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NATIONAL
NCHRP REPORT 626
COOPERATIVE
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
NDT Technology for
Quality Assurance of
HMA Pavement Construction
OCR for page R2
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2009 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
CHAIR: Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
VICE CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
John D. Bowe, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA
William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
David S. Ekern, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Will Kempton, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington
Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
Rosa Clausell Rountree, Consultant, Tyrone, GA
Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Paul R. Brubaker, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT
George Bugliarello, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary,
National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
Sean T. Connaughton, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
Clifford C. Eby, Acting Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
John H. Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Carl T. Johnson, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
David Kelly, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Sherry E. Little, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
Thomas J. Madison, Jr., Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Robert A. Sturgell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of January 2009.
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP REPORT 626
NDT Technology for
Quality Assurance of
HMA Pavement Construction
Harold L. Von Quintus
Chetana Rao
APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC.
Champaign, IL
Robert E. Minchin, Jr.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Gainesville, FL
Soheil Nazarian
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
El Paso, TX
Kenneth R. Maser
INFRASENSE, INC.
Arlington, MA
AND
Brian Prowell
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY
Auburn, AL
Subject Areas
Materials and Construction
Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2009
www.TRB.org
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY NCHRP REPORT 626
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 10-65
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway ISSN 0077-5614
administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local ISBN: 978-0-309-11777-7
interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually Library of Congress Control Number 2009902460
or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the © 2009 Transportation Research Board
accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly
complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These
problems are best studied through a coordinated program of COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
cooperative research.
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials published or copyrighted material used herein.
initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the
FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
Transportation.
from CRP.
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was
requested by the Association to administer the research program
because of the Board's recognized objectivity and understanding of
NOTICE
modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this
purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway
Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of
authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the
possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, Governing Board's judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and
state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research
Council.
relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of
The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this
objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of
report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the
specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed
research directly to those who are in a position to use them. or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have
been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified
the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American
by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway
and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according
Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these
needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway
selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National
surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade
Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the
object of this report.
The needs for highway research are many, and the National
Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant
contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of
mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is
intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other
highway research programs.
Published reports of the
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from:
Transportation Research Board
Business Office
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
and can be ordered through the Internet at:
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 626
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Edward T. Harrigan, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Kami Cabral, Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 10-65 PANEL
Field of Materials and Construction--Area of Specifications,
Procedures, and Practices
Jimmy W. Brumfield, Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc., Jackson, MS (Chair)
Terrie Bressette, California DOT, Sacramento, CA
Bouzid Choubane, Florida DOT, Gainesville, FL
Gregory S. Cleveland, HDR, Inc., Pflugerville, TX
Ronald Cominsky, Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association, Harrisburg, PA
Roger L. Green, Ohio DOT, Columbus, OH
Larry L. Michael, Hagerstown, MD
Stefan A. Romanoschi, University of Texas - Arlington, Arlington, TX
Kim A. Willoughby, Washington State DOT, Olympia, WA
Katherine A. Petros, FHWA Liaison
Victor "Lee" Gallivan, Other Liaison
David E. Newcomb, Other Liaison
Frederick Hejl, TRB Liaison
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FOREWORD
By Edward T. Harrigan
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report contains the findings of research performed to investigate the application
of nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies in the quality assurance of hot mix asphalt
(HMA) pavement construction. The report contains the results and analyses of the research
performed and presents several key products, notably a recommended manual of practice
with guidelines for implementing selected NDT technologies in an agency's routine quality
assurance (QA) program for HMA pavement construction and detailed test methods for the
recommended NDT technologies. Thus, the report will be of immediate interest to con-
struction and materials engineers in state highway agencies and the private sector.
Test methods used for in-place quality assurance of individual HMA and unbound pave-
ment layers have changed little in past decades. Such quality assurance programs typically
rely on nuclear density measurements or the results of testing conducted on pavement
cores. Roughness measurements are often used to confirm that the newly constructed pave-
ment has an adequate initial smoothness.
More recently, NDT methods, including lasers, ground-penetrating radar, falling weight
deflectometers, penetrometers, and infrared and seismic technologies, have been signifi-
cantly improved and have shown potential for use in the quality assurance of HMA pave-
ment construction. Furthermore, the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
(MEPDG) uses pavement layer stiffness modulus as a key material property for design of
new and rehabilitated HMA pavements. The availability of this tool to predict pavement
performance will lead to increased measurement of layer moduli by owner agencies, an
activity that has not been a typical component in the past for HMA project acceptance.
This research had two objectives. The first was to conduct a comprehensive field experi-
ment to determine the effectiveness and practicality of promising, existing NDT technolo-
gies for the evaluation of the quality of unbound and bound pavement layers during or
immediately after placement or for acceptance of the entire HMA pavement at its comple-
tion. The second objective was to prepare a recommended manual of practice and test meth-
ods for those NDT technologies judged ready for implementation by AASHTO.
The research identified several NDT technologies with the potential for immediate imple-
mentation in a quality assurance program of HMA pavement construction, including that
of individual HMA, base, and subgrade layers. This was assessed based on (1) the ability to
accurately identify construction anomalies and (2) the ability to predict material properties
indicative of pavement performance. The GeoGauge is the device recommended for esti-
mating the modulus of unbound layers, while the portable seismic pavement analyzer
(PSPA) is recommended for estimating the modulus of HMA layers. The PaveTracker is also
recommended for use in establishing and confirming the rolling pattern for HMA layers.
