Road Construction Technology

Prepared By: Er. Nischal Poudel

 Introduction
Road construction technology is all the process that
are involved to construction different types of
road. It is logical to see that the purpose of
highway construction is to provide firm and even
surface for the carriageway or the pavement
which could stand the stress caused due to
number of application of load application. Hence
the pavement is prepared using broken stones, or
soil and binder material to bind the aggregates to
form a homogenous pavement section.
 Types of highway construction
The highway types are classified as follows:
1. Earth road and gravel road
2. Soil stabilized road
3. Water bound macadam W.B.M
4. Bituminous or black top roads
5. Cement concrete roads
 Various activities involved in road construction

1. Earthwork and site clearance:

 Site clearance
 Earthwork in filling for embankment
 Excavation for cutting
 Excavation for borrow pit
 Excavation for structure foundation
 Disposal of surplus earth
2. Drainage work:
 Minor bridge
 Culverts
 causeway
 Side drains
 Outer surface and sub surface drainage work

3. Protection work
 Earth retaining structures
 River training structures
 Landslide stabilization
 Bridge protection work

4. Pavement works:
 Sub grade works
 Sub base works
 Base works
 Surface works
5. Miscellaneous work:
 Rod ancillaries
 Traffic signs/ signals/marking , etc
 Bio- engineering works
 Earthwork
 Introduction:
The sub grade is prepared by bringing it to desired grade and
camber and by compacting adequately . The sub grade
may be either in embankment or in excavation depending
upon the topography and the final vertical alignment of the
road to be constructed.
The earth work quantities are estimated based on longitudinal
and transverse section along the alignment of the road. In
order to reduce the cost of construction it is necessary to
plan the movement of materials from cut to nearest fills. It
is necessary to decide the limits of economic haul and lift.
Excavation:
 It is the process of cutting or loosening and removing
earth including rock from its original position,
transporting and dumping it as a fill or spoil bank.
 The excavation or cutting may be needed in soil, soft rock
or even in hard rock, before preparing the subgrade.
 The selection of excavation equipment and cost analysis
is made upon the stiffness of the material to be excavated.
 Earth excavation may be divided as excavation or cutting,
grading and compaction.
 The depth of the excavation is decided, among other
factors , on requirement of vertical profile of the road.
 The slope to be provided is governed by the type of soil.
Excavation equipment:
Following are some of the types of equipments are
used for excavation:
 bull dozer: site clearing , opening up of pilot roads
, moving earth for short haulage about 100m.
 Power shovel: used to excavate earth of all class
except rock and to load into wagons.
 Dragline : used to excavate soft earth and to
deposit in nearby banks or to load into wagon. It
can be used to dig pits.
 Excavator: it is used to excavate all types of soils
Embankment
When it is required to raise the grade line of highway above the existing
ground level it becomes necessary to construct embankments. The
grade line may be raised due to one of the following reason:
 To keep the sub grade above the high ground water table
 To prevent damage to prevent due to surface water and capillary
water.
 To maintain the design standards of the highway with respect to the
vertical alignment.
The design elements in highway construction are:
 Height
 Fill material
 Settlement
 Stability of foundation
 Stability of slopes
 Height of fill:
Height of fill depends upon the formation level and location of
natural ground. In case of weak soils, its bearing capacity and
stability control the height of embankment.
 Fill material:
Generally granular soil is preferred as highway embankment
materials. As far as possible organic soils, silts should be avoided.
 Settlement of embankment:
Settlement of fill material i.e embankment after the completion of
construction may be due to :
a. Settlement of fill material itself
b. Settlement of foundation
c. Both of above
Remedies for it is to accelerate the rate of consolidation of saturated
foundation clay providing vertical sand drains/ blankets.
d. Stability of foundation:
When the embankment foundation consists of the weak
foundation soil just beneath or at a certain depth
below in the form of weal stratum it is essential to
consider the stability of foundation against the failure.
e. Stability of slopes:
Embankment slopes should be straight enough to
eliminate the possibility of a failure under adverse
moisture and other conditions. The stability of the
slopes should be checked by providing minimum
factor of safety of 1.50.
 Relation of maximum dry density and
optimum moisture content
In compaction of soils, the main aim is to keep the soil
particles close together which leads to improve dry
density of soil. The soil with maximum dry density is
suitable for the several constructional purposes. But
maximum dry density of soil through compaction
will be possible at a particular moisture content
called optimum moisture content. Hence compaction
purely depends upon the relationship between
moisture content of soil and its dry density which is
briefly discussed below.
Moisture content of soil is defined as the ratio of mass of water to
the mass of solids present in the soil sample. It is represented by
w.

