TRANSPORT and ROAD

RESEARCH LABORATORY

Department of the Environment

Department of Transport

TRRL LABORATORY REPORT 1102

COMPACTION OF BITUMINOUS ROAD MATERIALS

USING VIBRATORY ROLLERS

by

W D Powell and D Leech

Any views expressed in this Report are not necessarily those of the
Department of the Environment or of the Department of Transport

Pavement Design Division

Highways Department
Transport and Road Research Laboratory
Crowthorne, Berkshire
1983
ISSN 0305--1293
 CONTENTS

Page

Abstract 1

1. Introduction 1

2. Compaction and performance 2

3. Improved compaction 3

4. Effectiveness of rollers and their mode of operation 3

5. Factors affecting the performance of vibratory rollers in compacting 4

bituminous materials

5.1 Frequency 4

5.2 Amplitude 4

5.3 Roller speed 5

5.4 Relationship between frequency, amplitude and roller speed 5

6. Vibratory roller trials at MVEE 5

7. Other vibratory roUer trials 6

8. Trial procedures 8

9. Practical aspects of the use of vibratory rollers on bituminous materials 9

10. Conclusions 10

11. Acknowledgements 11

12. References 11

13. Appendix 1: Notes for guidance on the assessment of the compaction 18

performance of rollers

© C R O W N C O P Y R I G H T 1983
Extracts f r o m the t e x t may be reproduced, except f o r
commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged
Ownership of the Transport Research
Laboratory was transferred from the
Department of Transport to a subsidiary of
the Transport Research Foundation on ! st
April 1996.

This report has been reproduced by

permission of the Controller of HMSO.
Extracts from the text may be reproduced,
except for commercial purposes, provided
the source is acknowledged.
 COMPACTION OF BITUMINOUS ROAD M A T E R I A L S
USING V I B R A T O R Y ROLLERS

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that better compaction o f dense coated macadam road bases would
markedly improve the structural performance o f pavements. Results from compaction
trials show that modem vibratory rollers of mass 2 to 14 tonnes are, for a given number
of passes, capable of achieving up to about 3 per cent more compaction than present
deadweight machines. The characteristics of deadweight and vibratory rollers that
influence compaction are considered, so too are the practical aspects o f using the
vibratory machines. Trial procedures are outlined for testing the effectiveness o f rollers
and the importance of correct use and proper training o f operators is recognised.

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N

In recent years research has shown that the structural strength and deformation resistance o f bituminous road
pavements can be markedly improved throughbetter compaction of the dense coated macadam roadbase and
basecourse 1. Furthermore there is considerable scope 1 for improving upon the compaction achieved with the
simple method specification of BS 49872.

The improved material properties resulting from increased compaction can be effectively exploited in the
construction, strengthening and reconstruction of all roads; in particular the loading on heavily trafficked roads
is now at such a high level that the required pavement life can be realised only by utilising the full potential o f
the materials employed in their construction.

During the last decade, vibratory rollers have been developed specifically for use on bituminous materials;
most of these developments took place abroad. Except for an interim compaction specification recently
introduced for very heavily trafficked roads, the specification 2"3 used in the UK does not include a density
requirement or control the number of roller passes; instead temperature limits for delivery and rolling o f
materials: and the specification of a steel wheeled roller having a mass in excess of 8 tonnes have been regarded
as sufficient to control compaction. There has therefore been little demand for heavy vibratory rollers meeting
the deadweight requirement because these were much more expensive to buy, hire and maintain than the
permitted deadweight rollers and, furthermore, the specification provided no incentive to achieve higher levels
of compaction. Some of the lighter vibratory rollers that are more versatile and less expensive might have been
favoured by contractors had they not been ruled out for use on most major works by the requirement for a
minimum deadweight of 8 tonnes.: When used without vibration the lighter rollers would not provide enough
compaction and the relationship between their vibratory characteristics and the compaction achieved with
different materials was not well enough understood to give sufficient assurance for their general use on
bituminous materials.

To assess the performance of vibratory rollers the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment (MVEE)
was commissioned by individual manufacturers to carry out and report a number o f trials in which the rollers were
used to compact dense road base macadam 2 and compared on a pass-for-pass basis, with an 8 tonne deadweight
roller. TRRL participated in these trials and encouraged the testing of the heavier vibratory rollers because of the
growing concern to obtain better compaction and therefore longer life from bituminous pavements designed to
carry very heavy traffic. Some manufacturers also arranged trials with County Highway Authorities to evaluate
rollers that were lighter than those tested at MVEE.
 As a result of research that showed the benefits o f improved compaction the Department of Transport
introduced an interim specification for heavily trafficked roads that included a requirement for an end-result in
terms o f density. This specification, for use on dense bitumen macadam roadbase, relied on an initial trial area
to set a density requirement for the whole contract. Although conventional rollers were stipulated for the trial
areas the contractor was then free to select the type o f compaction plant and the way it was used. This enabled
contractors to select vibratory rollers and put the claims o f improved performance made by the manufacturers
to the test.

