Asphalt pavement technology has been advancing rapidly in recent years, where new techniques are implemented to transform the asphalt pavement industry, making it more sustainable, efficient, and effective than ever before. Here at Wright Construction Company, we keep abreast of the current technological updates in order to deliver the best results for our clients. However, because of the pace of innovation, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of exactly how paving technology has changed.
In this post, we hope highlight some of the many ways we can work for you better than paving companies could in the past.
How Paving Technology Has Changed
1. Site preparation
Site preparation is the first part of any asphalt pavement project. In the old days, contractors used a plumb bob to look through the transit.
These days, contractors use laser-guided grading equipment and 3D modeling to minimize the need for manual labor and reduce the risk of errors.
The information gleaned from this can then be used to plan the layout of the pavement and optimize the use of materials and resources.
2. Removal of old asphalt
Removing the existing asphalt pavement used to be an arduous, time-consuming task where workers had to make do with a road saw and a diamond blade to accomplish this feat.
This has been replaced by hydraulic technology and milling machines equipped with advanced sensors, which can remove old asphalt more efficiently and accurately.
These machines can precisely control the depth of the cut and minimize the risk of damaging the subgrade.
3. Automatic grading and slope control
Grading and slope control are essential aspects of an asphalt pavement project, and technology has been instrumental in improving the efficiency of this process as well. Asphalt contractors previously used manual graders and compactors for the grading process.
Now, new machinery like a motor grader is used. It comes with automatic grade and slope control that result in a pavement that has a more uniform density and improved durability.
4. Sub-base evaluation
Sub-base evaluation is another crucial step in asphalt pavement projects because the condition of the sub-base will greatly affect the performance and longevity of the pavement.
Old asphalt projects were completed without doing asphalt testing so there is no way to check if the sub-base is structurally sound and has the ability to support constant traffic in the long run.
The current use of nuclear density testing has made the evaluation more efficient and accurate when it comes to the behavior and load-bearing capacity of the sub-base, allowing for more accurate design and construction of the pavement.
5. Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance is an important aspect of asphalt pavement management, and technology has been instrumental in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of this process.
The old practice of installing an asphalt pavement without following it up with crack filling and sealcoating has been replaced with preventive maintenance to extend the pavement's life and improve its performance while reducing the need for major repairs.
For more information about the technology we use in our asphalt pavement construction process, please contact us and we’ll be there to assist you.