Dry density of soil is defined as the ratio of Mass of solids to the

total volume of the soil. At a given input of compaction energy
there exists a relationship between moisture content or water
content and dry density, which is of the form shown in Fig-1.

On the dry side, the added water creates a coating of a thin film
of water on the surface of the particles imparting a lubricating
effect on them which enables them to move closer to each other
under the influence of the compaction effort. This results in the
reduction of air voids which goes on till the peak is reached at
which we obtain the maximum dry density (γd max) the
corresponding moisture content being called optimum moisture
content (O.M.C.).
Fig-1 Moisture content dry density relationship

 Beyond the peak the added water starts occupying the pore space preventing the soil particles from moving into that space. As a result the dry
density starts decreasing from the peak value. The corresponding moisture content is an optimum and not a maximum value unlike dry density which
is a maximum value. The curve of Fig-1 is called the ‘moisture content-dry density curve’ or simply the compaction curve.
 The moisture content corresponding to the ascending part of the compaction curve is marked as the dry side of optimum and that corresponding to
the descending part as the wet side of optimum.
 Determination of water content of compacted soil can be
done by i. Proctor’s Needle Method
 Principle:
The basic principle of Proctor’s needle method is to determine the
water content of compacted soil indirectly without drying the
sample based on the resistance offered by the compacted soil to
the penetration of Proctor’s needle.

 Proctor’s Needle:
The Proctor’s needle consists of a needle attached to a spring-
loaded plunger. The needle consists of a needle point attached to
the bottom of a needle shank, as shown in . The needle can be
pushed into the compacted soil by pressing the loading plunger.
The needle shank has graduations to read the penetration of the
needle into the compacted soil.
The stem of the loading plunger has graduations to show the resistance offered by the
compacted soil to the penetration of the needle. The loading plunger is calibrated to
indicate the equipment such as 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 cm2 to use in compacted soils of
increasing penetration resistance.
 Determination of In-Situ Moisture Content and Dry Density:
The soil used for compaction in the field, mixed with placement water content, is
compacted into the compaction mold using the same compaction energy. The
Proctor’s needle with the same needle point as used for preparation of calibration
chart is forced into the compacted soil in the mold and the penetration resistance
is determined. The water content and dry density of the compacted soil are then
read from the calibration chart corresponding to the penetration resistance.

 Advantage and Limitations:

The advantage of Proctor’s needle method is that drying of soil is not required for
determination of in-situ water content.
The disadvantage is that the actual in-situ compaction conditions are not truly
reflected in the dry density and water content determined by this method.
For in-situ compaction, soil is compacted by the appropriate roller in specified lift,
whereas compaction in the mold is done using the rammer by application of
blows.
The water content determined from the Proctor’s needle method gives the water
content and dry density of a laboratory compaction test rather than in-situ water
content of field compacted soil.
 Construction of Earthen rod
 Earthen road is the cheapest type of road prepared. It may contain clay, silt , sand, etc. The liquid
limit of soil must be less than 35% for base course as well as wearing course. The plasticity
index must be less 6% and 4 to 10% for the wearing course. Desired camber is 4-5%.
Construction procedure:
The construction of earth road may be divided into following steps:

