×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

(OP)
Using the Marshall Method, what is the desired % compaction for BM.25 base course aspahlt?  There are numerous ways to test asphalt in the field, we generally use the Roller Pass/Constrol Strip method and secondly we use the Rice Value in determining the in-place density. However, sometimes our project specs call out the Marshall Method, but they leave the compaction requirements blank.
any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

RE: VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

If I remember correctly, In Virginias' "Road and Bridge Specification" they reference "Maximum Theoretical Density" which is what the Marshal test is use to produce.  In that book there is a paragraph (I don't have my copy with me) that states that is your reading fall within (say) 92.5 and 97.5% of the MTD that the asphalt as placed is acceptable.  But...  Unless your project is small enough that a Roller Pattern/Control Strip is not feasable, do the RP/CS. if not default to MTD

RE: VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

(OP)
Max Theoretical density is the Rice Density.
Marshall is the laboratory density.
For the Rice value it is 91.5%.
This is were the confussion lies.

RE: VDOT: Asphalt Field Compaction Testing

You are correct that the MTD is the Rice Density.  I'll have to look up my stuff at home - had the same problem in India.  Our compaction required 98% Marshall minimum (which caused a lot of flushing and other problems during secondary compaction) but most "international" specs seemed to be written to the Rice Density.  If I remember correctly, we should have been compacting to about 96% Marshall Density. I figured that the 100% Rice was about 104%(+/-) Marshall so if you are compacting to 92% Rice, it would be about 95.7 - or 95% to 96% Marshall.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources