Toolbox Tips

To perform pavement maintenance such as sealcoats, you need warm enough ambient and ground temperatures (and sunshine, of course) for the material to cure. If the day promises sun and ambient temperatures above 48 or 50 degrees, which should be no problem this August, it’s time to get to work. You can check with your […]

For this month’s maintenance and recycling theme, let’s take a look at the millings and chunks of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) going through the crusher. The first step to consider is pre-screening material to get the fines out of the way. This not only reduces wear on components, but it also reduces the fines gumming up […]

It’s August first and parents are on a deadline. When you step out of the work truck to perform a pavement repair, you become one more aggravation for them—if they even notice you. During this morning’s toolbox talk, remind crewmembers to stay visible and stay behind traffic cones. Even if your pavement repair isn’t on […]

Calibrating lab equipment should be second nature to your team members. Calibration is a vital step to get repeatable and accurate test results, thus states have specified different criteria for it on different devices. Now take a look at the equipment you use in the field. Calibration is a process where you compare the accuracy of […]

When we’re talking about quality control/quality assurance during paving operations, one of the most obvious signs of a problem is a line (or two) in the mat. Here are a few common “lines” and common causes with quick cures. If you see an area about a foot wide (more or less) of different-sized rock in […]

This month’s toolbox tips look at quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) and we begin with verifying and modifying roller patterns in the field. As we all know, achieving best compaction of the asphalt mat will directly affect the longevity of the pavement. The sooner a roller operator can get feedback on his or her rolling pattern success, the […]