1. Materials:
The soil survey is carried out and suitable borrow pit are located within
economical haulage distances. The borrow pits are usually selected
outside the land width. The trees, shrubs, grass roots and other organic
material including top soil are removed
 Soil stabilization
It is the process of improving the properties of soil so as to make it
suitable for variety of engineering works. Soil is stabilized for
intended stability and durability values. In the content of highway
engineering, if the stability of local soil is not adequate for
supporting wheel loads, the properties are improved by soil
stabilization techniques. The principles of soil stabilization are:
1. Modification or improvement of local soil properties without any
additives.
2. Modification of local soil with the help of additives or suitable
stabilizing agents.
 Technique and methods
1. Compaction:
It is the process of rearrangement of particles and densification of soil. Compaction is
affected by moisture content, compactive effort, types of soil being compacted, use of
additives, etc. It affects the soil structure, permeability and compressibility characteristics.
2. Change of gradation:
The properties of soil may be altered by adding soil of some selected grain size and or by
removing some selected fraction of soil.
3. Stabilization by drainage:
Increase in water decreases the soil strength. Hence the drainage of soil is likely to result in
increased strength/ stability which can be achieved through:
a. pumping
b. Sand drainage path or filter

4. Stabilization of soil with the help of additives:

Use of additives like cement, lime, bitumen, chemical reagents, etc to the soil increases the
strength of local soil after through mixing followed by suitable compacting technique.
 Mechanical stabilization of soil
 Mechanical stabilization is a process in which soil of two or more
gradations or a soil and aggregates are mixed or blended to obtain a
material meeting the required specifications.
 The process may be carried out either at construction site or in a
borrow pit area. The blended material is then spread and compacted.
 The stability of soil aggregate may be increased by increasing its dry
density. Thus, mechanical, stabilization aims to achieve maximum dry
density.
 Graduation is the most important factor in the design of mix.
Mechanical stabilization is a process in which gradation is so chosen
that the resulting constructions depends upon the soil aggregate
mixture alone for its stability.
 The two basic principles involved in mechanical stabilization are
proportioning and compaction.
 Gravel roads
Introduction:
Gravel roads are considered superior to earth roads as they can carry heavy traffic.
The road consists of a carriageway constructed using gravels. The camber
may be in between 1 in 25 and 1 in 30.
A well compacted crushed rock or gravel road does not become slippery when
wet. Two types of construction method is generally followed . They are the
feather edge type and trench type. The feather edge is constructed overt the
sub grade with varying thickness, so as to obtain the desired cross slope for
the pavement surface. In trench type, the subgrade is prepared by excavating a
shallow trench.
 Material:
Hard variety of crushed stone or gravel of specified gradation is used. However
softer variety of stone may also be utilized. There are no specifications for the
materials. Rounded stone and river gravel are not used.
 Construction Procedure:
1. Material gravel to be used is stacked along the side of the proposed road.
2. The centre line and road edge are marked on the ground along the alignment, by
driving wooden pegs.
3. Preparation of sub grade: site is cleared and fills and cuts are completed. Trench
is formed to the desired depth of construction, the width of the trench is made
equal to that of carriageway. The trench is brought to the desired grade and is
compacted.
4. Pavement construction: Crushed gravel aggregate are placed carefully in the
trench so as to avoid segregation. Aggregate are spread with greater thickness at
centre and less towards the edge so as to obtain the desired camber. The layer is
rolled using smooth wheeled roller starting from edge and proceeding towards
the centre with an overlap of atleast half the width of roller. Some quantity of
water may be spread and rolling is done again so that the compaction is
effective.
5. Opening to traffic: A few days after the rolling and drying out, the road is
opened to the traffic.
 WATER BOUND MACADAM
ROAD:
water bound macadam road is named in honour of
John Macadam. Macadam generally means
broken piece of stone. It is a road in which the
wearing course consists of clean crushed
aggregates which are mechanically interlocked by
rolling. These aggregates bound together with
filler material and water laid on a well-compacted
base course. The thickness of pavement is 8 to 30
cm and each layer 7.5 to 15 cm on compaction
 MATERIALS FOR WATER BOUND
MACADAM ROAD:

In the construction of Water Bound Macadam (WBM) road,

there are mainly 3 types of materials which are used such as;
 Coarse Aggregate
 Screenings (Filler Material)
 Binding Material

 COARSE AGGREGATE:
Coarse aggregates consist of a mixture of hard and durable
crushed aggregates and broken stones, and aggregate should
be properly graded for each layer of the WBM road
construction.
 In the construction of water bound macadam road, the coarse aggregates should hold the following properties
such as;
 It should be durable and hard.
 The coarse aggregate should be in acceptable size and shape.
Physical requirements of course aggregates required for construction of water bound macadam road is given in
the fig below;

