CONSTRUCTION

OF
ROAD
PAVEMENT
What Is a Pavement?

Pavement is one type of hard surface made from durable surface material laid
down on an area that is intended to carry vehicular or foot traffic.

its main function is to distribute the applied vehicle loads to the subgrade through
different layers. The road Pavement should provide sufficient skid resistance,
proper riding quality, favorable light-reflecting characteristics, and low noise
pollution.

Road Pavements are playing a crucial role in the development of any construction.
There are mainly two types of road pavement used namely flexible and rigid
pavements road.
Types of Pavement
The following are two major pavement types used in road construction,

•Flexible pavement
•Rigid Pavement

1. Flexible Pavements

In Flexible Pavement, wheel loads are transferred to subgrade by grain-to-grain

transfer through the points of contact in the granular structure.
The wheel load stresses acting on the pavement are distributed to a larger area
and the stress decreases with depth.

Considering this load distribution characteristic of flexible pavements, it has many

layers. Hence, a flexible pavement design system uses the concept of a layered
system. By considering this the flexible pavement should have better quality to
sustain maximum compressive stress, in addition, to wear and tear.
Road Construction Layers (Road Pavement Layers)
Following are pavement layers in road construction,

1.Compacted subgrade (150 – 300mm).

2.Sub-base Course (100 – 300 mm)

3.Base Course (100 – 300 mm)

4.Prime Coat

5.Binder Coat (50 -100 mm)

6.Tack Coat

7.Surface Course (25 – 50 mm)

8.Seal Coat.
1. Compacted Sub-grade (150 – 300 mm)
The compacted subgrade is the base of all pavement layers. All the above
pavement layers transfer the stress to this layer. So, it is essential to ensure that
soil subgrade is not overstressed. Therefore, it should be properly compacted to
the desired density, near the optimum moisture content.

1. Compacted Sub-grade (150 – 300 mm)

The compacted subgrade is the base of all pavement layers. All the above
pavement layers transfer the stress to this layer.
So, it is essential to ensure that soil subgrade is not overstressed. Therefore, it
should be properly compacted to the desired density, near the optimum moisture
content.

3. Base Course (100 – 300 mm)

It is a layer of materials just below the surface of the binder course and it provides
additional load distribution and contributes to the sub-surface drainage.
Different materials are used for base courses such as crushed stone, crushed slag,
and other untreated or stabilized materials.
4. Prime Coat
A prime coat is applied by spreading low viscous cutback bitumen to an absorbent
surface like granular bases on which the binder layer is placed.
It is primly used to provide a bond between two layers. A prime coat is able to
penetrate into the below layers, plug the voids, and form a watertight surface.

5. Binder Coat (50 -100 mm)

The Binder coat has the bulk of the asphalt concrete structure. Its main function is
to distribute the load to the base course.
The binder course primly consists of aggregate mixed with low asphalt and doesn’t
require quality as high as the surface course.

6. Tack Coat:
In the tack coat, a little amount of asphalt is applied to the surface. It is generally
an asphalt emulsion diluted with water.
Its main function is to provide proper bonding between two layers of binder course
and must be thin, uniformly cover the entire surface, and set very fast.
7. Surface Course (25 – 50 mm)
It is the main layer that bears the direct traffic load and generally
contains superior-quality materials. The surface course is generally constructed
with graded asphalt concrete (AC).

This course offers major characteristics like friction, smoothness, drainage, etc.
Also, it prevents the entry of excess water into the underlying base, sub-base, and
sub-grade.

It should be provided with a hard surface to resist distortion under traffic and
provide a smooth and skid-resistant riding surface,

8. Seal Coat
The seal coat is a thin layer with a water-proof surface and provides skid resistance.
2. Rigid Pavements
Rigid pavements are cable to transfer wheel load to a wider area as it has good
flexural strength. In rigid pavement, there are not many layers of materials as in
the case of flexible pavement.

In rigid directly placed on a well-compacted subgrade or on a single layer of

granular or stabilized material.

As there is only a single layer between the concrete and the subgrade, this layer
can be called a base or sub-base course.
n rigid, the vehicular traffic load is transferred through slab action, and the road
behaves like an elastic plate resting on a viscous medium. It is constructed by
using plain cement concrete.
What Is WBM Road
The full form of WBM is Water Bound Macadam Road which is the most commonly
used road construction procedure for more than 100 years. The Water Bound
Macadam is named based on the Scottish engineer John Loudoun Macadam who
first introduced and construct the WBM road.

Water Bound Macadam is a type of flexible pavement in which the base and
surface layer contains crushed stone or broken rock pieces and materials are well
interlocked with the help of a mechanical roller.

Materials Required For the Construction of WBM Road

There are mainly three types of construction materials required for the
construction of WBM roads:

•Coarse Aggregate
•Screening
•Binding Material
WBM Road Construction Procedure
The execution of WBM Road includes a series of sequential operations operated
with a distinct interval of time. The followings are the steps to be followed during
construction.

