Principles of Paving

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver System Five
Grade Control Systems

Tremendous benefits to
the paving contractor:
 Increase efficiency
and productivity
 Control Material
Quantities
 Improve smoothness
and rideability
 Increase jobsite safety
= The answer for
perfect, smooth paving?

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver System Five
Good Paving Practice Grade Control
Decent paving

+ =

Fair paving

+ =

Great paving!

+ =
Principles of Paving rev 8-2009
 Principles of Paving
•Good principles of paving must
come BEFORE Grade Control
• Paving is a TEAM project Train the entire TEAM!
• Grade control is a great tool to
help the paving team:
 be more efficient
 control material quantities
 provide a smoother
surface

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver Components
Asphalt Paver
The paver has two
primary components:
• Tractor
• Screed

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver Tractor
Tractor has two primary functions
• Material Handling
• Forward Movement

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver Tractor
Asphalt distribution
The paver typically receives
the asphalt:

• directly from a truck

• by a pickup machine
(windrow elevator)

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver Tractor
Asphalt distribution
The asphalt is received into the paver’s hopper
• Hopper is a holding station for the asphalt
• The operator tilts the hopper to deliver material into the feeder conveyor

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver Tractor
Asphalt distribution
•Feeder conveyors
distribute the asphalt to
the augers
• The augers spread the
asphalt in front of the
screed
• End gates contain the
material at the outer
edge of the screed

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Components
Paver Screed
• Function of the screed is mat laydown
• Screed has several components

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed concept

• The screed floats on the asphalt as it passes under the screed plate
• The screed will “self-level” and maintain a thickness based on the forces
acting on the screed.

Floating, Self-Leveling Screed

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Concept

• The desired thickness is controlled by the screed angle of attack

• As the angle of attack is increased or decreased, the screed will float up
or down changing the thickness

Screed angle of …controls mat

attack… thickness
…
Principles of Paving rev 8-2009
 Changing Angle of Attack

The angle of attack can be changed by:

• The manual crank
• The hydraulic cylinder at the tow point

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Concept
If the angle of attack is…

increased, decreased,

Mat thickness increases Mat thickness decreases

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Floating, Self-Leveling Screed
• The paver tractor, and therefore the screed tow point, travel over the
existing “rough” surface
• The floating screed doesn’t react immediately to the variations in the tow
point path
• The floating screed seeks it’s own level, smoothing out small humps and
bumps.

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Floating, self-leveling screed
• The floating screed naturally cuts off high spots and fill in low spots.

Cuts off high spots

Fills in low spots

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Reaction
Tow point “step disturbance” and screed reaction
• Two point is changed by a unit of one (1)
• Net effect = the angle of attack has been changed

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Reaction
Example of tow point “step disturbance” and screed reaction
• Two point is changed by a unit of one (1)

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Screed Reaction
Example of change in angle of attach by turning manual crank and
screed reaction.

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Checking Mat Depth
• Goal is to “average” a particular paving thickness
• Always check several places, horizontally and laterally

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Adjusting Mat Depth
• Once an adjustment is made – GIVE THE SCREED TIME TO REACT!

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Adjusting Mat Depth
Goal – Provide smoothness and compaction, while hitting target tonnage
for entire project!
• Determine average depth by measuring tons/mile
• Make small adjustments based on calculation

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Floating, Self-Leveling Screed
Left alone, the screed will self-level and assume a thickness based on
forces that are acting on the screed.

•What are these forces?

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Forces Acting on the Screed
There are four major forces acting on the screed

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Forces Acting on the Screed
If any one of these forces change, the mat thickness will change.
 But in “real life” job applications, these forces cannot always remain
constant.

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Tow Point Force
If the forward speed…

increases; decreases;
mat thickness mat thickness
will decrease will increase

Goal - Non-stop, continuous paving!

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Tow Point Force
Goal - Non-stop, continuous paving!
• Determine paving speed based on plant supply in tons/hour
• Regulate trucks to the paving supply and operation, not the
paving operation to the trucks
Plant supply = 210 tons/hour
Paving speed = 25’/minute

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Tow Point Force
Maintain smooth truck exchange!

Bump in mat at every truck exchange

(probably “caused by faulty grade control!”)

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 In Motion Switches
• While stopped waiting for trucks, the screed will settle slightly
• Screed goes down, the tracker will also go down slightly

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 In Motion Switches
• Grade control would want to drive the tow cylinder up to compensate
• The paver’s In-Motion switch stops the valve electrical signal
• A timer initiates the electrical signal after the paver is in-motion

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Head of Material Force
Maintain a CONSISTANT head of material

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Head of Material Force
Maintain a
CONSISTANT
head of material

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Head of Material Force
Maintain a CONSISTANT head of material

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Reaction of Material Force

Mix Characteristics
• Gradation
• Segregation
• Mix Temperature

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Weight of the Screed Force
Compaction Force = Pounds per square inch

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Weight of the Screed Force
Compaction Force = Pounds per square inch
• How can the weight force change? (lbs per square inch)
• People climbing on and off the screed can have a small effect
on overall screed weight

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Weight of the Screed Force
Screed extension
• Changing screed width
changes the compaction
force - Lbs per square inch

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Roller Compaction
• Good rolling practice is critical to the quality of the mat

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Roller Compaction
• A freshly laid, smooth mat will reflect some of the original
surface after rolling
• Quality of the base being paved affects smoothness
• Multiple lifts help to minimize these effects

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Mechanical condition of the Paver
The paving machine itself needs to be in good shape and adjusted
correctly
• Feeder system
• Hopper, flight chain operation and adjustment, augers, etc.
• Operation and adjustment of feeder controls
• No excessive wear on screed components
• Screed plates
• Thickness control screws, bearings, and bushings
• Screed pivot point bushings
• Screed adjustment
• Strike off plates
• Screed flatness
• Screed extensions adjusted properly, elevation and slope

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009

 Paver System Five
Good Paving Practice Grade Control
Decent paving

+ =

Fair paving

+ =

Great paving!

+ =
Principles of Paving rev 8-2009
 Paver System Five
Tow point is smoothly controlled to a desired path:
• Curb
• Stringline
• SAS smoothing out existing surface

Then let the floating, self-leveling screed do it’s job!

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009
 Best Paving Practices

 Good mechanical condition of the paver

Minimize changes in the natural forces on the screed
 Non-stop, continuous paving
 Good, smooth truck exchange
 Constant paving speed
 Constant head of material
 Consistent mix characteristics
 Good rolling techniques
 Good quality of sub-base

Understand proper setup and operation of Grade Control

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009
 Principles of Paving

Principles of Paving rev 8-2009