Seismic Testing to Determine Quality of Hot-Mix Asphalt

Abstract

Existing practices for acceptance of hot-mix asphalt are based on parameters such as adequate density, adequate thickness, and adequate air voids of the placed and compacted materials. Current mechanistic routines for structural design of flexible pavements consider mainly the modulus of each layer. Therefore, a procedure to measure the modulus of each pavement layer shortly after placement is highly desired. Laboratory tests on specimens prepared from material retrieved during construction, such as the simple-performance tests, can be used to determine these moduli. However, these methods are time-consuming, and the equipment costs are high. In addition, prepared specimens may not be representative of as-placed materials. Seismic tests are more practical because they are rapid to perform and are nondestructive, immediate results are obtained, and the material is tested in its natural state. The portable seismic property analyzer (PSPA) is an example of such a device. The PSPA is presented as a real-time nondestructive method with which to assess the hot-mix asphalt quality in the field.