The construction Procedure of the WBM road is given below,

•Preparation of subgrade for WBM road construction
•Laying and fixing steel rebars as lateral reinforcement.
•Coarse Aggregates Spreading
•Compaction by heavy roller.
•Screening material spreading on a surface
•Grouting work and sprinkling work
•Binding materials applied on the surface
•Leveling and drying process
•Side Shoulder formation
•The Road is open to traffic
Advantages of WBM Road

 It is cost-effective as the cost of construction of Water Bound Macadam road is

comparatively low.
 In the construction of the WBM road, no skilled laborers are required.
 Water Bound Macadam roads are constructed with the help of locally and easily
available materials.
 If WBM roads are maintained perfectly from time to time then they could resist
heavy traffic and approximately about 900 tons per day.

Disadvantages of WBM Road

 The overall life span of Water Bound Macadam road is less than the bitumen
road.
 A high probability of danger to traffic and inconvenience is there if these roads
do not receive proper maintenance periodically.
 The maintenance cost of Water Bound Macadam road is high as compared to
the bitumen base course.
 These roads lead to yielding and softening of the subsoil as these roads are
absorbent to rainwater.
 When a fast-moving vehicle passes over a WBM road, the stone piece gets
disturbed and finally, the road surface disintegrates.

What is a cement concrete road?

The cement concrete roads are in the form of monolithic slabs of cement concrete
which serve two functions simultaneously, namely, as the load-carrying base and
as the wearing surface. According to the structural behavior, the pavements can
be classified as flexible pavement or rigid pavement. Bituminous concrete is one of
the best flexible pavement layer materials. Various other types of bituminous roads
are considered as flexible pavements. The cement concrete roads, on the other
hand, are treated rigid pavements because of their rigidity.
METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE ROADS
Following are the three methods of construction of cement concrete roads:
1) Alternate bay method
(2) Continuous bay method
(3) Expansion joint and strip method.

(1) Alternate bay method:

In this method, if the road is of a single lane, it is divided into suitable bays of 6
m to 8 m length, and the construction work is carried out in alternate bays as
shown in fig. below.
(2) Continuous bay method:
This is also known as strip method or full-width method. The entire width of
the road is constructed continuously from one end to the other. No provision
for expansion provided where the new concrete meets the previously
laid concrete.

This method is suitable for roads having width not exceeding 4.5 m and
it is very simple in construction. However, it does not stand a high
temperature variation as no provision is made for expansion and
contraction.

It also requires the provision of a temporary diversion road since the

entire road width is under construction. This method is generally not
favored.
(3) Expansion joint and strip method:
In this method, the road is divided into longitudinal strips and transverse bays by
means of timber formwork as shown in fig 4. The joints are then suitably filled up
with fillers like asphalt and finished so as to provide for the expansion of the
concrete slab.
By this method, any width of road can be carries the traffic and it gives
better alignment and finish. It also carries the traffic during construction
and hence, no temporary diversion road is necessary . There has been
considerable improvement in the technology of joints in concrete roads and
hence, most of the modern concrete roads are constructed by this method.

What is joints of cement concrete pavement road?

An effective system of joints is an essential feature in the successful functioning
of the cement concrete road. Tie bars and dowel bars are provided to maintain
the strength of the pavement at joints and also to act as load transfer devices.

Types of Joints in cement construction pavement

•Transverse joints.
•Longitudinal joints
Transverse joints type

 Expansion joints.
 Contraction joints.
 Warping or hinged joints.
 Construction joints.

 Expansion joints
Expansion joints provided space into which pavement can expand. These joints
relieve compressive stress developed in the concrete slab due to expansion.
Expansion joints also relieve stresses caused by construction and warping.
 Contraction joints
Contraction joints relieve tension developed in the concrete due to contraction.
They prevent the formation of irregular cracks contraction joints also relieve
stresses due to warping.

Contraction joints joints must be designed in order to allow displacements

between both sides of the slab but, at the same time, they have to transfer
flexural stresses produced in the slab by external loads.

 Warping joints
Warping joints relieve stresses due to the warping effect developed in the slab.
These joints are commonly used for longitudinal joints dividing the pavement into
lanes.

Warping tendencies are set up in the concrete slab due to temperature differences
between the top and bottom of the slab.
Construction joints
Due to the interruption in the continuity of the concreting, at the end of the day or
otherwise, a joint has to be provided.

A tie bar is provided, in the unreinforced concrete pavement to prevent the opening
of the joint.
 Isolation joints
Isolation joints have one very simple purpose- They completely isolate the slab
from something else. That something else can be a wall or a column or a drain
pipe. Here are a few things to consider with isolation joints.

 Longitudinal joints
These joints are provided to prevent longitudinal crascking and enable the road to
be constructed in convenient widths.

Joints of the warping type are commonly used and no provision is made for
transverse expansion and contraction of road.