[RP TownTalk] Question on street repair for the list readers

[Alan K. Thompson]

Hi Bob,

I asked Public Works Director Addison to provide me with an answer to your
questions, and also to answer a question of mine - are the street(s) you
mention wearing more than is expected given the time the were repaved?
 I've pasted his answer in below (quick summary: several AASHTO and ASTM
standards, and the street is wearing more than it should be, but probably
not because of improper construction/repaving).

Please let me know if you need more detail about the standards.

Alan
(Ward 2 Town Council Rep & Public Works Committee Member)

Prince George’s County uses Maryland State Highways Administration’s (MSHA)
> standards and specifications (which includes AASHTO and ASTM) for roadway
> construction and/or replacement.
> The street in question was last resurfaced in 2002 therefore it’s not
> uncommon that the roadway (a high traffic volume street) would be showing
> signs of stress.
> The street is experiencing surface wear known as pavement rutting, which
> is caused for one of three reasons:
>
>    - Insufficient compaction of hot mix asphalt (HMA) when it was
>    initially installed and the HMA pavement continue to densify from heavy
>    traffic loads,
>
>
>    - Improper mix design or manufacture (e.g., excessively high asphalt
>    content, excessive mineral filler, insufficient amount of angular aggregate
>    particles) or
>
>
>    - Subgrading rutting (sub-base failure)
>
>
> Considering how long it has been since we have made major repairs to this
> section of street I believe what we are experiencing are signs of base
> failure. To correct the problem we may have to excavate down to the
> subbase, repair any problems found there, then install the asphalt
> cross-section (compacting in lifts per MSHA standards).
> Is it possible that the contractor did not properly installed the roadway
> or the roadway was not designed properly? It is possible, however if that
> was the case we would have experienced the previously mentioned problems a
> lot sooner.


On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 4:44 AM, bob smith <sfmc68 at verizon.net> wrote:

> Bear with me please, I am questions for a specific reason
> Does anyone on this list know the actual standards used to
> reconstruct the town streets?
>
> Please do not tell me to look at such and such source of
> information.
> A number of streets were reconstructed a couple of years ago.
>
> If you look closely, especially during rain storms, you will perhaps
> notice some ruts beginning to appear on SOME of the streets
> especially Riverdale Road. One simple example is Riverdale and
> Taylor, East bound at the stop sign.
>
> There is a standard used for calculating the requirements for
> streets and it is based on traffic load. One term used is ESAL,
> or Equivalent Single Axle Load.  Cars represent a much lighter
> weight/mass load on the road than buses, trucks, multi axle
> trucks, even fire trucks.
>
> I am interested in learning if anyone on this list does actually
> know the standard used.
>
> thank you/
> bob smith
>
> --
> We'll see said the zen master
>
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