CVS 327 Highway Materials 2022/2023

Chapter 1: Introduction to Highway Materials

• Road construction can be divided into two distinct phases: earthworks and construction of
pavements.
• The earthworks are concerned with the preparation of the soil to bring it to correct levels, gradients,
profiles and strength required.
• The finished level of such earthworks is referred to as formation level and soil immediately below the
level is known as the subgrade.
• The strength of the subgrade determines the thickness of the pavement needed and should be made
as high as possible.
• The desired subgrade strength can be achieved by:
i. Removing poor materials in cutting and replacing with selected fill,
ii. Ensuring compaction of the subgrade to a high density
iii. Providing adequate subsoil drainage,
iv. Avoiding the use of materials subject to front damage e.g. Silts and fine sands soils.
v.
• There are two types of pavements based on design considerations i.e. flexible pavement and rigid
pavement.
• Difference between flexible and rigid pavements is based on the manner in which the loads are
distributed to the subgrade.

Flexible Pavement
• Flexible pavement can be defined as the one consisting of a mixture of asphaltic or bituminous
material and aggregates placed on a bed of compacted granular material of appropriate quality in
layers over the subgrade (See Figure 1).
• Thus, the strength of subgrade primarily influences the thickness of the flexible pavement.

The structural layers comprise, sub grade, capping layer, sub base, road base, base course and wearing
course. The functions of each of the layers are as follows:

Figure 1: Illustration of road profile

Subgrade
• The subgrade is the natural soil or made up ground (fill) on which the pavement is built.
• On re-constructed roads it is usually well compacted by traffic, on new roads it is carefully shaped and
compacted to the appropriate level and profile.
• The surface of the sub grade is known as the formation.

Capping layer
• A capping layer is sometimes laid over a weak subgrade to act as a subgrade improvement layer.
• This is usually a relatively low quality, cheap, locally available aggregate.

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• With some soils, subgrade improvement can be achieved by treating the surface with lime or cement.
• In either case the aim is to ensure adequate support for plant used to lay the sub-base.

Subbase
• The Subbase is the main foundation layer and its principal function is to act as a platform upon which
pavement construction can take place without damage to the subgrade.
1. It enables the traffic stresses to be reduced to acceptable levels in the subgrade
2. It also acts as a final loading-distributing layer and provides a depth of frost resistant material.
3. It acts as a working plate form for the construction of upper pavement layers.
4. Acts as a drainage layer, by protecting the subgrade from wetting up.
5. It intercepts upward movement of water by capillary action.
6. It acts as a separating layer between subgrade and roadbase. By this it prevents the two layers from
mixing up

NOTE: The subgrade and the subbase together are known as the foundation.

Roadbase
• The Roadbase is the main structural layer which provides the major part of the strength and load
distributing properties of the payment.
• It must resist permanent deformation and fatigue cracking from repeated loadings.

Surfacing
• The surfacing normally comprises two layers - a base course and wearing course.
• Although, in very light traffic conditions where the increased contribution of evenness of the final
surface made by a two layer surfacing is not considered necessary, the surfacing might simply comprise
a single layer.

• The base/binder course layer distributes some of the traffic loading and also regulates the
underlying layer to provide an even profile on which to lay the relatively thin wearing course
layer.

• The wearing course provides not only the initial load distribution but also a weather proof finish to
the construction that gives skid resistance and resistance to polishing and abrasion by traffic and
even running surface and one that will rapidly shed surface water.

Rigid Pavement
• In rigid pavement, a pavement is placed directly on prepared subgrade or on a singular layer of
stabilized material (subbase). See figure 2.

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Figure 2: Typical cross-section of a rigid pavement

• In the design of a rigid pavement, the flexural/bending strength of concrete is the major factor and
not the strength of subgrade.
• Due to this property of pavement, when the subgrade deflects beneath the rigid pavement, the concrete
slab is able to bridge over the localized failures and areas of inadequate support from subgrade
because of slab action.

Functions of Materials
• The most important pavement materials are soils, rock aggregates, bituminous binders and cement.
• Functions of the different bituminous materials in road surfacing:

I. Coarse aggregates
Requirement: Material retained in a 2.36 mm sieve
- Provide strength(compressive and shear) and stability to the mix by mechanical interlock
and friction
- Provide skid resistance by the rough texture
- Resist abrasion by the action of tyres
II. Fine aggregates
Requirement: Material passing 2.36 mm and retained in 75 micron/micrometer sieve
- Add to stability by improving interlock and friction
- Provide dense gradation by filling voids in coarse aggregates
- Facilitate greater load transfer
- Increase frictional resistance

III. Mineral fillers (lime, stone dust)

Requirement: Inert material passing 75 micron sieve
- Stiffen binders by being dispersed in them
- Help lower temperature susceptibility of the binders and hence help retain hardness at
higher temperatures
- Act as void filler hence increase density.