Observation o f compaction in m a n y contracts and trials 4,5 has shown the benefits of using more effective
compaction equipment than the conventional 8 - 1 0 tonne deadweight roller. However there were also drawbacks;
rolling speed is more critical with vibratory rollers and skilled operators are required who can be relied on to use
them consistently to best effect. This has necessitated a major change in technique for operatives familiar with
conventional equipment.

Contractors and Highway Authorities are already aware that there are benefits to be gained through
improved compaction and the use o f vibratory rollers. As a step towards securing these benefits, this Report
reviews the results of trials carried out at MVEE and b y County Highway Authorities and includes extracts
from papers presented at the 1981 Annual Seminar on compaction organised by ACMA 6'7,8.

2. COMPACTION A N D PERFORMANCE

Dense bituminous macadams have been laid and compacted with a conventional deadweight roller at TRRL to
provide samples for investigating the material properties that influence structural performance and determining
how they are affected b y compaction 1 . Results o f dynamic stiffness measurements in Figure 1 show that a 3'
per cent decrease in void content increases stiffness b y 30 per cent, irrespective of binder content. This increase
in stiffness improves the load spreading ability so that the vertical stress generated by a wheel load in the soil
subgrade beneath a typical flexible pavement could be maintained at the same level with an 8 per cent reduction
in the depth o f bituminous material. Alternatively the additional compaction could be equated very roughly with
a 30 per cent extension o f pavement life 1,4. Similar results have been obtained over a wide range of test
temperature and frequency and for different aggregate types 9. The increase in stiffness also reduces the tensile
strains produced by traffic loading at the b o t t o m of the bituminous roadbase, resulting in substantially better
resistance to fatigue cracking.

Deformation o f the bituminous material can make a substantial contribution to overall deformation
measured at the surface o f the pavement. Simulative tests 10 were therefore carried out on slabs of material cut
from the experimental materials to measure their resistance to deformation under a rolling wheel load. Figure 2
shows that deformation decreases sharply with improved compaction, a 3 per cent decrease in voids in the
mineral aggregate, VMA, reducing deformation by up to 50 per cent.

Improving compaction can, therefore, bring about significant improvement in load spreading, in the
resistance to cracking and in the resistance to internal deformation of bituminous materials. These improvements
would extend pavement life considerably.

2
 3. IMPROVED COMPACTION

Improved compaction can be achieved by increasing the compactive effort and, within limits, increasing the
temperature at which compaction is carried out. Typical results for materials with a crushed rock aggregate and
100 pen bitumen binder are shown in Figure 3 where density expressed as a percentage o f the refusal density is
plotted against the number of roller passes. The results illustrate the importance o f both the number of roller
passes and temperature of the material in determining the level of compaction achieved. It has been observed that
in practice compaction in the wheelpaths is usually lower than between them and moreover, sufficient voids would
remain to avoid 'fatting up' of roadbase and most basecourse macadams compacted to refusal 8. This shows that
there is considerable scope for improving compaction and particularly in the wheelpath zones that largely
determine pavement performance.

Figure 3 shows that the density of the compacted material at virtually all practical rolling temperatures will
continue to increase with thenumber of passes of a conventional deadweight roller up to 30 passes. However in
certain weather conditions it is either difficult or impossible to complete this number o f passes in the time
available before rolling temperatures drop below the specified minimum. More effective compaction equipment
would thus help in the consistent achievement of high levels of compaction.

4. EFFECTIVENESS OF ROLLERS AND THEIR MODE OF OPERATION

The principal requirement of any roller is that it will compact the material being laid in an effective manner
without introducing unacceptable surface irregularities. Many trials o f vibratory rollers have been carried out
throughout the world in the last decade to investigate their performance on bituminous materials 11. Conclusions
drawn from these trials have been that, with appropriate deadweight and vibration characteristics, vibrating
rollers can:

(a) achieve satisfactory compaction of bituminous materials

(b) achieve similar levels of compaction to those obtained with conventional deadweight rollers but in fewer
passes,
(c) attain higher levels of compaction than conventional machines,
(d) provide a finished surface to each pavement layer that, in terms of surface profftle and irregularity,
compares favourably with that produced by deadweight rollers.

In the case o f deadweight rollers, the compactive effort needed to create a close packing o f particles results
from applying the deadweight of the roller to the material through the rolls. In practice the deadweight of the
machine can be varied by ballasting with water or sand. For a given speed o f rolling the compaction achieved is
mainly determined by the deadweight of the roller and its area of contact with the material. For rollers of a given
deadweight compacting stable materials, those having the smallest area o f contact with the material will exert the
greatest pressure and give the greatest compaction. Thus rollers o f comparatively low deadweight but with rolls
of small width and diameter can often give levels of compaction not markediy lower than those achieved w i ~
much heavier machines; they do not, however, have a comparable capacity in terms o f area of material compacted.
Increasing rolling speed tends to reduce the compaction achieved per pass but this effect is counter-balanced by
the additional passes that are possible at the higher rolling speeds.

