Suitability of Intelligent Compaction for Asphalt Pavement

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Soojin Yoon, S.M.ASCE 1; Makarand Hastak, M.ASCE 2; and Jusang Lee 3
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Abstract: Intelligent compaction (IC) is an emerging technology that can be applied to improve the compaction of hot mix asphalt (HMA).
This study investigated the applicability of IC technology for the quality control (QC) and/or quality assurance (QA) of HMA compaction
through a survey, phone interviews, and a review of IC demonstrations conducted in Indiana. The questionnaire survey gathered information
about (1) the field usage of IC technology by state DOTs, (2) the benefits of IC technology, and (3) future plans for IC implementation. Only
two state DOTs have adopted IC technology for QC, whereas the other 24 respondents have not applied IC technology for either QC or QA. A
review of IC demonstrations conducted on US 52 in Indiana was undertaken to explore the possibility of substituting the nonnuclear density
value with the ICMV. Multiple regression analysis of the data (predicted variable: nonnuclear density) indicated a R2 value of 0.67 with
statistically significant p-values for the independent variables [i.e., pass count, temperature, and intelligent compaction measurement values
(ICMV)]. The results of this research indicate that IC technology would improve both the compaction coverage and the uniform compaction
for HMA QC applications, although no solid evidence is available to date to support the possibility of substituting core density values with
ICMVs for QA. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001401. © 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Author keywords: Intelligent compaction; Intelligent compaction (IC) technology; Intelligent compaction measurement value (ICMV);
Quality control (QC); Quality assurance (QA).

Introduction
Quality control (QC) and/or quality assurance (QA) are critical for
achieving satisfactory construction quality. Quality control is nec-
essary to control construction quality and to determine the quality
of the product being produced. Quality control is assigned specifi-
cally to contractors, such as the paving contractor in hot-mix as-
phalt (HMA) construction. Quality assurance refers to actions
that are necessary to accept the construction quality and to certify
that the construction quality being evaluated is that which the
owner indicated. Quality assurance is assigned to state agencies,
such as departments of transportation (DOTs).
In general, pavement density and surface smoothness are the
characteristics that are used to evaluate construction quality. Two
types of test methods typically are used to determine pavement den-
sity: (1) an in-place density test that uses nondestructive evaluation,
e.g., the nuclear density gauge (NDG) test (ASTM 2014), and a non-
nuclear density gauge test (ASTM 2012); and (2) laboratory density
tests [AASHTO T166 (AASHTO 2010), Method A or AASHTO
T275 (AASHTO 2007) and AASHTO T209 (AASHTO 2005)] that
test sampled cores. The nondestructive nuclear/nonnuclear tests
commonly are applied for QC purposes, whereas the core density
1
Ph.D. Candidate, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue Univ., West
Lafayette, IN 47907-2051 (corresponding author). E-mail: yoon88@
purdue.edu
2
Professor and Head, Division of Construction Engineering and
Management, Purdue Univ., 550 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette,
IN 47907. E-mail: hastak@purdue.edu
3
Research Engineer, INDOT Office of Research and Development,
1205 Montgomery St., West Lafayette, IN 47906. E-mail: jlee@indot.in
.gov
Note. This manuscript was submitted on November 28, 2016; ap-
proved on June 8, 2017; published online on January 17, 2018. Discussion
period open until June 17, 2018; separate discussions must be submitted
for individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Construction
Engineering and Management, © ASCE, ISSN 0733-9364.
tests are used for QA purposes (Williams 2008). The in-place density
tests have several inherent problems with regard to representative-
ness and cost-effectiveness. Specifically, taking a core sample is de-
structive in nature, which can affect pavement performance by
causing cracks. Furthermore, because the core density is measured
from randomly sampled cores, the sampled cores may not represent
the entire compaction condition or reflect the overall condition of the
uniform compaction of the road (Beainy 2011).
An alternative density measurement method can overcome this
limitation. Intelligent compaction (IC) is an emerging technology
that is used to improve compaction coverage and the uniform com-
paction achieved (Chang et al. 2011; Furuya et al. 2010). Along
with the growing interest in IC technology, the possibility of
substituting the current practice of in-place density testing with
a test that measures the so-called intelligent compaction measure-
ment value (ICMV) also has been raised. Because the material is
compacted by vibrating IC rollers, the acceleration is calculated and
presented as a compaction response value.
This study investigated the current status of field applications of
IC technology for QC/QA in HMA construction practice. A ques-
tionnaire survey and interviews were conducted to gather informa-
tion about (1) the use of IC technology in state DOTs, (2) the
benefits of applying IC technology, and (3) the possibility of sub-
stituting in-place density values with ICMVs for QC/QA. In addi-
tion, the data available from IC demonstrations performed on
US 52 in Indiana in 2009 were analyzed to identify the relationship
between in-place density values (nonnuclear density) and ICMVs.
Literature Review
History of IC Technology
Heinz Thumer of the Swedish Road Administration started study-
ing IC technology in 1974 by applying the concept of IC technol-
ogy to soil compaction properties (Chang et al. 2011). In related

