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

[bob smith]

Alan,
thank you very much, and thank you to public works.
I am familiar with the standards cited. I am surprised it is about
10 years! wow, time files!
I am surprised at the information below, I had a suspicion it was
more traffic than planned (new buses and more trucks than
expected) rather than construction methods.

Thanks!!
bob smith

Alan K. Thompson wrote:
> 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 
> <mailto: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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>


-- 
We'll see said the zen master