With the recent emphasis on using tandem rollers to provide uniform compaction across the mat it is o f
interest to compare their performance with that o f a conventional three-point roller. On the few occasions where
a limited comparison has been possible the two types appear to be approximately equivalent on a pass for pass

3
basis; the greater load per unit width o f the rear rolls o f three pointrollers appears to be counterbalanced in
tandems b y the greater roll width and the smaller diameter of the rear roll. Although three-point rollers do not
appear to be superior to tandems in terms o f the compaction produced they are favoured for other reasons.
Their tripod configuration o f rolls gives them greater stability, particularly when rolling close to edges or crowns
where tandems m a y rock and introduce surface irregularities. Three-point rollers are more suitable when the edge
o f the mat has to be cut back. Also they are considered to be more effective for removing roller marks in the
final stage o f rolling.

Vibratory rollers are almost invariably tandems. In addition to the effect of the deadweight of the machine
there is a superimposed force produced b y the vibratory mechanism which can be adjusted to some limited extent
to suit different materials b y varying the amplitude and frequency o f vibration. The vibration generators are
normally situated in the drums o f the roller, which are isolated from the main frame of the machine by a flexible
suspension so that as little as possible o f the vibration generated is transmitted to the frame, or to the operator.

Usually the vibration generator is a rotating eccentric mass whose speed of rotation determines the frequency
o f vibration. The amplitude o f vibration is governed b y the mass of the eccentric and its distance from the centre
o f rotation; the mass and springing o f the drum also has an effect. The amplitude, which is measured with the roll
unsupported, is the m a x i m u m vertical displacement o f the drum from its mean position.

5. FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF VIBRATORY ROLLERS

IN COMPACTING BITUMINOUS MATERIALS

The factors that are likely to affect the degree of compaction achieved by a vibratory roller are more numerous
than for a deadweight machine. Additional factors include the ratio of the sprung to unsprung mass, ie the ratio
o f the suspended to vibrating mass, the number o f vibrating drums, the frequency and amplitude of the vibration
and the roller speed. For b o t h deadweight and vibrating rollers the characteristics of the material being compacted
are important: in a s t i f f m i x the aggregate particles are less easy to compact into a more closely packed arrange-
m e n t than in a workable mix.

5.1 Frequency

Figures published by suppliers o f vibratory rollers in the UK indicate that frequencies in the range from 2000
to 4000 vibrations per minute (33 to 67 Hz) are generally employed for rollers recommended for the compaction
o f bituminous materials. Pedestrian-controlled models generally operate around the top end of this range whilst
some self-propelled models operate on lower frequencies. Many rollers have a single, fixed frequency although a
choice o f two frequencies is provided on some models.

5.2 Amplitude

Pedestrian-controlled vibratory rollers usually have one fLxed amplitude but a number of the larger self-
propelled models offer a choice o f amphtude, normally one high and one low setting. An amplitude of around
0.4/0.5 m m is generally recommended for thin layers and relatively workable mixes whereas an amplitude o f
0.8/1.0 m m is suggested for thick layers and stiff mixtures.

4
 5.3 Roller speed

Vibratory rollers designed principally for compaction o f bituminous materials operate at speeds of between
2½ and 7 km/h although some machines are capable of rolling speeds in excess o f 10 km/h. At a constant frequency
of vibration, change in rolling speed will vary the spacing of impacts of the vibrating drum. Impact spacing can
affect surface ffmish achieved and can also influence the degree of compactive effort transmitted to the material
and hence the amount of compaction achieved in the material.

In general lower rolling speeds are recommended to ensure adequate compaction of relatively stiff mixes and
relatively thick layers, and higher speeds on thinner layers and more workable mixes 6.

5.4 Relationship between frequency, amplitude and roller speed

The effect of frequency and amplitude of the vibratory roller and the speed o f rolling are all important and
interrelated. Equally important is the need to ensure that, once selected for any particular situation, these factors
are not varied. Given the limited existing knowledge on the performance of vibratory rollers and the different
responses of various materials to compaction it is generally best to select appropriate settings o f frequency, amplitude
and roller speed based on the results of a preliminary rolling trial.

6. V I B R A T O R Y ROLLER T R I A L S AT MVEE

The trials at MVEE were commissioned by roller manufacturers. JN Plant Engineering Consultants were
responsible for most of the trials that were planned and executed with advice and support from TRRL. For each
trial about 50 tonnes of material was supplied by a commercial plant and was machine laid to a depth o f about
140 mm over an area approximately 4 m x 40 m. The mat was then divided into adjacent areas which enabled both
the trial roller and a static tandem roller of 8.4 tonne to be compared side by side; the effect on roller performance
of temperature variations that frequently occur in the longitudinal direction along the laid material was thus
eliminated. Similarly uncertainties arising from mix variations between separate loads, which can arise when two
separate trial areas are used to compare two rollers, were also removed.