SCREENINGS: (FILLER MATERIAL)

Screenings are the material that is used up to fill up the excess voids present in the compacted
layer of course aggregate and these materials are the aggregates of a smaller size than the
coarse aggregates.
 BINDING MATERIAL:
Binding material should be properly approved by
engineer.
CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE OF WATER BOUND MACADAM ROAD:

There are the following steps in the construction procedure of WBM road as given below;

 PREPARATION OF FOUNDATION FOR WBM ROAD:

Sub-grade act as a cushion for other layers i.e. In order to achieve durable road sub-grade should be
strong. Sub-grade is provided by digging up the sub-soil and the level of the sub-grade is decided
by subtracting the total thickness of the pavement from the finished level of the road pavement. The
sub-grade is thoroughly compacted by rollers by sprinkling water one night before. Low spots
which develop during rolling must be made up and brought to the grades as required. In rocky
regions the sub-grades are not rolled whereas in region of clay soils, a layer to natural sand or
gravel, is provided over sub-grade and is duly packed.

 PROVISION FOR LATERAL CONFINEMENT:

The shoulders having a thickness as that of compacted WBM layer should be constructed before
laying of aggregates and with the proper quality of earth, they should be constructed.
The purpose of constructing shoulders is that the road surface to be constructed retains in between
them and for the further laying of course aggregates, it becomes easy.

 SPREADING OF COARSE AGGREGATES:

After the construction of the shoulders, the coarse aggregates are uniformly spread on the prepared base
and the total number of layers and thickness of water bound macadam road depends upon the details
of pavement design.
Single-layer of compacted thickness 75 mm may be sufficient for ordinary roads and 2 layers of 150
mm each compacted thickness may be provided for special roads.
 ROLLING OPERATION:
For compacting the coarse aggregates, the rolling operation is carried out and it is done with the help
of vibratory rollers or with the help of 3-wheeled power rollers weighing 6 to 10 tonnes.
For driving the rollers, skilled operators should be used because the fault rolling operations cause the
unequal finish of road surface, etc.

 APPLICATION OF SCREENINGS:
The screenings are applied to properly fill the voids remained after the rolling operation is properly
finished and in 3 or more layers as per the site conditions screening may be applied.
For each layer of screenings, compaction is carried out with the help of dry rollers, and to remove
the uncompacted screening material,  brooming of each layer should be properly done after compaction .

 SPRINKLING OF WATER AND GROUTING:

The road surface is properly sprinkled with plenty of water after the application of screening and
brooming is done to sweep the wet screening properly into the voids after the water is sprinkled.

 APPLICATION OF BINDING MATERIAL:

As screenings, the same procedure is used in this step and rolling operation is carried out after each
layer of water is sprinkled.
To washout, the binding material that gets stuck to the wheels of the rollers, the wheels of the
roller should be constantly watered at the time of rolling operation.
 SETTING AND DRYING OF SURFACE:
The road is allowed to cure or set over-night after the final
rolling operation and the next day again sufficient amount of
screenings or binding materials can be used and compaction is
done if the depressions or voids are visible.

 PREPARATION OF SHOULDERS:
The shoulders are constructed alongside by filling earth to specified
cross slope at the time of the curing of the road and compacted
properly.

 OPEN FOR TRAFFIC:

The road is then made open for traffic after proper drying and without
any depressions. By placing obstacles longitudinally in the form of
drums, barricades, etc the traffic should be well distributed over the
full width of the road.
 Construction of bituminous pavements
Introduction:
Bituminous pavements are in common used in all part of world. It possible to construct
relatively thin bituminous pavement layers over an existing pavement. Therefore these
are commonly adopted as a wearing course. Flexible pavement could be strengthened in
stages by constructing bituminous pavement layers one after another in certain period
of time unlike cement concrete pavement construction.

