Asphalt Inspection

NYSDOT, NYCDOT, NJDOT, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, FAA, State agencies, local municipalities, all have requirements for testing of Asphalt. A properly placed and monitored asphalt pavement ensures longevity of installed surface.

The inspection services of most specifications require a variety of tests to be performed in the asphalt plant facility during batching. Field inspection and testing is followed to monitor the correct trucks arrived with the proper material, if a tack coat is required that it is used with application to a proper flow, temperature is again monitored to verify the temperature at time of placement is maintained, compaction methods are monitored and compaction is tested with either the use of nuclear density gauge and/or cores.

Some specifications also have requirements to verify thickness of pavements, surface elevation and surface smoothness (either with rolling straightedge or with a profilograph).

AEIS will provide an inspector at the asphalt batch plant to perform a series of quality tests that would be performed on the asphalt material being placed in the field. For every truck, the load will be monitored for quantity and temperature before the truck leaves the facility. Every asphalt design mix allows a range of test data per test for an optimum placement; and temperature is critical. If any test result is out of range, the asphalt plant manager will be notified as well as the field site if following out of range results the truck is still dispatched to the site regardless of results.

Gradation is tested of the aggregate stockpile.  Asphalt plugs are made from sample material taken from random trucks and the plugs are tested per specification which typically includes but not limited to the following:

  Content
  Air voids
  VMA
  Voids Filled
  Flow
  Stability

Each of the test results will have a range the results are required to be within (range can typically be found in the project specifications and/or approved design mix) and each of the results will provide information of how the asphalt will perform.

With respect to field inspection, most specifications require asphalt cores to be taken after the material is compacted and the cores are tested to verify:

  Percent compaction
  Percent air voids
  Thickness of compacted asphalt material in place

In many instances, the use of a nuclear density gauge is used only for quality assurance, and the acceptance criteria is based on the results of the asphalt cores.

If your specifications have a surface smoothness requirement, AEIS would provide these services and map areas if deficiencies are found.