All trials were carried out on 40 mm dense roadbase macadam 2 with a crushed limestone aggregate and 100
pen bitumen binder and the comparison o f rollers was made at two levels of roller pass 6 and 12; the rollers did
not move laterally between successive passes as in normal site work. The speed of the static tandem roller was
maintained at 2 km/hr in all the trials and the speeds of the vibratory rollers were chosen by the representative of
the roller manufacturer; with one exception, these were close to 3 km/hr. At least four cores were taken from
each trial area and their densities determined with a gamma-ray core scanner.

Details of the rollers and trial results are given in Table I. Apart from roller G, which was a 3-wheel roller
with vibration on the front roll, the rollers were all tandems with vibration on both rolls. The source of the
material and aggregate for the trials was the same and the laid materials had very similar compositions except
for the trial of roller F; the different source and grading of material for this trial resulted in lower densities but
did not invalidate the trial.

In Figure 4 the densities obtained with the vibratory rollers are compared with the corresponding densities
obtained with the deadweight tandem roller. The ratio of the densities achieved by vibratory and static rolling
on adjacent trial areas, given the same number of passes carried out at the same time, is a measure o f relative
performance that should not be too much influenced by differences in material temperature, grading and rolling

5
conditions between trials. The vibratory rollers gave densities in the range one to four per cent greater than those
achieved with the deadweight roller; the figures for each roller being about the same at both pass levels. Roller G
with vibration on one roll only and the comparatively light roller F gave the least improvement in compaction;
roller F had the smallest vibration amplitude and lowest dynamic force per unit width of all the rollers tested. The
superior performance o f the 10.4 tonne roller A over that of the other heavy vibratory rollers cannot be explained
in terms of its mass, mass per unit width, its dynamic force or dynamic force per unit width because, for all of
these factors, the figures for rollers C and E are greater. This emphasises the complexity of the mechanism o f
compaction by vibratory roller, which involves the depth, binder viscosity and properties of the crushed aggregate
of the material being compacted in addition to the characteristics of the roller.

An alternative way o f expressing the performance of the different rollers is in terms of the number o f passes
necessary to achieve a particular density; for the heavier tandem rollers, with vibration on both rolls, any specified
density will be achieved with between one quarter and one half o f the number of passes required by the dead-
weight roller. The larger roll widths o f these machines further increases their compacting capacity. Figure 4
includes a factor indicating the rolling capacity: it is the ratio o f the number of passes of the 8 tonne deadweight
machine required to produce satisfactory compaction (nD) and the width of rolls, (WD), divided by the
corresponding figures for the vibratory roller (n V and WV).

(W_v~(nD ~
ie capacity = \~DJ\~VV /

A roller with a factor of 2 would be capable o f rolling at least twice as much material to a specified density as the
static roller would in the same period of time, assuming equal rolling speeds. This more practical measure o f
performance shows that the three wheel vibratory roller G, though not giving very high levels of compaction on a
pass for pass basis, is nevertheless equivalent in terms o f compaction capacity to two static rollers of the type used
in the MVEE trials.

In principle the superior performance o f heavy vibratory rollers coupled with the facility for varying
compactive effort means that a high rolling capacity can be secured using fewer rollers and that compacting power
can be adjusted to suit particular material characteristics and surface texture requirements. However in practice
the extent of adjustments that can be made to the vibratory force is limited, and varies with the type of model.

The trials at MVEE provide a comparison of the performance of the rollers in compacting relatively thick
lifts o f dense bitumen macadam made with crushed rock, a material that is relatively difficult to compact. This
type o f material is being laid in considerable quantities and in thick layers on motorway construction contracts
where the benefits o f improved compaction are likely to make the greatest contribution to improved pavement
performance.

For hot rolled asphalt materials, which are gap graded and generally considerably easier to compact, the
benefits o f vibratory rollers are unlikely to be as great as for dense coated macadams.

7. O T H E R V I B R A T O R Y ROLLER TRIALS

In recent years County Highway Authorities have carried out trials of vibratory rollers. Some of these trials are
o f particular interest because they involve lighter rollers and therefore complement the MVEE trials of heavy
vibratory machines. The following summary is not comprehensive, but it is thought to be representative and is
based on the work o f the Highway Departments o f Somerset, lincolnshire and Cumbria.