Types of bituminous construction:

Number of types and methods are in use for bituminous pavement construction. It
is attempted to broadly classify them here based on the method of
construction. The following construction techniques are in use:
 Interface treatments like prime coat and tack coat
 Surface dressing and seal coat
 Grouted or penetration type construction.
 Pre mix
 Interface treatment
The surface of the existing pavement layer is to be
cleaned to remove dust and dirt and a thin layer
of bituminous binder is to be sprayed. Before the
construction of any type of bituminous layer over
this surface . This ensures a bond of new
pavement with the existing base at the interface
and this treatment is known as interface
treatment.
The interface treatment may be either be a prime coat or a tack coat and
in some case prime coat followed by tack coat .
 Prime coat: 
It is the first application of low viscosity (RC-0, MC- 1, SC-1) liquid bituminous
material and is applied to the existing bases of the previous surfaces like WBM
course before the application of any bituminous treatment to the surface of road.

Functions of prime coat:

 i) It develops adhesion or bond between base and wearing surface.
 ii) It seals the pores and capillary voids thus making it water proofing.
 iii) It binds together any loose aggregates on existing surface. 

Tack coat: 
It is a single initial application of bituminous material on existing pavement surface
which is relatively impervious such as existing a previous surface like WBM which
has already been prime coated.

Functions of tack coat.

 i) It ensure adhesion between the existing surface and the new bituminous surface.
 Difference between prime coat
and tack coat.
Prime coat Tack coat
1. It is the first application of bituminous 1. It is done after the road has been prime
material over the existing bases of coated.
previous layer like WBM roads.
2.Low viscous bituminous liquid is used. 2. High viscous bituminous liquid is used.

3. It plugs in the capillary voids of porus 3.It seals surface against infiltration of
surface and makes the existing surface water.
water proof.
4. Its primary function is to ensure bond 4. Its primary function is to make the
between loose material particles on the adhesion between new and existing
existing surface. surface.
 Seal coat
Seal coat is the thin surface treatment which is either
applied as final step in the construction of certain
bituminous surfaces or to existing surfaces, which have
cracked or worn out. Thus, for this reasons, the seal coat
is used in road construction.
 Seal cost is usually recommended as a top coat over
certain bituminous pavements which area not
impervious.
 It is also provided over an existing bituminous
pavement which is worn out.
 The seal coat is a very thin surface treatment which is
usually applied over an existing black top surface.
 It consists of aggregates and binder.
 CONSTRUCTION STEPS

I. Preparation of existing surface

II. Application of binder
III. Application of stone chippings
IV. Rolling of first or final coat
V. Seal coat
1)PREPARATIONOF EXISTING PROCESS:
 Ruts and depressions are rectified and prepared to
proper profile before the treatments done.
 All the dust particles or loose materials are
removed and prime coat is applied if the existing
base course has pervious surface.
 Whenever prime coat is applied to the surface ,no
bituminous material shall be applied , until the
prime coat has thoroughly cured.
 2) APPLIED OF BINDER

 On a prepared surface , uniform spraying of the

bituminous binder is done at a specified rate
using a mechanical sprayer.
 3) APPLICATION OF STONE
CHIPPINGS
After the application of binder ,the cover material
i.e stone chippings as per the requirement is
spread to cover the surface uniformly.
 4) ROLLING OF FIRST OR
FINAL COAT
 Rolling is done with tandem roller of 6 to 8
tonnes wt after the cover material is spread.
 Rolling is started from the edges proceeding
towards the center longitudinally.
 The cross profile is checked.
 5) SEAL COAT

 The seal coat is applied if another surfacing

course is not constructed immediately and traffic
is to be allowed.
 Premixed sand-bitumen may be applied as seal
coat .
 The pavement section is again rolled.
 6) After checking cross profile with template and
longitudinal profile by straight edge; the
pavement surface is opened to traffic if o.k. after
24 hours
 IMPORTANCE OF SEAL COAT

 It seal the surfacing against the infiltration of

water.
 It enlivens an existing dry and weathered
bituminous surface.
 Its develops skid resistance texture.
 Surface Dressing
Surface dressing is provided to create a dust free
pavement surface over the base course in dry
weather. Further, surface dressing provides a
water proof layer, prevents infiltration of water
surface and prevents the base course from
raveling and abrasive action of traffic.
Surface dressing is of two types:
1. Single coat surface dressing
2. Double coat surface dressing
 Single coat surface dressing

Single coat dressing includes the application of thin layer of bitumen followed by the cover material of
specified size, stone, aggregate, which is then completed by roller.
Construction procedure :
1. Preparation of existing surface:
Ruts and depression are rectified and prepared to proper profile before the treatment is done. All the dust
particles or loose materials are removed and the prime coat is applied if the existing base course has
previous surface.

