When to Pave a Gravel Road How to Evaluate Whether or Not to Pave a Gravel Road (When to Pave a...

When to Pave a Gravel Road

How to EvaluateWhether or Not

to Pave a Gravel Road(When to Pave a Gravel Road)

Rodger Young, P.E.Director of Technical Services

Presented at

30th Annual Asphalt Conference

And Equipment Show


• What is meant by a “paved” road– Light chip seal ?– Double chip seal ?– 2-in. HMA mat ?– 4-in. HMA mat ?

• Generally HMA mats < 2-in. have little real load-bearing capacity of their own.


• What is meant by a paved road ?– Asphalt Institute refers to a paved road as one

that has a HMA mat of ≥ 4-in. of full depth asphalt or 3-in. + suitable granular base.

– System that has load bearing capacity.

• Surface-treated road– A roadway with < 2-in. HMA mat.– Protects the base material by shedding water

and providing a smooth riding surface.


• Decision to paved– Paving helps to seal the surface from moisture and

protects the base and subgrade material,– Eliminates dust problems– Smoothness - Has higher user acceptance– Accommodate many types of vehicles that do not

operate as effectively on unsurfaced roads.– Matter of trade-offs– Maintenance - Properly maintained, a gravel road can

serve general traffic adequately for many years


• Considerations for paving gravel roads– Local agencies considering paving roadways

• reducing roadway maintenance cost, • providing a smooth riding surface• eliminating environmental (dust) problems.

– Local agencies should have a policy and criteria for paving gravel roads.


• An approach for determining whether or not a roadway should be paved.– Roadway management program.

• Goal of the management program is to improve all roads by using good management practices

• Common sense system, step-by-step approach to scheduling and budgeting for maintenance work

• Establishes short-term and long-term maintenance goals, prioritizes projects within budget constraints


• An approach for determining whether or not a roadway should be paved.– Roadway management program.

• Roadway inventory• Roadway condition survey• Determine appropriate treatments• Establishes costs• Sets priorities


• An approach for determining whether or not a roadway should be paved.– Commitment to effective management

• Matter of making sure taxpayer’s money is well spent

• Planning for 5 or even 10 years instead of putting a band-aid on today’s problem

• Using good management techniques instead of “seat of the pants” methods

• Taking time to do things right the first time and constructing projects to last


• An approach for determining whether or not a roadway should be paved.– Traffic conditions and usage – life and

maintenance requirements of a roadway is affected by the number of vehicles and their weight

• Establishing traffic volumes and type of traffic for when to pave

• Establishing functional importance of the roadway• Establishing design and construction standards• Establishing maintenance standards• Roadway safety


• An approach for determining if a roadway should be paved con’t.– Economic evaluation

• Determining when it is more economical to pave than leave the roadway a gravel surface