6
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7
In the trials, results o f which are illustrated in Figure 5, Somerset County Council gave a specific number o f passes
to each o f a number o f small areas whereas Lincolnshire and Cumbria County Councils counted the total number
o f roller passages made across each o f several mats and multiplied these by the ratio o f roller width to mat width
to give average figures for passes executed; there will be some variation between the centre and edges o f the mat
but cores were taken diagonally across the mats to give the average levels of compaction. Somerset County Council
compared the performance o f 2 tonne and 6 tonne tandem rollers having vibration on both roils with that o f an 8
torme three-wheel deadweight roller in compacting a dense bitumen macadam wearing course with 14 mm hard
stone aggregate at pass levels ranging from 4 to 12. The lighter roller achieved a density 1.4 per cent greater, and
the heavier 5 to 6 per cent greater, than those achievedby the three-wheel roller. The impressive result for the
heavier roller, compared with results from the more carefully controlled trials at MVEE, may be partly attributable
to a large variation in rolling temperatures; difficulty in controlling the relevant factors is a frequent handicap in
conducting trials on a public highway. The same type of 2 - t o n n e roller and a rather heavier 2.5-tonne roller,
again with vibration on both roils, were compared with a 10 tonne three Wheel deadweight roller by Lincolnshire
County Council on a 100 mm thick dense bitumen macadam basecourse with 28 mm slag aggregate. The results
in Figure 5 indicate that relative performance o f the two vibratory rollers is best at between 8 and 10 passes where
the density is between 2 and 3 per cent more than that achieved by the deadweight roller. Cumbria County Council
tested a similar 2.5 tonne roller on dense roadbase macadam with 40 mm crushed rock compacted to a thickness
o f 100 mm. After 9 passes the density was 1.7 per cent greater than that achieved by a 10 tonne 3-wheel roller.

The evidence from the above trials indicates that for a given number of passes on a range of dense graded
bituminous materials, modern rollers with two vibrating rolls having a total mass o f 2 tonnes or more are capable
o f achieving higher levels o f compaction, than the 8 to 10 tonne three-wheel deadweight rollers that are normally
used. Being tandems the vibratory rollers also gave more uniform compaction across the pavement but, because
they are relatively narrow, they have to execute more roller passages to attain a given pass level. To achieve an
average o f 9 passes o f a 2.5 tonne vibratory roller required a total o f 30 passages across the mat whereas only 20
passages o f a 10 tonne 3 wheel roller were needed.

The tightest vibratory rollers were criticized for having inefficient water sprays. Also if these rollers are not
properly used, any surface marks tend to remain and are not easily removed with the vibration switched off because
o f the relatively low mass of these machines. On the other hand they were appreciated for their manoeuvrability and
the ease with which they could be transported.

8. TRIAL PROCEDURES

In trials to compare the performance o f two or more rollers care must be taken to reduce the effects of differences
o f material composition, layer thickness, rolling temperature and weather conditions. The procedure adopted at
MVEE in the trials reported in Section 6 largely avoids these sources o f error. The trial materials were laid in
relatively thick lifts to reduce their cooling rate and wide enough to allow the rollers to be compared side by side
at the same time. Dense bitumen macadam roadbase containing crushed rock aggregate was chosen as the trial
material because it is widely used and is not easy to compact and thus fully tests the performance of the rollers.
By not allowing the rollers to move laterally in these trials the number of passes executed was easily determined.
Sufficient cores were taken from each trial area to permit the densities to be accurately determined. A more
detailed description o f the recommended test procedure is given in the Appendix.

Where a trial is incorporated in a construction contract it may not be possible to follow the recommended
procedure because the rollers will move across the mat between successive passes. In this case diagonal coring

8
should be carried out to determine the density variation across the compacted mat and the average number o f
passes calculated as described in Section 7. The density of cores will be determined with sufficient accuracy b y
weighing in air and water asdescribed in the Appendix. Rolling speed should be kept within the range
recommended by the roller manufacturers.

Under trial conditions vibratory rollers are likely to give their best performance because extra care is taken
to ensure that the roller is in proper working order, and its speed is suitable and where alternative vibration
settings are available, that these suit the material. To achieve this performance in practice it is necessary to
provide adequate training for the roller operator who needs to understand the effects o f vibration on the different
materials and the importance of controlling roller speed. In the case o f the lighter vibratory rollers it is particularly
important to select the best levels of frequency and amplitude for the particular material because unless the
vibratory forces are appropriate there is unlikely to be sufficient deadweight to achieve an acceptable level o f
compaction. To achieve the potential of vibratory rollers and produce good and uniform compaction there must
be a fuller understanding of the factors affecting vibratory roller performance and provision for trainingengineers
and roller operators to make best use of these rollers.

9. PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF VIBRATORY ROLLERS

ON BITUMINOUS MATERIALS

Vibratory rollers have been widely used for the compaction o f bituminous materials abroad for more than a
decade. A number of problems accompanied their introduction but these were generally overcome either b y
modification to the machines, by recommending changes to rolling procedures or by training roller operators
in the proper use o f the equipment.

One early problem was the production of indentations in the compacted surfacing whenever the vibratory
roller came to a halt. This was overcome by switching off the vibrating mechanism before the roller came to rest,
initially manually, but on modern machines by an automatic cut-out device.

