Field compaction control studies on road bases in a new settlement area in Ghana

Summary

Among the major causes for failure of roads in the tropics is inadequate compaction during construction. There is, therefore, the need to strictly control the compaction of the pavement layers if the design life of the road is to be attained; thereby eliminating large maintenance costs.

This note reports on pavement compaction control studies undertaken on the road bases of service roads in a new settlement area in Ghana. These roads were to be provided with bituminous surfacing immediately after compaction. Studies concerning particle breakdown during field compaction by two contractors executing the works under the same conditions have been made, together with an assessment of contractor efficiency.

It was found that the placement moisture contents varied greatly from the optimum. One contractor was compacting the gravels on the dry side of optimum, consequently achieving relatively high densities. The other contractor was compacting on the wet side and achieving lower density levels. This was still the case even after initial test sections were found to have been undercompacted.

Compaction levels achieved in the crowns were generally found to be higher than those at the shoulders of the road test sections. The breakdown of coarse particles due to compaction was quite significant. There is therefore the need for highway material engineers to ensure that in addition to meeting the grading requirements, road base materials must adequately meet the requirements on weathering and mechanical strength properties.