Asphalt milling for Driveway

[Soundguy]

For new asphalt.. sure.. roll with a steel wheel, then a pneumatic with smooth tires.... but not for reclaimed asphalt.. again.. unless it has been re-cooked.. or put down with fluid.. etc.

We put in lots of reclaimed concrete and asphalt milling drives per year.. I've never hauled a rubber tire roller out to one o fthose jobs... If your steel wheel roller is bridging.. you are using too coarse of millings.. or it's not heavy enough...

Soundguy

I would recommend a pneumatic tire roller. You aren't going to be able to get the surface very smooth, and a steel wheeled roller will bridge over the low spots.

I don't know what a sealant would accomplish.

 

[Toiyabe]

Pnuematic rollers are sometimes used for breakdown rolling on hot mix - the main drawback is it is hard to keep the mix from sticking to the tires when its hot. After it cools a bit, pneumatic rollers are considered superior by just about everybody. Better pressure distribution results in more even compaction. You also get a better particle orientation due to the "kneading action" and a tighter surface. These things are very important for anything you're going to be driving on.

I guess contractors don't like pneumatics because they are heavier than vibratories for the same compactive effort. Maybe they cost more to operate too. They do a better job for any surface layer, though.

Either way I'm sure you'll be happy. I'm just stating my preference.

The most important thing is to not let the roller operator drive too fast. ~3 mph should be top speed. They'll want to go fast to get the job done fast if you don't watch them.

 

[UpstateNYMarine]

Wow...I couldn't get on here to check out replies for a couple days and there ended up being on page four. I can't believe it. Those were the answers I was looking for. I believe we made up our minds and our excavator is going to wait for a hot day prolly next week and then he'll spread out the millings and go to town with the roller. I'll take some pictures and post them for everyone to see.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Egon]

Are not air on the go pneumatic rollers used for initial compaction with steel rollers following up for the finish touch??

 

[Toiyabe]

Usually steel vibratory for breakdown, pneumatic for intermediate and steel static for finish. Finish rolling is mostly for aesthetic purposes (gets rid of the tire marks) and is sometimes ommitted.

 

[Colin Giersberg]

While I know that pneumatic rollers are still out there, I haven't seen one on any of our re-surfacing projects in 20 years, and that is everywhere that I go in Alabama, with several different contractors.

The last time that I did work around one, the paving superintendent came to me with a problem in the mat. It seems that there were several potholes in a small area. When I saw the potholes, I knew right away what did it, and told him my thoughts. It was a pneumatic roller. The operator had started getting some buildup on the tires, so he cleaned them off wit diesel fuel. There were 9 similar size potholes in two rows in the surface of the mat, 4 holes about 7' away from 5 more holes, each row offset from the other.
Well, let's just say that he was not a happy camper. They filled them in, and I still could see them several years later when driving through that area. ALDOT has since strip patched the road for several miles, and will probably re-pave the road next year.

Regards, Colin

 

[Egon]

Chances are the pneumatic rollers were replaced by the big drum vibratory roller as they can do the complete job.

I have not been around a paving job for at least 35 years now and surely don't miss it one bit.

 

[Toiyabe]

Chances are the pneumatic rollers were replaced by the big drum vibratory roller as they can do the complete job.

It varies - contractors don't seem to like them, but most design engineers do (i.e. pointy-headed office-bound weenies like me). Some construction specs require pneumatic rollers, some (like Alabama, see page 4-19 in the standard specs) leave the decision up to the contractor.

And if you don't have good inspectors the contractors will put diesel on the rollers, pneumatic or steel, not to mention dump beds and everything else in sight and complete screw up the job. Many DOTs would have caught that and made the contractor tear it up and replace it.

 

[Egon]

Here I was thinking the the contractor could use his equipment as he saw fit as long as the contract spec's got met.

 

[Soundguy]

Down here in florida at least.. we use vibratory rollers on the dirt subgrade.. our vibes have i wide steel roller, and then ag tires inthe rear for traction... no way you can run it on asphalt.. as the ag tires would chew it up..., and then on the finish grade ( limerock or clay ).. then we use static steel wheels as a finish run on the finish grade... these rollers have 1 large drum in front, and 2 drum wheels in back..

After the asphalt, we run a static steel steel wheel roller over the asphalt.. a smaller unit than used on the finish grade.. it has a large drum roller in front and back.. After that, we hit it with the pneumatic rubber tire roller for finish look.


All our steel wheels have water tanks that drip on the roller to prevent adhesion... anyone coating it with diesel is just plain lazy or stupid.

Our pneumatic rollers have brushes that scrub the tires to prevent them from picking up asphalt debri and then snowballing it or causing scabs.. etc..

Soundguy