Experience has shown that deep roller marks, which are difficult to remove, can be produced when vibratory
rolling is used to compact materials o f high workability. To overcome this, it is normally recommended that the
first one or two roller passes on such materials should be completed with vibration switched off; this practice is
sometimes also adopted when rolling thick lifts o f comparatively stable materials.

Other reported difficulties have been cracking and tearing o f thin layers caused b y excessive roller speeds
and breakage of aggregate in very thin areas. In general; the same good practice required when using deadweight
rollers applies to the use o f vibratory rollers. However, the following points are o f particular importance:

As with all types of roller, compaction with vibratory rollers should be at as high a material temperature
as practicable and never below the minimum recommended for the particular material.

Rollers shouldbe fitted with speedometers or speed-controllers-to maintain uniformity o f their:,

compactive efficiency; at rolling speeds that are too high the performance falls o f f considerably because
of the wider spacing o f the vibratory impacts.

Gauges to measure other important variables could be beneficial and developments to link these gauges
to control systems are to be welcomed; for example, the automatic optimisation o f frequency during the

9
 compaction process 12 ensures that adjustments in frequency are made, allowing for the increased rigidity
o f the material as it is compacted.

Rolling patterns with vibratory rollers differ from those for conventional rollers in that the amount of
overlap between successive passes need only be about 150 m m .

Automatic vibration cut-out should be provided on all rollers to switch the vibration off about a machine's
length before each change of direction, and back on again a machine's length after changing direction. This
will prevent a 'bow-wave' effect and will assist in maintaining surface levels within tolerance.

Joints should be roiled first before the remainder o f the mat. With vibratory rollers it is good practice for
the roller to work with only about 100 m m o f the drum operating on the 'cold' side of the joint.

When using vibratory rollers on gradients o f approximately 10 per cent or steeper, vibration should be used
on the uphill pass only. Vibration on the downhill pass can cause slipping of the machine, with consequent
poor surface f'mish and, in extreme cases, tearing o f the mat.

On steep camber or superelevation, rolling should normally begin from the lower edge. There can be a
tendency for the roller to drift sideways when vibrating on severe lateral gradients; this leads to poor finish
or tearing of uncompacted material. In such a case, the vibration frequency and speed should be reduced.

When laying a mat with one unsupported edge it may be beneficial to give the unsupported edge one pass
to minimise the risk o f its spreading under subsequent roiling.

When a mat is laid in one pass with a pronounced crown, the edges should be compacted first leaving the
crown until last. This prevents the mix from displacing laterally and prevents the possibility o f deformation
and damage to the mat on either side o f the crown b y the drums 'rocking'.

Some vibratory rollers are articulated, which is of benefit when compacting material on roundabouts and
tight radii. Nevertheless, some scuffing b y wide drums can occur, and it is advisable to attempt as much
'straight line' rolling as is practicable.

Some street furniture, such as manhole covers, etc. may be damaged by the operation of a Vibratory roller.
The rollers should not therefore be used within 300 m m o f such items with vibration switched on, and
hand-tamping or deadweight roiling should be employed.

10. CONCLUSIONS

1. Compaction trials o f vibratory rollers on a range o f bituminous macadams have shown that modern rollers
with two vibratory rolls, having a mass o f two tonnes or more, are capable of achieving up to about three
per cent more compaction for a given number o f passes than the conventional 8 - 1 0 tonne deadweight
rollers currently used; this additional compaction could result in up to 30 per cent extension of pavement
life. The rolling capacity o f light and narrow vibratory rollers is unlikely to be sufficient for large
construction contracts and a larger roller will be needed. Its improved performance will show advantages
b o t h for the contractor and the client.

10
2. The performance of a vibratory roller depends on the complex interaction between the operating character-
istics of the roller and the properties of the material compacted. To ensure that a particular vibratory roller
is capable of achieving the required level of compaction and that it is used to best effect it may be necessary to
carry out comparative trials in which compaction is monitored so that the frequency and amplitude of
vibration and the speed of the roller may be optirnised.

. In practice there has always been much reliance on the skill of the roller operator in the compaction of
bituminous materials but operators of vibratory rollers require new knowledge. To achieve the maximum
benefits from vibratory rollers their design has to be refined to provide the information needed by the
operator to control their performance and operators have to be trained to make best use of the roller.

1 1. A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

The work described in this report forms part of the research programme o f the Pavement Design and Maintenance
Division (Division Head: Mr J Porter) of the Highways and Structures Department of the Transport and Road
Research Laboratory.

Parts of the research were carried out in a joint programme by the Asphalt & Coated Macadam Association,
the British Tar Industry Association, the ReFined Bitumen Association and Transport and Road Research
Laboratory.

The help of the Highway Departments o f Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Somerset and Staffordshire is gratefully
acknowledged. Thanks are also due to the British Aggregate Construction Materials Industries for advice
concerning the content of the Report.