– Life cycle cost of the options


Life Cycle Cost AnalysisBy-Monthly Maintenance Cycle

Roadway -- 24 foot width One mile in length

Cost Item - Maintenance Application

Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth

Accumulated Present Worth

Gravel Roadway Construction 1100

% $116,864 $116,864 $116,864 $116,864

4" aggregate surface Blade 2100

% $21,120 $22,843 $21,532 $138,396

6" Base Course Blade and Gravel 3100

% $42,381 $47,673 $43,627 $182,024

Subgrade prep Mag Chloride 4100

% $20,416 $23,884 $21,220 $203,244

Blade 5100

% $21,120 $25,696 $22,165 $225,409

Blade 6 times/year Blade and Gravel 6100

% $42,381 $53,625 $44,910 $270,320

Blade & Gravel 1 time/year Mag Chloride 7

100% $20,416 $26,866 $21,845 $292,164

Blade 5 times/year Blade 8100

% $21,120 $28,904 $22,817 $314,982

Mag Chloride 1 time/year Blade and Gravel 9100

% $42,381 $60,321 $46,231 $361,213

Blade 5 times/year Mag Chloride 10100

% $20,416 $30,221 $22,487 $383,700


Life Cycle Cost AnalysisBy-Monthly Maintenance Cycle



Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth


Gravel Roadway Blade 11 100% $21,120 $32,513 $23,488 $407,188

4" aggregate surface Blade and Gravel 12 100% $42,381 $67,853 $47,591 $454,779

6" Base Course Mag Chloride 13 100% $20,416 $33,994 $23,148 $477,928

Subgrade prep Blade 14 100% $21,120 $36,573 $24,179 $502,107

Blade and Gravel 15 100% $42,381 $76,326 $48,991 $551,097

Blade 6 times/year Mag Chloride 16 100% $20,416 $38,239 $23,829 $574,926

Blade & Gravel 1 time/year Blade 17 100% $21,120 $41,140 $24,890 $599,817

Blade 5 times/year Blade and Gravel 18 100% $42,381 $85,856 $50,431 $650,248

Mag Chloride 1 time/year Mag Chloride 19 100% $20,416 $43,013 $24,530 $674,778

Blade 5 times/year Blade 20 100% $21,120 $46,277 $25,622 $700,400


Life Cycle Cost - HMA vs Gravel RoadwayBy-Monthly Maintenance Cycle

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rydock


Life Cycle Cost AnalysisQuarterly Maintenance Cycle

Medium Maintenance



Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth


Gravel Roadway Construction 1 100% $116,864 $ 116,864 $ 116,864 $ 116,864

4" aggregate surface Blade 2 100% $ 10,560 $ 11,422 $ 10,766 $ 127,630

6" Base CourseBlade and Gravel 3 100% $ 31,820 $ 35,793 $ 32,756 $ 160,386

Subgrade prep Mag Chloride 4 100% $ 9,856 $ 11,530 $ 10,244 $ 170,630

Blade 5 100% $ 10,560 $ 12,848 $ 11,083 $ 181,713

Blade 3 times/yearBlade and Gravel 6 100% $ 31,820 $ 40,262 $ 33,719 $ 215,432

Blade & Gravel 1 time/year Mag Chloride 7 100% $ 9,856 $ 12,970 $ 10,546 $ 225,978

Blade 2 times/year Blade 8 100% $ 10,560 $ 14,452 $ 11,409 $ 237,386

Mag Chloride 1 time/yearBlade and Gravel 9 100% $ 31,820 $ 45,290 $ 34,711 $ 272,097

Blade 2 times/year Mag Chloride 10 100% $ 9,856 $ 14,589 $ 10,856 $ 282,953


Life Cycle Cost AnalysisQuarterly Maintenance Cycle

Medium Maintenance



Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth


Gravel Roadway Blade 11 100% $ 10,560 $ 16,257 $ 11,744 $ 294,697

4" aggregate surfaceBlade and Gravel 12 100% $ 31,820 $ 50,945 $ 35,732 $ 330,429

6" Base Course Mag Chloride 13 100% $ 9,856 $ 16,411 $ 11,175 $ 341,604

Subgrade prep Blade 14 100% $ 10,560 $ 18,287 $ 12,090 $ 353,693

Blade and Gravel 15 100% $ 31,820 $ 57,306 $ 36,783 $ 390,476

Blade 3 times/year Mag Chloride 16 100% $ 9,856 $ 18,460 $ 11,504 $ 401,980

Blade & Gravel 1 time/year Blade 17 100% $ 10,560 $ 20,570 $ 12,445 $ 414,425

Blade 2 times/yearBlade and Gravel 18 100% $ 31,820 $ 64,461 $ 37,864 $ 452,289

Mag Chloride 1 time/year Mag Chloride 19 100% $ 9,856 $ 20,765 $ 11,842 $ 464,131

Blade 2 times/year Blade 20 100% $ 10,560 $ 23,138 $ 12,811 $ 476,942


Life Cycle Cost - HMA vs Gravel RoadwayQuarterly Maintenance Cycle

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Gravel - High Gravel - Medium

rydock


Life Cycle Cost AnalysisAnnual Maintenance Cycle

Low Maintenance

Roadway -- 24 foot width One Mile in length


Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth


Construction 1 100% $ 116,864 $ 116,864 $116,864 $ 116,864





Blade and Gravel 6 100% $ 24,780 $ 31,355 $ 26,259 $ 178,842

Blade 1 time/year Mag Chloride 7 100% $ 2,816 $ 3,706 $ 3,013 $ 181,855


Blade and Gravel 9 100% $ 24,780 $ 35,270 $ 27,031 $ 212,689



Life Cycle Cost AnalysisAnnual Maintenance Cycle

Low Maintenance

Roadway -- 24 foot width One Mile in length


Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth






Blade and Gravel 15 100% $ 24,780 $ 44,627 $ 28,645 $ 283,399

Blade 1 time/year Mag Chloride 16 100% $ 2,816 $ 5,274 $ 3,287 $ 286,686


Blade and Gravel 18 100% $ 24,780 $ 50,200 $ 29,487 $ 320,321


Blade 20 100% $ 3,520 $ 7,713 $ 4,270 $ 327,975


Life Cycle Cost - HMA vs Gravel Roadway

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Gravel - High Gravel - Medium Gravel - Low

rydock


Paved Road Life Cycle Cost Analysis



Year Done Area

Present Cost

Future Value

Present Worth


Hot Mix Asphalt Roadway Construction 1 100% $201,334 $201,334 $201,334 $201,334

4" HMA mat Crack Sealing 7 10% $352 $463 $377 $201,711

6" Base course Chip Seal 8 100% $14,080 $19,269 $15,211 $216,922

Subgrade prep Pot Hole repair 10 5% $3,520 $5,210 $3,877 $220,799

Chip Seal 15 100% $352 $634 $407 $221,206

Pot Hole repair 18 10% $7,040 $14,262 $8,377 $229,583

Overlay - 2" 20 100% $56,320 $123,404 $68,326 $297,909


Life Cycle Cost - HMA vs Gravel Roadway

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HMA Roadway Gravel - High Gravel - Medium Gravel - Low

rydock


• An approach for determining if a roadway should be paved con’t.– Public opinion


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