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J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2018, 144(4): 04018006

 work, Mooney and Rinehart (2009) and Mooney et al. (2010)
showed that the relationship between the amplitude of the funda-
mental harmonic and that of the excitation frequency affects the
stiffness of soils. Thurner established Geodynamik to develop
the IC concept further and introduced intelligent compaction meas-
urement value (ICMV) in 1975. The fundamental concept of the
ICMV starts from the hypothesis that the properties of a pavement
under compaction will correlate with changes in stiffness in the
pavement [D. C. Swanson, H. Randolph Thomas, and A. A.
Oloufa, “Compacted material density measurement and compac-
tion tracking system,” U.S. Patent No. 6,122,601 (2000)]. As
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the pavement becomes denser under compaction, the air voids de-
crease, which leads to higher density values and greater stiffness in
asphalt pavements. This theory can be applied to the relationship
between the ICMV and density [D. C. Swanson, H. Randolph
Thomas, and A. A. Oloufa, “Compacted material density measure-
ment and compaction tracking system,” U.S. Patent No. 6,122,601
(2000); Minchin et al. 2001; Minchin and Thomas 2003]. In 1978,
Geodynamik introduced the compaction meter value (CMV) for the
first time. The CMV is the mechanical value of the amplitude based
on fast Fourier transform (FFT) using the fundamental frequency
and harmonic frequency. In addition, several studies refer to the
CMV as the primary stiffness value (Thurner and Aandström
2000; Mooney and Rinehart 2007).
After 1980, individual manufacturers started developing their
own CMVs. Bomag introduced the Omega value and developed
the measurement value Evib , which indicates the soil dynamic
modulus value (Minchin and Thomas 2003). Caterpillar, Dynapac,
and HAMM also use CMVs to measure frequency, which is
accelerometer-based stiffness. Caterpillar utilizes machine drive
power to measure rolling resistance, which is energy-based stiff-
ness. Roller-integrated stiffness (Kb ) was introduced by Ammann/
Case rollers and refers to the compacted layer’s stiffness value.
SAKAI introduced more-complicated acceleration amplitudes at
various harmonic frequencies that reflect the various jumping
modes in soil.
Mooney and Rinehart (2007) investigated various ICMVs that
can determine soil stiffness, which is strongly subjective to vibra-
tion amplitude. Moreover, understanding the underlying hetero-
geneity of soil properties is a challenging task necessary for the
development of ICMVs. Mooney and Rinehart conducted several
spot tests, including lightweight deflectometer, dynamic cone pen-
etrometer, sand cone (moisture and density), and static plate load-
ing tests to identify the application of IC technology by determining
correlations to IC measurements. Although the results varied across
soil types, these studies showed good correlations between the
ICMVs and spot test results.
Swanson et al. applied for a patent titled “Compacted material
density measurement and compaction tracking system,” U.S. Patent
No. 6,122,601 (2000). This patent provided the fundamental con-
cept for the current IC technology by introducing the use of a global
positioning system to measure the compaction density of HMA
pavements. The concept of ICMVs originated from the use of a
compaction density meter, which is related to the acceleration of
IC rollers [D. C. Swanson, H. Randolph Thomas, and A. A. Oloufa,
“Compacted material density measurement and compaction
tracking system,” U.S. Patent No. 6,122,601 (2000); Minchin
and Thomas 2003].
Intelligent Compaction Technology Trends in Quality
Control
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Transportation
Pooled Fund released a strategic plan in 2007 called “Implementation
© ASCE 04018006-2
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2018, 144(4): 04018006
of Intelligent Compaction Technology for Embankment Subgrade
Soils, Aggregated Bases, and Asphalt Pavement Materials” (Chang
et al. 2011). To implement IC technology in the United States, 12
state DOTs participated in this project and 15 demonstration proj-
ects were carried out. Afterward, several state DOTs released spec-
ifications for IC technology applications for both HMA and soil.
Fifteen agencies have IC specifications for HMA QC and nine
