Q1: What is the primary purpose of highway construction? A1: The
primary purpose of highway construction is to provide safe, efficient, and
durable transportation infrastructure that facilitates the movement of people and
goods while supporting economic development and public safety.
Q2: What are the main phases of highway construction project
development? A2: The main phases include planning, preliminary engineering,
final design, right-of-way acquisition, construction letting, construction, and
maintenance.
Q3: What is the difference between flexible and rigid pavement? A3:
Flexible pavement uses asphalt concrete over aggregate layers and distributes
loads through layer interaction. Rigid pavement uses Portland cement concrete
and distributes loads through beam action of the concrete slab.
Q4: What is subgrade in highway construction? A4: Subgrade is the natural
soil or rock surface on which the pavement structure is built. It must be properly
prepared and compacted to provide adequate support for the pavement layers
above.
Q5: What is the purpose of a base course in pavement construction? A5:
The base course distributes traffic loads from the surface to the subgrade,
provides drainage, prevents pumping of fine materials, and serves as a
construction platform.
Q6: What are the typical layers in flexible pavement from bottom to top?
A6: Subgrade, subbase (if required), base course, and asphalt concrete surface
course. Additional layers may include wearing courses or overlays.
Q7: What is the California Bearing Ratio (CBR)? A7: CBR is a penetration
test that measures the bearing capacity of subgrade soils and base materials by
comparing the force required for penetration to that of crushed stone.
,Q8: What is compaction in highway construction? A8: Compaction is the
process of increasing soil density by removing air voids through mechanical
means, improving strength, stability, and reducing permeability.
Q9: What is the purpose of geotextiles in highway construction? A9:
Geotextiles provide separation, filtration, drainage, reinforcement, and
protection functions, preventing mixing of different soil layers and improving
overall pavement performance.
Q10: What is superelevation? A10: Superelevation is the banking of a
roadway on curves to counteract centrifugal force and provide safer vehicle
operation at design speeds.
Q11: What is crown in road construction? A11: Crown is the transverse
slope of a roadway from the centerline to the edges, designed to facilitate
drainage and prevent water accumulation on the pavement surface.
Q12: What is the difference between cut and fill in earthwork? A12: Cut
involves excavating material from higher elevations, while fill involves placing
and compacting material to raise lower elevations to achieve the desired road
profile.
Q13: What is a culvert? A13: A culvert is a drainage structure that allows
water to flow under a roadway, typically made of concrete, steel, or plastic
pipes or box structures.
Q14: What is the purpose of shoulders on highways? A14: Shoulders
provide space for emergency stops, maintenance operations, and structural
support for the travel lanes while facilitating drainage.
Q15: What is aggregate in highway construction? A15: Aggregate consists
of crushed stone, gravel, and sand used in concrete and asphalt mixtures, as well
as in unbound base and subbase layers.
Q16: What is Portland cement concrete (PCC)? A16: PCC is a composite
material made of Portland cement, water, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse
aggregate (gravel or crushed stone) that hardens through hydration.
Q17: What is hot mix asphalt (HMA)? A17: HMA is a mixture of asphalt
binder and aggregate that is mixed at elevated temperatures and placed while
hot to form flexible pavement surfaces.
,Q18: What is the purpose of joints in concrete pavements? A18: Joints
control cracking by providing predetermined locations for concrete to crack as it
shrinks and expands due to temperature and moisture changes.
Q19: What is a construction joint? A19: A construction joint is formed when
concrete placement is interrupted and provides a stopping point for one day's
work to be continued later.
Q20: What is curing in concrete construction? A20: Curing is the process of
maintaining adequate moisture and temperature conditions for concrete to
achieve its design strength and durability properties.
Q21: What is the slump test? A21: The slump test measures the workability
and consistency of fresh concrete by determining how much a molded cone of
concrete settles or "slumps" when the mold is removed.
Q22: What is the purpose of reinforcement in concrete? A22:
Reinforcement, typically steel bars or mesh, provides tensile strength to
concrete structures since concrete is weak in tension but strong in compression.
Q23: What is dowel bars in concrete pavement? A23: Dowel bars are smooth
steel bars placed across transverse joints to transfer loads between adjacent
concrete slabs while allowing horizontal movement.
