Chapter 3: Materials Investigation and Selection Information
Anchor: #i1012786Section 1: Overview
Anchor: #i10580931.1 General
Material selection forms one of the three legs of the high performing pavement "stool," as shown in Figure 3-1. Proper selection of materials and an understanding of how they perform in unison within the composite pavement structure must be based on careful consideration of expected traffic loads, the environment, and proven evaluation and construction practices. Other considerations, including availability of materials and economics, will often influence which materials are ultimately selected.
While it would be cost prohibitive to always demand the highest quality materials for every job, materials must be of sufficient uniformity and consistency in quality to provide reasonable performance under expected traffic loading and environmental conditions.
Proper use of specifications and test procedures are two ways to ensure the "quality materials" leg is adequate.
Figure 3-1. High Performing Pavement Stool.