agencies have IC specifications for soil QC (FHWA 2014). Most
of these state DOTs have followed the IC specifications released by
the FHWA, but a few state DOTs have their own criteria. For ex-
ample, Alaska, Vermont, and Pennsylvania have more-detailed IC
specifications than the FHWA specifications. The FHWA IC spec-
ifications include an IC technology quality control plan to evaluate
the coverage, uniformity, stiffness (in terms of the ICMV), and test
sections during construction operations (Chang et al. 2011; Alaska
DOT 2013; Pennsylvania DOT 2013). In short, IC technology has
been shown to provide compaction uniformity and therefore would
improve QC in HMA compaction practices.
Intelligent Compaction Technology Trends in Quality
Assurance
Along with the growing interest in IC technology, the possibility
that IC technology could address problems associated with the
current practice of QA density testing also has been raised.
Commuri (2011) and Beainy (2011) developed the Intelligent
Asphalt Compaction Analyzer to predict compaction density val-
ues by using the frequency content of the vibration signal ob-
tained from an asphalt vibratory compactor. The response of
the compaction is determined by the frequency and amplitude
settings. Therefore the vibration of the IC is a function of the
dynamic modulus of the pavement such that these vibrations
can be related to the density in the compacted HMA. However,
the assumption that the properties of such a subgrade would re-
main the same during the compaction operation does not match
practical compaction operations.
Chang (2014) led the FHWA project “Intelligent Compaction:
Quality Assurance for In-Place Density Acceptance.” The purpose
of this project was to evaluate the application of IC technology for
HMA QA by exploring the possibility that field density testing
could be substituted with ICMVs. This study compared the results
of nine demonstrations (in UT, FL, OH, ME, CA, ID, MD, KY,
WA) in order to determine correlations between (1) nondestructive
density test data and core density test data, (2) compaction response
values and core density values, and (3) ICMVs and nondestructive
density test results. Final coverage measures the compaction re-
sponse values for the last pass count, whereas all passes measures
from the first pass count to the last pass count (Chang et al. 2011).
The compaction response values include the ICMV, frequency, am-
plitude, temperature, and pass counts obtained from the IC roller.
This study provides a brief summary of the correlations between
the spot test results and compaction response values based on the
demonstrations as follows:
• The correlation between the breakdown final coverage ICMV
and the asphalt layer modulus values back-calculated from
logging while drilling (LWD) data was poor, with coefficient
of determination (R2 ) values ranging from 0.02 to 0.04.
• The correlation between the ICMV and NDG measurements
showed R2 values ranging from 0.49 to 0.97 in breakdown
compaction.
• The results for the final coverage ICMV-core density correlation
were low in nine demonstrations, showing R2 values ranging
from 0.01 to 0.24. Although the correlation between the NDG
measurements and ICMVs obtained from the breakdown rollers
J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 was satisfactory, the asphalt core density values and final cover-
age ICMVs were significantly low.
• The final report recommended that IC can be used as an en-
hanced tool for QC by monitoring the ICMV; however, because
the final ICMV does not correlate well with core density values,
the final ICMV data are not recommended to replace core data
for QA purposes.
Methodology
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Survey and Phone Interviews
The survey and phone interviews explored the current state of IC
technology applications. The survey questionnaire was provided to
state DOTs (all AASHTO members) throughout the United States
through a web-based survey tool, SurveyMonkey, between January
and February 2014. Twenty-six state DOTs responded to this sur-
vey. The first question, “Does your agency currently adopt IC tech-
nology?” divided the respondents into two groups (Fig. 1). Group 1
included those respondents who answered that their agencies had
adopted IC technology for QC and/or QA. These respondents then
