Days are shorter, temperatures are dropping and you might be rushing to finish the last projects of the season. Cooler ambient temperatures mean the asphalt cools more quickly, which makes paving and compacting the mat to spec more challenging.
Here are some best practices to help mitigate the effects of cool-weather paving.
- Plan routes for shortest haul distances, giving the mix less time to cool.
- Have drivers double-check the security of tarps before leaving the plant to hold in the heat.
- Stay consistent. Stop-start paving is never a good idea, especially in the cold. Keep the paving train moving at a speed that allows for continuous paving, even if that speed is a touch “slower” than you’d like.
- Volume up. Hopper inserts extend paving time between truck exchanges and increase material volume to hold the mixture’s warmth. This is also achieved with a material transfer device.
- NEVER run the hopper empty, especially in cold weather, as it allows everything from mix to paver components to cool.
- Keep a consistent head of material at the spreading augers and keep the augers running at a consistent speed to avoid material cooling.