Q24: What is tie bars in concrete pavement? A24: Tie bars are deformed
steel bars that prevent separation at longitudinal joints by holding adjacent
concrete slabs together.
Q25: What is the purpose of expansion joints? A25: Expansion joints allow
concrete slabs to expand and contract with temperature changes without
creating damaging stresses in the pavement.
Q26: What is spalling in concrete pavements? A26: Spalling is the breaking
away of concrete pieces from joints or cracks, often caused by traffic loading,
freeze-thaw cycles, or poor joint construction.
Q27: What is pumping in pavement construction? A27: Pumping is the
ejection of water and fine materials through joints and cracks under traffic
loading, which can lead to loss of support and pavement failure.
Q28: What is rutting in asphalt pavements? A28: Rutting is the permanent
deformation or channeling of asphalt pavement in wheel paths, typically caused
by repeated traffic loading under high temperatures.
, Q29: What is fatigue cracking in pavements? A29: Fatigue cracking results
from repeated traffic loading that causes the pavement to flex, eventually
leading to bottom-up cracking that propagates to the surface.
Q30: What is thermal cracking in asphalt pavements? A30: Thermal
cracking occurs when asphalt pavement contracts in cold weather and the
resulting tensile stresses exceed the tensile strength of the material.
Q31: What is stripping in asphalt pavements? A31: Stripping is the loss of
bond between asphalt binder and aggregate, often caused by moisture
infiltration, leading to pavement deterioration.
Q32: What is bleeding in asphalt pavements? A32: Bleeding is the upward
movement of asphalt binder to the surface, creating a slick surface condition,
often caused by excessive binder content or high temperatures.
Q33: What is raveling in asphalt pavements? A33: Raveling is the
progressive disintegration of pavement surface beginning with loss of fine
particles and eventually coarse aggregate, creating a rough surface.
Q34: What is shoving in asphalt pavements? A34: Shoving is the
longitudinal displacement of pavement material, typically occurring in areas of
frequent starting and stopping, such as intersections and bus stops.
Q35: What is corrugation in asphalt pavements? A35: Corrugation is a form
of plastic deformation characterized by ripples or waves across the pavement
surface, perpendicular to the direction of traffic.
Q36: What is the purpose of tack coat? A36: Tack coat is a thin application
of asphalt emulsion used to bond asphalt layers together, ensuring proper
adhesion between lifts.
Q37: What is prime coat? A37: Prime coat is a low-viscosity asphalt applied
to unbound aggregate base to bind surface particles, reduce permeability, and
promote bonding with subsequent asphalt layers.
Q38: What is seal coat? A38: Seal coat is a surface treatment that seals small
cracks, improves skid resistance, and protects the underlying pavement from
oxidation and moisture infiltration.
Q39: What is microsurfacing? A39: Microsurfacing is a thin asphalt surface
treatment that corrects surface irregularities, restores surface texture, and seals
the pavement against moisture infiltration.
primary purpose of highway construction is to provide safe, efficient, and
durable transportation infrastructure that facilitates the movement of people and
goods while supporting economic development and public safety.
Q2: What are the main phases of highway construction project
development? A2: The main phases include planning, preliminary engineering,
final design, right-of-way acquisition, construction letting, construction, and
maintenance.
Q3: What is the difference between flexible and rigid pavement? A3:
Flexible pavement uses asphalt concrete over aggregate layers and distributes
loads through layer interaction. Rigid pavement uses Portland cement concrete
and distributes loads through beam action of the concrete slab.
Q4: What is subgrade in highway construction? A4: Subgrade is the natural
soil or rock surface on which the pavement structure is built. It must be properly
prepared and compacted to provide adequate support for the pavement layers
above.
Q5: What is the purpose of a base course in pavement construction? A5:
The base course distributes traffic loads from the surface to the subgrade,
provides drainage, prevents pumping of fine materials, and serves as a
construction platform.
Q6: What are the typical layers in flexible pavement from bottom to top?
A6: Subgrade, subbase (if required), base course, and asphalt concrete surface
course. Additional layers may include wearing courses or overlays.
Q7: What is the California Bearing Ratio (CBR)? A7: CBR is a penetration
test that measures the bearing capacity of subgrade soils and base materials by
comparing the force required for penetration to that of crushed stone.