answered the next questions about the benefits of IC technology
and its applications. Group 2 respondents indicated that they
had not adopted IC technology. These respondents then answered
questions that explored reasons for not using IC technology and
their future plans, if any, for IC application.
The telephone interviews also divided the respondents mainly
into two groups (Fig. 1). Group A consisted of five DOTs that re-
sponded to the survey: Alaska, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
and Mississippi. Group B consisted of three DOTs (Utah, Florida,
and Maine) and three IC vendors (HAMM, SAKAI, and
Caterpillar) that participated in the IC demonstration projects
between 2012 and 2014.
Review of IC Demonstration Data Obtained from US 52
in Indiana
Allen et al. (2003) and Romero and Kuhnow (2002) conducted
nonnuclear gauge (NNG) tests for QC and/or QA purposes and
concluded that NNG tests are useful for evaluating pavement con-
ditions for QC purposes. The results of the current FHWA project
“Intelligent Compaction: Quality Assurance for In-Place Density
Acceptance” (Chang 2014) revealed that the final ICMV data were
not recommended to replace the value of laboratory density for QA
purposes. The ICMV-core density (laboratory density) correlation
IC Survey
26 State DOTs
Does your agency currently
adopt IC technology?
Group 1 (YES) Group 2 (NO)
2 State DOTs 24 State DOTs
YES
3 State DOTs
Fig. 1. Group classification
© ASCE
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2018, 144(4): 04018006
was low in nine demonstrations, showing R2 values ranging from
0.01 to 0.24 for the final coverage. Therefore this study used these
results. The purpose of the data analysis of the IC demonstrations
was to explore the possibility of substituting in-place density values
with ICMVs for QC purposes.
The Indiana DOT (INDOT) participated in the IC demonstration
on US 52 in West Lafayette between 2009 and 2010 as part of a
FHWA research project (Chang et al. 2011). The test pavement was
a composite pavement that consisted of 6-in. HMA on top of a 7-in.
concrete pavement. The target layer for IC compaction was 1.5 in.
of the HMA surface layer and 2.5 in. of the HMA intermediate
layer. Compaction was conducted 3 times with 14 data points
for each pass count. A total of 41 data points (14 data points from
each of three pass counts, with one outlier) were collected for
data analysis. The analysis framework consisted of three processes
(Fig. 2): bivariate analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the
multiple regression model. The variables used for the analysis were
the NNG data, compaction control value (CCV), temperature, and
pass count. SAKAI’s ICMV, referred to as the CCV, served as the
ICMV for this test.
Data Analysis
Surveys and Interviews
Survey: Group 1
The first question, “Does your agency currently adopt IC technol-
ogy for QC and/or QA?” addressed the application of IC tech-
nology. Two DOTs, Alaska and Vermont, responded that they had
adopted IC technology for QC and/or QA, whereas the remaining
24 respondents had not used IC technology. The Pennsylvania
DOT acknowledged that it had used IC for HMA during the inter-
view stage of this study; thus three DOTs (Alaska, Vermont, and
Pennsylvania) actually had used IC technology for QC purposes.
The next question concerned the benefits of IC technology and
offered the following choices: enhanced productivity, a better qual-
ity control process, real-time compaction measurements, uniform
compaction, less pavement maintenance, and operational cost.
The Alaska DOT commented that one of the advantages of IC tech-
nology is the ability to conduct night-time paving, because it allows
operators to see where they have been. The research team asked
respondents to name the areas in which they applied IC technology.
Vermont used IC technology not only for soil but also for HMA,
IC Phone Interviews
11 related State DOTs and Vendors
Group A Group B
Participants in the demonst
Participants in survey
ration projects
Does your agency currently
adopt IC technology?
NO State DOTs IC Roller Vendors
2 State DOTs 3 State DOTs 3 Vendors
04018006-3 J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 Please check reasons for not using IC technology
Intelligent Compaction
ICMV Accuracy of results from the IC technology
Bivariate Analysis
CCV Pass count Temperature
Lack of knowledge of the IC technology