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These recommendations do not mean that other NDT devices included in the evaluation--
e.g., the dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP), ground penetrating radar (GPR), the electri-
cal density gauge (EDG), and the pavement quality indicator (PQI)--do not provide use-
ful data for pavement and materials testing purposes. Several of these devices demonstrated
distinct benefits and advantages that are documented in this report for routine pavement
evaluation, but were judged to require additional development or evaluation before they are
fully implemented in routine practice for QA of HMA pavements.
The research was performed by Applied Research Associates, Inc. The report fully docu-
ments the research leading to the recommended manual of practice and NDT methods. The
recommendations are under consideration for possible adoption by the AASHTO Highway
Subcommittee on Construction and Subcommittee on Materials.
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CONTENTS
1 Summary
1 Introduction
2 NDT Devices Included in the Field Evaluation
7 Projects and Materials Included in the Field Evaluation
8 Field Evaluation of NDT Devices
18 Conclusions
21 Recommendations
23 Data Interpretation and Application
24 Chapter 1 Applicability of NDT Technologies
on Construction Projects
24 1.1 Ultrasonic--PSPA and DSPA
26 1.2 Steady-State Vibratory--GeoGauge
27 1.3 Deflection-Based Methods
30 1.4 Dynamic Cone Penetrometer
31 1.5 Ground Penetrating Radar
33 1.6 Electric Current/Electronic Methods
35 1.7 Intelligent Compactors/Rollers with Mounted Response Measuring Devices
36 1.8 Summary of Process Impact
38 Chapter 2 Materials Testing for Construction Quality
Determination
38 2.1 Identification of Material Anomalies and Differences
42 2.2 Estimating Target Modulus Values
51 2.3 Accuracy and Precision
57 2.4 Comparison of Results Between NDT Technologies
67 2.5 Supplemental Comparisons
74 2.6 Summary of Evaluations
80 Chapter 3 Construction Quality Determination
80 3.1 Quality Control and Acceptance Application
80 3.2 Control Limits for Statistical Control Charts
81 3.3 Parameters for Determining PWL
84 References
85 Appendix A Glossary
87 Appendix B Volume 1--Procedural Manual
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AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research described herein was performed under NCHRP Project 10-65 by the Transportation Sec-
tor of Applied Research Associates (ARA), Inc. Mr. Harold L. Von Quintus served as the Principal Inves-
tigator on the project.
Mr. Von Quintus was assisted by Dr. Chetana Rao of ARA as the Project Manager and Engineer on the
team. The team also included Richard Stubstad of ARA; Dr. Kenneth Maser with Infrasense; Dr. Soheil
Nazarian, with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP); Mr. Brian Prowell with the National Center for
Asphalt Technology (NCAT); and Dr. Edward Minchin with the University of Florida, Gainesville.
In addition, the project team was supported by several individuals who conducted field testing, includ-
ing Mr. Ajay S. Singh, Mr. Brandon Artis, and Mr. David Goodin from ARA; Mr. Manuel Celaya from
UTEP; and Mr. Dennis Andersen from EDG, LLC. Dr. Brian Prowell from NCAT and Dr. Allen Cooley
from BCD, Inc., provided oversight for laboratory testing of asphalt and unbound materials, respectively.
Dr. Buzz Powell assisted with coordinating field tests at the NCAT test track during the construction of
the test tracks. Mr. Brandon Von Quintus, Mr. Ajay Singh, and Mr. Mark Stanley of ARA assisted with
development of databases for field test results and in preparation of field notes from test sites. Ms. Robin
Jones, Ms. Jaime DeCaro, and Ms. Alicia Pitlik provided editorial review, final report formatting, and tab-
ulation of appendices, respectively.
The project team also appreciates and acknowledges the support and technical assistance of various
agency and contractor personnel, as well as representatives from nondestructive testing equipment man-
ufacturers who were involved in the construction and testing of pavement structures and mixtures
included in various phases of the project. Those individuals directly involved in the coordination and con-
struction of the projects included in the field testing plan are listed as follows:
Minnesota: Mr. John Siekmier (Minnesota DOT), Mr. Art Bolland (Minnesota DOT), Mr. Chris Dun-
nick (Dunnick Brothers)
Alabama: Ms. Sharon Fuller (Alabama DOT), Mr. Andy Carol (Scott Bridge Company), East Alabama
Paving
Texas: Mr. Tom Scullion (Texas Transportation Institute), Mr. Gregory Cleveland (Texas DOT),
Mr. James Klotz (Texas DOT), Mr. Tim Wade (Texas Turnpike Authority), Dr. Weng-On Tam (Avlis
Engineering), Texas Lone Star Infrastructure
Missouri: Mr. John Donahue (Missouri DOT), Mr. Tim Hellebusch (Missouri DOT)
North Dakota: Mr. Bryon Fuchs (North Dakota DOT), Mr. Joel Wilt (North Dakota DOT), Mr. Greg
Semenko (North Dakota DOT)
Ohio: Mr. Roger Green (Ohio DOT), Mr. Brian French (Ohio DOT)
NDT Devices and IC Rollers: Mr. Chris Connelly (BOMAG), Mr. Jeff Fox (Ammann), Mr. Christopher
Dumas (FHWA), Mr. Bob Horan (Salut), Mr. Scott Fielder (Humbolt Scientific, Inc. [Part A testing]),
Mr. Melvin Main (Humboldt Scientific, Inc. [Part B testing]), Mr. William Beck, (Dynatest), Caterpillar,
Fugro/CarlBro, Transtech Systems Inc., Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.