12. R E F E R E N C E S

1. Lister, N W and W D Powell. The compaction of bituminous base and basecourse materiMs and its relation
to pavement performance. Department of the Environment, Department o f Transport, TRRL Supplemen-
tary Report SR 260. Crowthorne, I977 (Transport and Road Research Laboratory).

2. British Standards Institution. Coated macadam for roads and other paved areas. BS 4987. London, 1973
(British Standards Institution).

3. Department of Transport. Specification for road and bridge works, London 1976 (HM Stationery Office).

4. Powell, W D, N W Lister, and D Leech. Improved compaction o f dense graded bituminous macadams.
Proc. tech. sess. Assoc. Asph. Pay. Technol. Vol 50, p 394 (1981).

. Leech, D. Trials of a modified specification for compacting dense roadbase and basecourse coated macadam.
Department o f the Environment, Department o f Transport, TRRL Report LR 891. Crowthorne, 1979.
(Transport and Road Research Laboratory).

. White, M J. Vibrating rollers for the compaction of bituminous road materials. Asphalt and Coated Macadam
Association Annual Seminar 1981.

11
 . Eustace, G W. Experience with vibrating rollers with special reference to texture depth. Asphalt and Coated
Macadam Association Annual Seminar 1981.

. Powell, W D and D Leech. Standards for compaction of dense roadbase macadam. Department of the
Environment, Department of Transport, TRRL Report SR 717. Crowthorne, 1982 (Transport and Road
Research Laboratory).

. Goddard, R T N, W D Powell and M W Applegate. Fatigue resistance o f dense bitumen macadam: the effect
of mixture variables and temperature. Department of the Environment, Department of Transport, TRRL
Report SR 410. Crowthorne 1978 (Transport and Road Research Laboratory).

10. Leech, D and N W Selves. Deformation resistance o f dense coated macadams: effect of compaction and
binder content. Department of the Environment, Department of Transport, TRRL Supplementary Report
SR 626. Crowthorne, 1980 (Transport and Road Research Laboratory).

11. Tunnicliff, D G, Chairman. Symposium on vibratory compaction of asphalt pavements. Proc. tech. Sess.
Assoc. Asph Pav Technol, 1977,46, p 2 5 9 - 3 7 5 .

12. Albaret. Optimisation des performances d'un compacteur vibrant par ajustement automatique de la
frequence de vibration. Internal Note. Rantigny, France 1983 (Albaret).

12
 I,~ Bitumen 3 point Uniaxial
3.5 ~ (per cent) bending loading
I \o s.2 o •
I \ 4.0 A •
I \ a.0 [] •

2.5 I . "

~ 2.0

o~

N
N o .

1.0

05 I I I I I I I 1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 6
Void content (per cent)

Fig. 1 Effect of compaction on dynamic stiffness

 12
Bitumen content
(per cent by weight)
10 O 2.6
• 3.0
Z~ 4.0
E • 5.2
100 pen bitumen ~ 0Z j ~
¢o
¢Z
O
O
O 6 m

t-
O

4 --
(:3

2 -

0 I I I 1 I I I
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
VMA (per cent)

Fig. 2 V a r i a t i o n o f d e f o r m a t i o n w i t h c o m p a c t i o n for granite materials

100
Rolling

A
98
Wheel path

~130
Lane centrel temperature
°c

n~
96
t-

94

"5
¢o
92-
E
~L
90-

88-

86 I I
2 5 10 20 40
Number of passesof 8-10 tonne deadweight roller

Fig. 3 Effect o f r o l l i n g temperature on c o m p a c t i o n o f

dense b i t u m e n macadam
 Roller Deadweight Rolling capacity
(tonne) factor

A 10.4 5~3
B 9.2 2.8
3.3 Roller with
C 13.1
two vibrating rolls
D 10.3 3.7
E 14.2 4.8
F 6.5 1.6
3 wheel roller
G 11.4 2.0 ~1- front roll only vibrating

1.05

1.04 Roller
A
=
= o
2y=

1.03

C
D
13 n
e.- ¢-
E
1.02
e-. e.-

121 a

1.01

1.00 I I I I
6 8 10 12
Passes

Fig. 4 C o m p a r i s o n o f v i b r a t o r y and d e a d w e i g h t rollers ( M V E E trials)

 m / Lincolnshire
results
Somerset
resu Its

1.06

1.05
6 tonne vibratory roller

-~m 1.04
.>

Lincolnshire
-Q• .0 1.03
"0 "0 2½ tonne vibratory roller

F ~
f 2 tonne vibratory
c" t-- 1.02 f
a E3
f
f J
f J
1.01
f l Somerset
2 tonne vibratory roller

1.oo I I I
4 6 8 10
Passes

Fig. 5 Comparison o f v i b r a t o r y and deadweight rollers ( C o u n t y trials)

 0 F
s_

rr

-I- -I-
•I- ÷
÷ -l-
•l- -I-
•I- -I- ¸
4- -l-

o
o
cJ

~6 ?

rr
0_

cD~-
-l- Eo
_I_ °~

4" -l-
•l- -l-

O0
•I- -l- qD
•I- -I-
-I- -l-
I

o= ~, ~,
~
~ -6~ o cn
rr rY- rv-
 13. A P P E N D I X 1

NOTES F O R GUIDANCE ON THE ASSESSMENT OF THE

COMPACTION PERFORMANCE OF ROLLERS

To obtain an indication o f the compaction performance o f any particular type of roller it is recommended that a
compaction trial be arranged to compare it with the 8~tonne roller traditionally specified for compacting bituminous
materials.