ANOVA
Satisfaction with existing QC/QA procedure

In-Place Density Test

Multiple Regression Model Uncertainty about the benefits of IC technology
NNG

Difficulty of adjustments due to the lack of existing stiffness

Fig. 2. Analysis framework specification for compaction
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Availability of IC equipment from contractors

whereas Alaska used it for HMA QC only. No DOT reported using
IC technology for QA purposes.
Survey: Group 2
Group 2 consisted of participants who responded that they had not
yet adopted IC technology (24 respondents). The next question re-
lated to their future plans, if any, for IC technology applications.
Nine respondents (of 24) planned to use IC technology, whereas
the remaining 13 respondents indicated they did not have any plans
for future IC applications (Fig. 3). Two respondents did not respond
the question.
Fig. 4 shows the reasons stated for not having a plan for IC tech-
nology in the future. The main reasons given by 7 of 13 respondents
(53.8%) were: (1) satisfaction with existing QC/QA procedures,
(2) difficulties with regard to adjustments due to lack of stiffness
specifications for compaction, and (3) lack of availability of IC
equipment from contractors. In addition, 6 of 13 respondents
(46.2%) expressed doubts about the accuracy of the results ob-
tained using IC technology.
Telephone Interviews
One of the objectives of this research was to explore the current
status of the IC application on HMA pavement in United States.
This study conducted the questionnaire followed by phone inter-
views. The phone interview group was divided into two group.
Group A was based on the results of the questionnaire consisting
of five DOTs: Alaska, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
Mississippi. Whereas Alaska, Vermont, and Pennsylvania DOTs
responded that they had adopted IC technology for HMA compac-
tion, New Jersey and Mississippi DOTs had not used IC technol-
ogy. Group B consisted of three DOTs (Utah, Florida, and Maine)
and three IC vendors (HAMM, SAKAI, and Caterpillar) that
participated in the IC demonstration projects between 2012 and
2014. Group B was added in order to obtain the more practical
and experiential information of IC application.
24 States 2 States
No response
Yes 9 States
No
No 13 States
2 States
Yes
Does your agency currently adopt Does your agency plan to formally
IC technology? adopt IC technology in the future?
Fig. 3. Application of IC technology
Complexity of QC and/or QA procedures
Disputes from contractors
Others:
Fig. 4. Reasons for not using IC technology
Table 1 summarizes the interviews. More-uniform compaction,
less pavement maintenance, and night-time paving were reported as
the primary benefits of IC technology. The next question addressed
the applicability of the Veda software for compaction analysis
(Chang et al. 2011). None of the interviewed DOTs had used the
software.
When the survey was conducted, New Jersey and Mississippi
DOTs reported that they did not have current plans to adopt IC
technology, but they had started to consider it. New Jersey and
Mississippi DOTs had prepared pilot projects for IC application.
In terms of considering IC technology for HMA compaction QA
purposes, the respondents reported that they found no noticeable
results to prove the case for substituting in-place density values
with ICMVs. Furthermore, not only did the DOTs that participated
in the field demonstration projects express concern about the rela-
tionship between in-place density values and ICMVs, but the ven-
dors expressed concern as well. Five DOTs indicated that they
found IC technology to be cost-effective (Table 1). Although using
IC rollers can add cost, such use does not significantly affect the
total cost for the construction project because IC compaction is a
small portion of the total construction cost. In terms of improve-
ments or concerns with respect to IC technology (Table 1), training
issues, the effect of compaction on the depth of the HMA, and the
justification for IC technology for QA purposes were identified as
concerns with regard to using IC technology. Specifically, unlike
soil compaction, HMA pavement compaction is based on a flexible
pavement with a multilayered structure. Because the depth of the IC
rollers is 40 in. (Chang et al. 2011), it is difficult to evaluate the
compaction quality for the target layer accurately (e.g., the surface
layer is approximately 2 in. thick).
Review of Intelligent Compaction Demonstration
Data Obtained from US 52 in Indiana
The data obtained from the IC demonstration on US 52 in Indiana
were analyzed in order to explore the possibility of substituting in-
place density values with ICMVs by determining the relationship
between these two values. Bivariate analysis commonly is used to
find the statistical relationship between two variables. The correla-
tion coefficient (R) is applied to measure the degree of the

