MATERIAL IN HIGHWAY

ENGINEERING

Sub Grade
Subgrades are commonly compacted before the
construction of a road, pavement . The subgrade is
the foundation of the pavement structure, on
which the subbaseis laid.
Preparation of the subgrade for construction usually
involves digging, in order to remove surface
vegetation,topsoiland other unwanted material,
and to create space for the upper layer of the
pavement. This process is known as "subgrade
formation" or "reduction to level".
The load-bearing strength of subgrade is measured
byCalifornia Bearing Ratio(CBR) test,falling weight
deflectometerback calculation sand other methods.

Sub base

subbaseis
the
layer
ofaggregatematerial
laid
on
thesubgrade.. Subbase is often the main load-bearing layer
of thepavement.
Its role is to spread the load evenly over thesubgrade. The
materials used may be either unbound granular, orcementbound.
Unbound granular materials are usually crushedstone,
crushedslagorconcrete, orslate.
Minimum thickness design are based on the force applied on
the road.

Binder Course

The material used as a binder course is 'chunkier' than a wearing

course, known as Dense Bitumen Macadam (DBM). On public
highways and other heavier-use projects, the binder course may be
underlain by a base layer.
The binder course material should be laid and levelled out reasonably
level ( 10mm) and thoroughly rolled and compacted before
preceding with the wearing course. Larger areas may be laid by a
paver machine specifically designed to lay bitmac. This usually gives
a 'truer' i.e. more accurately levelled, surface than hand-laying.

Surface course

This is the top layer of the pavement, the layer

that is seen and trafficked
The wearing course should be at least 20-25mm
thick when rolled, and should not deviate from
the correct level by more than 6mm. There
should be no roller marks in the finished surface

Tack Coat
Tack coat (also known as bond coat)
is a light application of asphalt
emulsion between hot mix asphalt
layers designed to create a strong
adhesive bond.
Without tack coat the asphalt layers
in a road way may separate which
reduces the strength.

Material in Binder And Wearing

Course
Tar bitumen and asphalt from a group of
interrelated material widely used in highway
construction.
Tar is a dark black viscous liquid .depending
upon it sources of origin tar is classified in to
the following categories
Bitumen is a product of the oil-refining and
petro-chemical industries. Very basically, it is
the thick, sticky,
Asphalt, is a mixture of bitumen and minerals.

 Tack Coats
Tack coat is a browny-black emulsion of bitumen that is
applied to the prepared, existing surface before laying the
wearing course. The emulsion bonds to the existing
surface,
and then the new wearing course will bond to the
emulsion, ensuring full adhesion. It also helps ensure that
water does not find its way between the new and existing
surfaces where it can freeze and lift off the new surface.
wearing course is laid over a recently laid (ie, within the
preceding 7-14 days) base course.