Construction Monitoring

The material given on this page was taken from Section 7 of the Bituminous Street Level I Certification course.

Inspector Duties

Before paving:

Check equipment and familiarize yourself with its operation and functions.
Familiarize yourself with paver adjustments, such as flow gates, auger control, tamper bar, screed angle, screed vibration and screed crown.

Ensure that the pavement surface is free of raveling, loose patches, and joint material.
Identify unstable areas that require repair.
Assemble required forms.

During paving:

Check grade for smoothness, density, cross slope, grade and alignment.
Discourage stop and start operations, which result in transverse bumps in the pavement.
Observe tack placement for uniformity of coverage and desired quantity.
Collect, check and initial each delivery ticket.
Visually inspect material in load.
Observe dumping and paver feed operation for possible segregation problems.
Monitor laydown temperature.
Observe mat for uniformity of texture, spot segregation, proper thickness, width, and yield.

Rolling:

Discuss paving and rolling sequence with contractor.
Observe breakdown roller operation for uniformity and continuity with attention to speed, pattern, location of drive wheel, and vibration (if used).
Monitor roller operations to ensure removal of marks and bumps.
Check adequacy and mechanical condition of rolling equipment.
Monitor density tests for specification compliance. Take companion cores.

Daily records:

Take or observe the taking of verification samples (one per mix per day). Deliver samples to testing lab.

Plant Inspection

Note that asphalt mixtures must be produced at a certified plant.

Before:

Know the governing specifications.
Familiarize yourself with plant equipment, and check for compliance.
Identify items to be sampled, rates of sampling and testing, and source or access for securing samples.
Familiarize yourself with material, flow controls, and settings established to comply with design mix.

Monitor plant equipment calibration.
Monitor asphalt shipments for contract compliance and obtain necessary asphalt samples.

Materials sampling:

During production:

Monitor mix appearance to ensure uniformity.
Observe stockpiles for possible contamination in storing or handling.
Ensure truck boxes are clean and protected against buildup, yet free of excessive cleaning agents.
Observe loading of trucks to ensure segregation is not occurring and that trucks are covered when necessary.
Follow proper scale procedures. Ensure that weight tickets are properly completed, and monitor automatic scale printer operations.
Verify that bituminous mixtures are being provided in accordance with specifications.
Maintain plant diary and diary records that may include:

Forms

Sampling and testing forms are available from Mn/DOT.

Materials Sampling

All testing must be consistent with the Materials Control Schedule.

Work must also be coordinated with the Mn/DOT District Lab.

Inspection, Sampling and Acceptance of Bituminous Materials Technical Memo