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 Table 1. Summary of Phone Interviews
Question
The primary benefits from IC technology
Whether or not Veda software is used in the implementation
IC technology is applied only for QC
Number of contracts after adopting IC for QC
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Summary
More-uniform compaction, less pavement maintenance, night-time paving
Not yet (respondents found it difficult to transfer field data to Veda software)
Low correlation between in-place density and ICMV for QA No strong results to
prove the case for substituting in-place density values with ICMVs
Vermont: two projects
Pennsylvania: eight active projects with two pending authorization
Utah: three projects

Cost-effectiveness (IC operational cost) Vermont: 0.1% increase in total contract cost
Pennsylvania: $20,000–$50,000 (IC compaction is a small portion of total
construction cost)
Alaska: $80,000—two compactors
$40,000—one compactor with small project
Utah: Cost is more than for a normal compaction roller, but it is worth the money to
obtain better quality of compaction operation
Maine: similar to Utah
Improvements (concerns) Not enough justification for QA (no information on density)
Training issues (for equipment and data management, including software)
More demonstration projects are needed to implement IC technology
No relationship between temperature and stiffness
Effect of compaction on depth of HMA

relationship between the two variables. This study used four com-
paction response variables: the CCV, temperature, pass count, and
NNG value. Regarding the CCV correlations, there are two differ-
ent CCVs according to the pass count. The CCVs in Table 2 include
all the pass counts with 41 data points, and CCV1 –CCV3 present
the ICMV for each pass count. The bivariate analysis results in
Table 2 show that the correlations between the NNG value and
CCV (No. 1) were significant, with an R value of 0.74 for all pass
counts (41 data points). When considering the correlations for each
pass count (14 data points each), the correlations showed much
lower R values: 0.697 with the first pass count, 0.707 with the sec-
ond pass count, and 0.614 with the third pass count. The final pass
count (No. 9) showed the lowest R value, which can be considered
as the completion of the compaction of the pavement. Additionally,
temperature was considered to be a senstive parameter for deter-
mining the quality of compaction (Willoughby et al. 2002). How-
ever, no correlations for temperature using NNG values and CCVs
were observed in this analysis.
Two types of variables were used in this study: numerical var-
iables (NNG values, CCVs, and temperature) and a categorical var-
iable (pass count). This study conducted ANOVA via JMP software
(Table 3) to identify any interaction between the numerical varia-
bles and the categorical variable. Comparisons of the NNG value,
CCV, and temperature with the pass count showed that each group
was significantly different. The null hypothesis (H0 ) for ANOVA
showed that the means for each group were homogenous. If the
p-value was less than 0.05, the H0 was rejected, meaning that
the categorical variable should be considered as an explanatory
variable in the multiple regression model. Because the ANOVA
results showed p-values less than 0.05, the categorical variable
(pass count) affected the estimation of the multivariate regression
model, because ANOVA indicated a significant interaction be-
tween the pass count and the other variables (NNG, CCV, and
temperature).
Multiple regression is used to identify a probabilistic model
according to dependent variables. Tables 4 and 5 show the results
of the multiple regression analysis. The coefficient of determination
(adjusted R2 ) was 0.67 in Table 4. For the parameter estimates in
Table 5, the significant levels for the CCV and pass count were less
than 0.05, which means that these independent variables were stat-
istically significant. However, temperature did not have an effect on
the predicted variable (NNG).
The R2 value between the predicted NNG value and the mea-
sured NNG value was high, i.e., 0.69 in terms of the accuracy of the
model [Fig. 5(a)]. Furthermore, the residual plot in Fig. 5(b) shows
the residuals with the predicted NNG values randomly dispersed
without any pattern. Therefore the residual plot and the predicted
NNG graph support that the multivariate regression model was a
good fit for the data. The review of the IC demonstrations thus in-
dicates that the ICMV can serve as a factor for evaluating HMA

