The asphalt pavement construction monitoring system presented in this paper covers two main asphalt pavement construction processes: hot mix asphalt (HMA) plant production and the laydown and compaction operation. The main architecture of the monitoring system, the development of the required hardware and the software structure, and the implementation process are presented in this paper. The system is able to perform automatic data collection and data transmission, and can automatically provide feedback to the construction site for real-time asphalt pavement construction quality control. The entire process works automatically without much human intervention and covers the entire project throughout the entire construction period in real time. The monitoring system was successfully implemented in the ZhaoMa Highway construction project in China, where it proved to be effective and reliable. The key asphalt plant production parameters, including asphalt content and aggregate gradation, were improved to a statistically significant level as shown by comparing before and after the monitoring system’s deployment. Statistical analysis between asphalt core density and laydown and compaction monitoring data, collected at 20 locations, indicated that rolling passes were highly correlated with density, whereas finishing rolling temperature and HMA laydown temperature were moderately correlated with density. These results imply that implementation of the monitoring system proposed by this paper could improve asphalt construction procedure quality control and asphalt pavement construction quality.
Development of an Automated Remote Asphalt Paving Quality Control System