2. Application of binder :
Uniform spraying of bituminous binder is done at the specified rate on the prepared surface using
mechanical sprayer. Care is taken not to apply excessive binder at localized area as it would result
bleeding.

3. Application of stone chippings:

Cover material is spread as per the requirement to cover the space uniformly.

4. Rolling of first coat:

Rolling is done with tandem roller ( 6 to 8 tones) starting from the edge proceeding towards the centre
longitudinally. Rolling is continued until the particles are firmly inter-locked.

5. Finishing and opening to traffic:

The surface is checked for longitudinal and cross profile. The road surface is opened to traffic after 24
hours.
 Double coat surface dressing:

In this type of surface treatment, immediately after laying the first coat,
second application of binder is applied followed by uniform spreading of
cover material of smaller size aggregate then rolled.
Construction procedure:
1.Preparation of existing surface:
Ruts and depression are rectified and prepared to proper profile before the
treatment is done. All the dust particles or loose materials are removed and
the prime coat is applied if the existing base course has previous surface.

2. Application of binder:
Uniform spraying of bituminous binder is done at the specified rate on the prepared surface using
mechanical sprayer. Care is taken not to apply excessive binder at localized area as it would result
bleeding.

3. Application of stone chippings:

Cover material is spread as per the requirement to cover the space uniformly.
4. Rolling of first coat:
Rolling is done with tandem roller ( 6 to 8 tones) starting from the edge proceeding
towards the centre longitudinally. Rolling is continued until the particles are
firmly inter-locked

5. Application of binder and stone chippings for second

coat:
Immediately after applying binder to the prepared surface as per the requirement,
cover material are spread as before.
6. Rolling of second coat:
Rolling is done with tandem roller ( 6 to 8 tones) starting from the edge proceeding
towards the centre longitudinally. Rolling is continued until the particles are
firmly inter-locked
7. Finishing and opening to traffic:
The surface is checked for longitudinal and cross profile. The road surface is
opened to traffic after 24 hours.
 Grouted Macadam or Bituminous Penetration Macadam

Bituminous Penetration Macadam or Grouted Macadam is used as a binder

course. In this method bitumen is spread over the compacted coarse
aggregate layer and allowed to penetrate . They are of two types:
1. Full grout:
Depending upon the quantity of bitumen spread and extent of penetration, it
is called full grout if bitumen penetrated to the full depth of compacted
aggregates. It is adopted in region of heavy rainfall. Penetration is
usually 5 to 7.5 cm

2. Semi grout:
Depending upon the quantity of bitumen spread and extent of penetration, it
is called semi grout if bitumen penetrated up to about half the depth of
compacted aggregates. It is adopted in region of moderate rainfall.
Penetration is usually 2 to 2.5 cm
 Construction of Full grout and semi grout:

