paver are two "breakdown rollers" working in tandem in a temperature range between 320˚F to 250˚F. The arrow indicates where "density tests" are best conducted (after the breakdown rollers) and the furthest right section shows where finish rolling is done (temperature range 150˚F to 100˚F.)
By Dale Starry
The final visit to this project was in mid-October. The state density technician reported he had logged the highest density values yet on this project. The readings corresponded with a section of the pavement where the breakdown and intermediate compactors rolled closely behind the paving train.
The benefit of maximum temperature to permit efficient particle rearrangement had become apparent to this paving crew, especially to the breakdown and intermediate compactor operators.
When the Superpave mix was processed through the paver in a homogenous, non-segregated manner, and the compactors were following closely behind the paver, the mix was compacted efficiently.
Compaction, performed at the correct temperature, achieved a uniform, high density before the threshold of time available for compaction had passed.
This contractor's success is repeatable, project after project, when attention is paid to proper mix delivery and proper location of the compactors behind the paver. Recognizing the importance of temperature when paving means everyone wins: agency, contractor, motorist, and tax payer.
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