On April 6 and 7, 2021, a two-day road construction workshop on laying asphalt concrete mixtures (ABS) designed by the volumetric-functional method was held in Orsk (Orenburg Region). The event was organized by the Russian Road Research Institute (FAA "ROSDORNII"), Mantrak Vostok and Caterpillar Eurasia. The participants of the seminar – representatives of road construction organizations of the region - got acquainted with the advantages of the method of volumetric and functional design, as well as with the latest technology for laying ABS and the features of its operation.
The first day of the seminar was devoted to the analysis of the essence and advantages of the volume-functional method – the most effective and widely used in the world today. It is based on an innovative method of selecting the grain composition, which allows taking into account the folding of individual components into a mixture, the dynamics of the formation of air voids and the volumetric density of the resulting material. The design is carried out taking into account the requirements for the performance characteristics of asphalt concrete pavement in the climatic conditions of the target region. With The Deputy Director of the Organizational Directorate of the Industry-wide Competence Center of the FAA "ROSDORNII" made a report on this topic to the audienceOlga Vorobyova.
She spoke about the selection of components of asphalt concrete mixtures, the method of sampling and testing samples, about the features of the design of the pavement in accordance with the requirements of current standards and taking into account local operating conditions. Various aspects of the organization of production at asphalt concrete plants, features of laying ABS using modern road equipment, methods of core sampling and laboratory testing, issues of acceptance and quality control of the work performed were considered. Then the listeners were introduced to the features of laying and compacting ABS, designed by the volumetric-functional method.
On the second day of the training, representatives of Caterpillar Eurasia and the official dealer of CAT equipment "Mantrak Vostok" told about the use of modern road equipment in the repair of highways and laying ABS. In particular, the work of the leveling system of the paver was disassembled, the basics of milling the roadway were considered, shown the causes and ways to eliminate the most common defects of ABS styling.
In addition to theoretical classes, practical training was conducted for the participants of the seminar on real objects of road repair work. In particular, milling, the processes of laying and compacting the mixture, the use of a leveling system, and ways to combat segregation are shown.