.
1. Materials Required :
 The grade of bitumen to be used for this type of road
suggested by IRC ranges from 80/ 100, 60/ 70 & 30/ 40.
Any one of the above grade can be adopted.
 Road tars of grades such as  RT-4 & RT-5 can also be used.
2. Equipments and Plants Required :
 Bitumen heating device.
 Bitumen distributor.
 Roller for compacting operation.
 Aggregate spreader.
3. Construction Procedure of Bituminous Penetration Macadam Road :
 • Preparation of Existing Surface :
First of all the surface on which bitumen macadam is to be applied is cleaned from dust and other debris. The gradient
and the camber of the road is properly checked. Prime coat can be also applied if necessary for porous surfaces. The
thickness of under lying surface i.e WBM or stabilized should not be less than 15 cm.
 • Spreading of Course Aggregates :
Spreading of aggregates can be done manually or by machine. To achieve the desired profile in cross-section, template
cat or camber profile may be used.
 • Rolling Operation :
After speeding of aggregates they are dry rolled with a minimum of 10 tones roller. It is assured that the aggregates are
properly compacted and interlocked.
 • Bitumen Application :
The uniform layer of bitumen binder is applied on the dry rolled compacted aggregates with the help of pressure
distributor or mechanical hand sprayer. Depending upon the location and type of grout to be made the amount is
bitumen is taken as per specification. The quantity of bitumen required for the full grouted macadam is 50 and 68 kg
per 10m sq for 50 and 75 mm compacted thickness respectively. And for semi grouted macadam binder is applied at
the rate of 25 kg per 10m sq for thickness of 20 to 25 mm.
 • Spreading of Key Aggregates :
Once the bitumen is properly applied then over sprayed bitumen is balanced by key aggregates and are properly laid and rolling
operation is again continued for proper compaction. Cross Profile is also checked at the same time.
• Seal Coat Application :
If the road is going to be made open for the traffic and another surface course is not required then the seal coat is applied. It consist of
sand bitumen or it may be of surface dressing type.
• Finishing :
Cross profile of the road should be checked with template and the longitudinal profile by straight edge of the road. The
permissible undulation on 3 m road is 12 mm.
 • Open to Traffic :
The road is made open to traffic after minimum of 24 hours after its construction.
 Bitumen Carpet Road.
In the construction of bitumen carpet road the recommended bitumen binder is 80/ 100 grade and the tar required should
be of grade RT-3. The stone chippings required for 2 cm carpet thickness should be 12 mm and 10 mm. 

Construction Procedure of Bitumen Carpet Road :

 Preparation of the Existing Surface :
For the existing layer if potholes or depressions are found then they are required to be filled with percolated chippings before
the layer of carpet is applied. After the preparation of the surface the tack coat is applied to WBM surface or old bitumen
surface. If there is presence of softer aggregates then prime coat application is necessary to be applied first.

 Application of Tack Coat :

The bitumen binder is heated up to required temperature and a tack coat is applied to the surface.

 Preparation and Placing of Premix :

Preparation of premix is carried out in mechanical rotary mixer or hand drum mixer. For this mix, aggregates and bitumen are
separately heated for specified temperature. Mixing is done to obtain through and homogeneous mix. These mix is then
carried out to site and it is ready to be placed on the surface. Cross profile is effectively checked after its application.

 Rolling and Finishing :

Rolling operation for compaction is carried out once the premix application is finished. It is carried out for completion of
every 15 m surface of road. The rollers which are generally used are tandem type or pneumatic type rollers having capacity
of 6-10 tonnes. The wheels of the rollers are kept damp to prevent the adhesion of mix to the wheels of roller.
Note : for heavy rainfall areas liquid seal is sprayed on the carpet at 9-10 kg per 10m2 area. It is then covered with layer
of tone chippings and properly compacted.
 • Surface Finish :
The surface is properly checked for undulations. For 3 m straight edge the undulation
should not exceed 10mm. Cross profile should not have undulations exceeding 6mm

 • Open to Traffic :
Road is opened for the traffic after 24 hours of application of seal coat or surface
dressing.

1. Advantages of Bituminous Road :

 Generally Bituminous road do not develop cracks on the surface for long period.
 Maintenance cost of this road is also very less.
 Bituminous road are waterproof, non-slippery, smooth, durable and it provides
comfortable road surface for the traffic.
 It can withstand the adverse natural effects caused by heavy rain, excess heat and
change in temperature.
2. Disadvantages of Bituminous Road :
 The viscosity of the bitumen and aggregate mix plays important role in defining the
performance of bituminous road.
 If the bituminous material is used in excess than the value for given mix, it effects the
performance of the bituminous road.
 Built-up spray grout

BSG consists of two layer composite construction

of compacted crushed aggregates with
application of bitumen binder after each layer for
bonding and finished with key aggregates at the
top to provide a total compacted thickness of
75mm. This method is commonly used for
strengthening of existing bituminous pavements.
A suitable wearing course is invariably provided
over this layer before opening to traffic,
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1.Difference between flexible and rigid pavement.

2. Different cross section of hill roads
3. What are the different types of construction
equipments used in road construction?
4. What are the design and construction problems of
hill roads?
5. Explain different types of rollers used in road
construction.
6. Explain road embankment construction procedure