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Assessment of Quality of Asphalt Concrete used in Road Construction in South West Nigeria
Abstract
Assessment of asphalt concrete used for pavement construction in southwest Nigeria was carried out to determine the causes of untimely failure of newly constructed/rehabilitated asphalt roads. Samples of asphalt concrete and bitumen were collected from three asphalt plants selected for the study. Samples from each plant were subjected to bitumen extraction and sieve analysis, hot mix Marshall Stability and flow tests, penetration and viscosity tests. Results obtained were compared to the 2007 Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges. The results revealed that none of the samples met all the criteria stated in the specifications, suggesting that the nature of asphalt concrete is a possible cause of premature failure of road pavements in southwest Nigeria. It is recommended that further research be conducted on other constituents of asphalt concrete as well as other structures of the flexible pavement.
Keywords: Asphalt concrete, aggregate, bitumen, pavement, road, sieve analysis.