Abstract
Roller-integrated continuous compaction control can improve earthwork quality assurance in the United States; therefore, it is receiving considerable attention. Most preliminary specifications that are being evaluated are based on specifications from Austria, Germany, and Sweden. In general, the European specifications encompass either of two approaches: (a) spot testing in roller-identified weak areas or (b) calibrating roller-measured values to spot test values. A pilot implementation on an active earthwork construction site in Colorado showed spot testing roller-identified weak zones represented an incremental progression from the current methods employed in the United States. The calibration option was shown to be labor intensive, and the results presented here indicate that the initial time investment may not be justifiable. Implementation of the calibration option is further complicated because it is a significant departure from current methods. An analysis of the spot-testing option showed that if a similar level of quality acceptance is desired, then current requirements for quality assurance based on density spot testing may have to be lowered for quality assurance to be based on continuous compaction control.
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