Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/187662
millimeters over 4 meters (0.11 inch over 13 feet). While the base course was placed by a single paver, the binger and wearing courses were placed by pavers in echelon. "We had a V-shaped paving operation in the middle," Byrum says. "This had to be a continous process, and we could not stop throughout the pass." Smoothness for concrete Past concrete pavements have been criticized for their inherent roughness, but modern-day continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCPs) can be constructed with exceptional smoothness, in no little part due to their lack of expansion joints. The Gomaco Smoothness Indicator (GSI) is a new tool that will help PCC pavements build even smoother. The GSI, operating either as paver-mounted, work bridge-mounted or as an independent GSI machine, has the ability to monitor and report smoothness readings to the contractor instantaneously. As such, it's a powerful quality-assurance tool. The GSI has the ability to read up to eight traces in a single pass, directly behind the paver, Gomaco says. The real-time information collected creates the GSI number or an instant rolling average of the surface smoothness readings. The GSI number is relative to the IRI number, but created within a much shorter paved distance; that distance can be adjusted by the operator. Along with the GSI number, two other indexes are also calculated continually, the PI or profile index, which is based on the California profilograph, and the IRI. The information can be exported as an *.erd file. The indices are derived from the true profile of the surface, determined by the data collected. These indexes are viewed and monitored on the GSI's seven-inch diagonal, touch-screen monitor. The touch screen, with adjustable mount, allows optimum viewing. The on-the-go surface smoothness information includes station and footage documentation for later reference of bump and smoothness locations. The GSI's bump alarm can be set with project parameters. If a bump, localized roughness occurs during paving that is out of parameter, a bump warning is displayed and the bump's station location is marked on the graph for exact reference. The GSI's feedback allows on-the-go adjustments to fine-tune the paving operation.v Smooth as glass. It's time. topconpositioning.com/mmgps-paving Text INFO to 205-289-3789 or visit www.betterroads.com/info Untitled-7 1 RoadScience_BR1013.indd 13 8/26/13 9:26 AM Better Roads October 2013 13 9/30/13 3:50 PM