The $4.3 million Route 24 project was a typical asphalt overlay, pavement rehabilitation, and shoulder reconstruction procedure – until it was selected to become the first project to have both the Intelligent Compaction and Infrared Scanning (Thermal Profiling) Job Special Provisions included for a contract. This inclusion, according to MoDOT, “dramatically altered the perspective of both the quality control and quality assurance staff.” The contractor and MoDOT found that technology could significantly improve the contractor’s ability to place and compact the mat in a more consistent manner and that the bonus/deduction provisions of the Job Special Provisions were an effective motivational tool to achieve these goals. As they adapted to this new way of thinking the contractor initiated a number of modifications to their production and placement operations to evaluate the associated impacts.
Intelligent Compaction and Infrared Scanning transformed this project from a run-of-the-mill endeavor into an innovative and novel one. These new process’ incentivized MoDOT and the contractor to collaborate to achieve greater consistency and density which will propel the industry into the future of longer life pavements, providing drivers with a smoother and safer ride for a longer period of time before fixes are needed, which ultimately also saves MoDOT money.
America's Transportation Awards 