Paving Equipment Rentals

How a Road is Built - The Phases of Building a Road

PHASE I: Planning

Phase 1 involves collecting a vast amount of information about the area where the road will be built

road and bridge conditions,
traffic volumes,
crash statistics.

Using this data, transportation planners, engineers, environmentalists, landscape architects, soil scientists and others identify trends that determine what and how to build.

PHASE II: Design:

Survey of the area is step two. The use of Global Positioning Systems, laser surveys, and other technology have sped up the process and improved accuracy. 

location,
terrain and soil properties,
drainage capabilities,
traffic volume,
the ratio of cars to trucks and buses,
possible future development in the area,
effects on the environment or  nearby residents.

PHASE III: Earthwork

Earthwork is one of the most important elements in road construction because it establishes a stable foundation. A roadway with a substandard foundation will fail prematurely. The road's base layers are as important as the finished surface.

Embankments are shaped using cuts and fills.
Next, a grader or bulldozer levels the screened dirt.
The screened dirt is sprayed with water and compacted to its maximum density.
The installation of drains and sewers is next. Drainage is a critical element.
All of this work must pass strict inspections before the project can continue.

PHASE IV: Paving

The road bed is finally ready for paving. This phase may also include a life time analysis. Engineers and Planners study:

the cost of maintaining the road,
the amount and type of traffic,
the cost of paving material.

PHASE V: Open to Traffic

The final stage is ride quality testing. Testers use seismology equipment to measure vibrations of the new pavement. It there is too much vibration, the contractor must grind the pavement to ensure a smooth surface. The final steps are:

another drainage test,
grading and landscaping around the pavement (where applicable),
applying the permanent pavement markings.
removing barriers and cones
allowing traffic to return