Table 2. Bivariate Analysis

Number Variable By variable Pass count Observation Correlation (R) P-value
1 CCV NNG All pass count 41 0.744 <0.001
2 Temperature NNG All pass count 41 −0.282 0.0741
3 Temperature CCV All pass count 41 −0.2441 0.1241
4 Pass count NNG All pass count 41 0.6772 <0.0001
5 Pass count CCV All pass count 41 0.462 0.0024
6 Pass count Temperature All pass count 41 −0.3728 0.0164
7 CCV1 NNG1 Pass count 1 13 0.6975 0.008
8 CCV2 NNG2 Pass count 2 14 0.7071 0.0047
9 CCV3 NNG3 Pass count 3 14 0.614 0.0195

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 Table 3. ANOVA Results
Pass count versus Group type Sum of squares Degrees of freedom Mean square F P-value
NNG Between group 10.87 2 5.435 3.2380 0.000
Within group 11.935 39 0.306 — —
Total 22.805 41 — — —
CCV Between group 337.800919 2 168.9005 7.9984 0.0012
Within group 823.5488929 39 21.11664 — —
Total 1,161.349812 41 — — —
Temperature Between group 752.2433 2 376.1217 4.9013 0.0126
Within group 2,992.821 39 76.73899 — —
— — —
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Total 3,745.064 41

and/or QA. None of the respondents had used IC technology

Table 4. Outcomes of Multiple Regression Model
for QA purposes.
Parameter Regression statistics • The reasons for not using IC technology were (1) satisfaction
R squared 0.694889 with existing QC/QA procedures, (2) difficulties with regard
Adjusted R squared 0.67015 to adjustments due to lack of stiffness specifications for
Root-mean-square error 0.429519 compaction, and (3) lack of availability of IC equipment from
Mean of response 90.26585 contractors.
Observation 41 • With regard to future plans, if any, for IC technology applica-
tions, 13 of 24 DOTs planned to adopt IC technology in the
future, whereas 9 DOTs were not interested in making future
Table 5. Parameter Estimates of Multiple Regression Model
plans for incorporating IC technology.
• The phone interview results indicated that Utah, Florida, and
Standard Maine DOTs and IC roller vendors HAMM, SAKAI, and
Parameters Estimate error T ratio Prob > jTj Caterpillar were apprehensive about adopting IC technology
Intercept-NNG (% Gmm ) 87.969793 0.76096 115.63 <0.0001 due to concerns regarding the relationship between in-place
CCV 0.0769225 0.014397 5.34 <0.0001 density values (core dentisty) and ICMVs.
Temperature (°C) 0.0008943 0.007628 0.12 0.9073 • The data analysis results obtained from the nine IC demonstra-
Pass count 0.3894753 0.097827 3.98 0.0003 tion projects for QA (Chang 2014) indicated that the ICMV and
core density correlations for the final pass count were low,
compaction QC when the pass count is considered as a significant ranging from 0.01 to 0.24 for the nine projects. Therefore final
variable in the model. ICMV data are not recommended to replace core density values
for QA purposes.

Summary Intelligent Compaction Technology Applications for

Quality Control
Intelligent Compaction Technology Applications for
• Three DOTs (Alaska, Vermont, and Pennsylvania) that used IC
Quality Assurance
technology for pavement compaction QC indicated in the sur-
• The survey results revealed that only two DOTs (Alaska and vey and in the phone interviews that more-uniform compaction,
Vermont) had adopted IC technology, whereas the remaining less pavement maintenance, and night-time paving were the
24 respondents (92%) had not used IC technology for QC benefits of IC technology. Pennsylvania DOT acknowledged

92 1.5

Linear (%Gmm Trend)

1
Predicted NNG, %Gmm

91

0.5
Residual

90
0
R² = 0.6949
89
-0.5

88 -1
88 89 90 91 92 88 89 90 91 92
(a) Measured NNG, %Gmm (b) Predicted NNG, % Gmm

Fig. 5. Multivariate regression model results: (a) predicted NNG values; (b) residual analysis results

© ASCE 04018006-6 J. Constr. Eng. Manage.