IV. Binder/Organic cements

Usually: Bitumen/tar
- Lubricate aggregates and facilitate compaction to the desired density
- Impart cohesion to the mix, hence increase stability
- Bind and keep aggregates in positions occupied during compaction
- Water-proof the mixture
- Provide flexibility and ductility: allow mixture to bend without cracking under load and
finally return on load withdrawal.
V. Admixtures
Are: agents added to the binders to improve their characteristics
- Increase cohesion and stability
- Retard loss of lighter fractions of the binder
- Improve the resilience and serves better to cushion against vibration and traffic shocks
- Increase softening point, viscosity and elasticity
- Increase the life span of the mixture

Bituminous Surfacing Materials

• There are several types of bituminous materials that can be used for roads, driveways, footpaths etc.

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• Each has its own specific quality for the use it is intended for e.g. drainage, wearing and/or traction
purposes among others.
• A survey is done on each job to decide on the ideal material required.
• Consist basically of combination of mineral aggregates with bituminous binder ranging from
inexpensive surface treatment ¼ inch or less thick to asphaltic concrete.

For good service throughout the full life, bituminous pavement must retain following qualities:
✓ Freedom from cracking or raveling.
✓ Resistance to weather including the effect of surface water heat and cold.
✓ Resistance to internal moisture, particularly to water vapors.
✓ Tight impermeable surface or porous surface (if either is needed for contained stability of
underlying base or subgrade).
✓ Smooth riding and non-skidding surface.

Base-course Mixes
• These materials are used to give a good firm surface on which to lay a wearing course material.
• They consist of a well graded large stone and dust mix which gives a good matrix and held together
by bitumen, this gives a well bound, dense material which is suitable for laying the wearing course on.
• It is essential for all asphalt wearing courses to have a base course macadam because of the density of
asphalt that provides ultimate endurance against wearing.
• This eliminates the risk of fragmentation which may occur when you do not lay the correct base course.
• It is not essential for all tarmac wearing course mixes, where a good stone foundation can also provide
the base course required on certain jobs. For example: household driveways, private roadways, play
areas, tennis courts etc.

Colored Macadam
• Until recently, there was a very limited range of colors of pigmented asphalts and macadam available,
with red being the predominant color.
• However, recent development of special binders now permits a wider range of colors, the most popular
being red, green and beige.

Wearing Course Mixes – asphalt

Hot rolled asphalt:
• This material consists of a high sand content along with a specific amount of stone held together with
enough bitumen to give a well bound mix.
• Asphalt is a very strong material and is also extremely durable.
• It is used mainly on very high traffic areas where the addition of chippings can be used to give good
skid resistance.
• For example: Shopping centre car parks where there is a lot of twisting and turning and heavy load
delivery vehicles, main motorways, airport runways etc.
• Designed for commercial use, not suitable where a neat finish is required.

Stone Mastic Asphalt:

• It is a very durable mix which is also stable and resistant to deformation. It is Gap graded type.
• Very high stone content provides reduced noise levels.
• Surface water is also reduced due to the very high void content which can be extremely useful on level
areas.
• The mix is strengthened by the addition of dust and a very high bitumen content held in the mix by the
use of fibres.
• A very popular material which has been used in America for over 20 years and is becoming increasingly
popular in Ireland and the U.K. Ideally suited for driveways.

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Additional information: It would be virtually impossible to list on this discussion all the types of tarmac
and asphalt surfaces, there is endless variations of materials and mixes available. The most important thing
is to understand the basics and insight to the requirements. Remember the actual material and the way it is
laid are the most important factors when it comes to providing the perfect surface that you demand.

Wearing Course Mixes – Macadams

• There are three main wearing course materials; 6 mm, 10 mm and 14 mm and all are used for specific
jobs.
• Each mix can be individually tailored to specific requirements, for example, where extra drainage is
required an open texture can be specified which increases the amount of stone used in the mix.
• This will slightly reduce the durability of the surface but under some extremes may be necessary.
• The opposite of open texture would be dense texture where the specification would be to add in more
fines, such as sand, stone dust etc.
• This creates a smoother more durable wearing surface than normal. Good all round drainage is essential
in order to use this mix because it eliminates any water seepage.

Specification for 6 mm wearing course

This is a very fine mix which gives an excellent finish but does not have the strength required for heavy
traffic and is therefore used mainly for footpaths, play areas and small household driveways etc.

Specification for 10 mm and 14 mm wearing course

• These mixes are the preferred mixes for heavy traffic areas with each material providing an excellent
finish coat and both having the strength and durability to resist wear by heavy traffic.

• 10 mm is a particularly good finishing material when extra fines and bitumen are added. A design must
be done.

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