1. Trial Procedure

1.1 T h e conditions o f the trial should be such that the ease of compacting the material is representative of the
conditions expected in practice; for example, the trial material should be of representative composition or
as difficult to compact as anything likely to be encountered in practice. Similarly the temperatures of
rolling in the trial should be typical. The material should be compacted on a structure of realistic stiffness.

1.2 The test roller and the standard roller should be operated side by side over the laid trial material. The effects
o f variations in temperature and mix composition that may occur in the longitudinal direction along the
laid asphalt are thus eliminated. Rollers should not move laterally between successive passes.

1.3 The layout o f the trial should be as in figure 6. The numbers o f roller passes recommended for the trial are
4 and 8. The standard 8 - t o n n e steel-wheeled roller should preferably be a tandem machine and each pass
will consist of one front and one rear roll passage of the machine.

1.4 To determine the mean density o f each trial area 150 m m diameter cores should be removed from each area
as shown in the experimental layout o f figure 6 and their densities measured in accordance with Section 2
o f this Appendix. The effectiveness o f the test roller may be judged satisfactory if at each pass level
investigated the mean density achieved is at least as high as that obtained with the conventional 8 tonne
roller. A more comprehensive comparison of rollers should take account o f the areas of material compacted
to a given standard by different machines; the product o f the width o f the alternative roller and its speed in
the trial should be sufficiently great to result in a work output at least equal to that provided by the
conventional roller.
Although the trials at T R R L and MVEE have shown that there is an improvement in the compaction of
bituminous materials when vibration is applied to a roller, there is as yet no conclusive evidence to show
that all vibratory rollers currently available in the United Kingdom will provide consistently greater
compaction than that achieved with conventional deadweight machines. Optimum vibrational character-
istics such as amplitude, frequency and centrifugal force and the speed o f the roller have not been established
for their general use on all materials; the settings used in trials should initially be those recommended by the
machine manufacturers but the effect of varying these settings should be investigated by extended trials if
this is desirable.
Trials o f this nature have been conducted by MVEE, the UK Testing Authority for Construction
Equipment, and reports are available. Alternatively, site trials can be organized by the contractor or the
site engineer.

18
2. Measurement o f densities o f cores

To avoid introducing errors the shape of the cores should be as regular as possible and their diameter not
less than 150 mm. The apparatus and method of determining density by weighing in air and water are described
in Appendix 7A of "Bituminous Materials in Road Construction" London 1962 (HMSO).

19

(2930) Dd8041326 1,500 12/83 H P L t d S o ' t o n G3371

PRINTED IN ENGLAND
 ABSTRACT

Compaction of bituminous road materials using vibratory rollers: W D POWELL and D LEACH:
Department of the Environment Department o f Transport, TRRL Laboratory Report 1102: Crowthorne, 1983
(Transport and Road Research Laboratory). Research has shown that better compaction o f dense coated
macadam road bases would markedly improve the structural performance of pavements. Results from compaction
trials show that modern vibratory rollers o f mass 2 to 14 tonnes are, for a given number o f passes, capable o f
achieving up to about 3 per cent more compaction than present deadweight machines. The characteristics o f
deadweight and vibratory rollers that influence compaction are considered, so too are the practical aspects o f
using the vibratory machines. Trial procedures are outlined for testing the effectiveness o f rollers and the
importance of correct use and proper training of operators is recognised.

ISSN 0305-1293

ABSTRACT

Compaction of bituminous road materials using vibratory rollers: W D POWELL and D LEACH:
Department of the Environment Department of Transport, TRRL Laboratory Report 1102: Crowthorne, 1983
(Transport and Road Research Laboratory). Research has shown that better compaction o f dense coated
macadam road bases would markedly improve the structural performance of pavements. Results from compaction
trials show that modern vibratory rollers of mass 2 to 14 tonnes are, for a given number o f passes, capable o f
achieving up to about 3 per cent more compaction than present deadweight machines. The characteristics o f
deadweight and vibratory rollers that influence compaction are considered, so too are the practical aspects o f
using the vibratory machines. Trial procedures are outlined for testing the effectiveness o f rollers and the
importance of correct use and proper training of operators is recognised.

ISSN 0305-1293