J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2018, 144(4): 04018006

 that it had used IC for HMA during the interview stage of this
study; thus three DOTs (Alaska, Vermont, and Pennsylvania)
actually had used IC technology for QC purposes.
• During phone interviews, the interviewees stated that IC equip-
ment costs more than normal compaction equipment. However,
real-time compaction measurements and uniform compaction
would help contractors reduce pay-adjustment issues. Further-
more, IC technology is a small portion of the total construction
cost and does not significantly affect the total cost for a con-
struction project.
• The data analysis results for the IC demonstration on US 52
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of Minnesota - Twin Cities on 01/31/18. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.
in Indiana revealed that the multivariate regression model (pre-
dicted variable: NNG) indicated an R2 value of 0.67 with sta-
tistically significant p-values, provided that all the pass counts
were considered. The ICMV thus can act as a factor for eval-
uating HMA compaction QC when the pass count (categorical
variable) is considered a significant variable in the model.
• The ANOVA results identified the pass count to be an important
variable that affects the multiple regression model. Therefore
determining which pass count to take into account would be an
important precondition for identifying the correlation between
the in-place density data and ICMVs.
Conclusions
IC technology was applied initially for soil compaction. The
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Transportation Pooled
Fund released a strategic plan in 2007 called the ‘Implementation
of Intelligent Compaction Technology for Embankment Subgrade
Soils, Aggregated Bases, and Asphalt Pavement Materials’ (Chang
et al. 2011). As a follow-up to that work, this study explored current
trends and the current state of IC applications for QC and/or QA of
HMA in the United States. A questionnaire survey and phone inter-
views were conducted to gather information about (1) the field
usage of IC technology by state DOTs; (2) the benefits of applying
IC technology; and (3) future plans, if any, for IC implementation.
Additionally, the data from an IC technology demonstration
performed on US 52 in West Lafayette, Indiana in 2009 in conjunc-
tion with the FHWA IC research project were analyzed to validate
the possibility of substituting in-place density values with ICMVs
for HMA QC purposes.
With regard to the application of IC technology for HMA QC,
IC technology would result in more-uniform compaction, less
pavement maintenance, and the ability to conduct night-time pav-
ing. By enabling real-time compaction measurements, IC would
help contractors reduce pay-adjustment issues. Although only two
DOTs of 26 respondent DOTs had adopted IC technology for
HMA QC purposes, nine DOTs of 24 respondent DOTs) planned
to use IC technology for HMA QC in the future. Additionally, data
analysis of the IC demonstration on US 52 in Indiana revealed that
the multivariate regression model (predicted variable: NNG) indi-
cated an R2 value of 0.67 with statistically significant p-values.
Therefore IC technology would improve both HMA compaction
coverage and the uniform compaction achieved in QC.
However, with regard to the application of IC technology for
HMA QA, no solid evidence to date supports the possibility of sub-
stituting core density values with ICMVs for QA purposes. The
results from the nine demonstration projects revealed that the final
ICMV (final compaction pass count) did not correlate with the core
density values (less than 0.3 of R2 ) on any of the nine projects
(Chang 2014). The phone interviews also indicated that Utah,
Florida, and Maine DOTs and IC roller vendors HAMM, SAKAI,
and Caterpillar had concerns about the relationship between
© ASCE
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2018, 144(4): 04018006
in-place density values and ICMVs. Therefore the current data
do not justify the application of ICMV for HMA.
The survey and phone interviews identified the substantial ben-
efits of IC technology for HMA QC purposes. Clearly, the use of IC
technology will increase in the future. However, the phone inter-
views indicated that there are problems still to be resolved. Training
issues for the operation of IC technology, the relationship between
temperature and stiffness, and the effect of compaction on the depth
of HMA should be addressed to further the implementation of IC
technology.
Data Availability Statements
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the
corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s
data sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10
.1061/%28ASCE%29CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Joint Transportation Research Program and
the Indiana Department of Transportation for their sponsorship of
this project, and the Study Advisory Committee for its valuable
assistance and technical guidance during this study.
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