,Q8: What is compaction in highway construction? A8: Compaction is the
process of increasing soil density by removing air voids through mechanical
means, improving strength, stability, and reducing permeability.
Q9: What is the purpose of geotextiles in highway construction? A9:
Geotextiles provide separation, filtration, drainage, reinforcement, and
protection functions, preventing mixing of different soil layers and improving
overall pavement performance.
Q10: What is superelevation? A10: Superelevation is the banking of a
roadway on curves to counteract centrifugal force and provide safer vehicle
operation at design speeds.
Q11: What is crown in road construction? A11: Crown is the transverse
slope of a roadway from the centerline to the edges, designed to facilitate
drainage and prevent water accumulation on the pavement surface.
Q12: What is the difference between cut and fill in earthwork? A12: Cut
involves excavating material from higher elevations, while fill involves placing
and compacting material to raise lower elevations to achieve the desired road
profile.
Q13: What is a culvert? A13: A culvert is a drainage structure that allows
water to flow under a roadway, typically made of concrete, steel, or plastic
pipes or box structures.
Q14: What is the purpose of shoulders on highways? A14: Shoulders
provide space for emergency stops, maintenance operations, and structural
support for the travel lanes while facilitating drainage.
Q15: What is aggregate in highway construction? A15: Aggregate consists
of crushed stone, gravel, and sand used in concrete and asphalt mixtures, as well
as in unbound base and subbase layers.
Q16: What is Portland cement concrete (PCC)? A16: PCC is a composite
material made of Portland cement, water, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse
aggregate (gravel or crushed stone) that hardens through hydration.
Q17: What is hot mix asphalt (HMA)? A17: HMA is a mixture of asphalt
binder and aggregate that is mixed at elevated temperatures and placed while
hot to form flexible pavement surfaces.
,Q18: What is the purpose of joints in concrete pavements? A18: Joints
control cracking by providing predetermined locations for concrete to crack as it
shrinks and expands due to temperature and moisture changes.
Q19: What is a construction joint? A19: A construction joint is formed when
concrete placement is interrupted and provides a stopping point for one day's
work to be continued later.
Q20: What is curing in concrete construction? A20: Curing is the process of
maintaining adequate moisture and temperature conditions for concrete to
achieve its design strength and durability properties.
Q21: What is the slump test? A21: The slump test measures the workability
and consistency of fresh concrete by determining how much a molded cone of
concrete settles or "slumps" when the mold is removed.
Q22: What is the purpose of reinforcement in concrete? A22:
Reinforcement, typically steel bars or mesh, provides tensile strength to
concrete structures since concrete is weak in tension but strong in compression.
Q23: What is dowel bars in concrete pavement? A23: Dowel bars are smooth
steel bars placed across transverse joints to transfer loads between adjacent
concrete slabs while allowing horizontal movement.
Q24: What is tie bars in concrete pavement? A24: Tie bars are deformed
steel bars that prevent separation at longitudinal joints by holding adjacent
concrete slabs together.
Q25: What is the purpose of expansion joints? A25: Expansion joints allow
concrete slabs to expand and contract with temperature changes without
creating damaging stresses in the pavement.
Q26: What is spalling in concrete pavements? A26: Spalling is the breaking
away of concrete pieces from joints or cracks, often caused by traffic loading,
freeze-thaw cycles, or poor joint construction.
Q27: What is pumping in pavement construction? A27: Pumping is the
ejection of water and fine materials through joints and cracks under traffic
loading, which can lead to loss of support and pavement failure.
Q28: What is rutting in asphalt pavements? A28: Rutting is the permanent
deformation or channeling of asphalt pavement in wheel paths, typically caused
by repeated traffic loading under high temperatures.
, Q29: What is fatigue cracking in pavements? A29: Fatigue cracking results
from repeated traffic loading that causes the pavement to flex, eventually
leading to bottom-up cracking that propagates to the surface.
Q30: What is thermal cracking in asphalt pavements? A30: Thermal
cracking occurs when asphalt pavement contracts in cold weather and the
resulting tensile stresses exceed the tensile strength of the material.
Q31: What is stripping in asphalt pavements? A31: Stripping is the loss of
bond between asphalt binder and aggregate, often caused by moisture
infiltration, leading to pavement deterioration.
Q32: What is bleeding in asphalt pavements? A32: Bleeding is the upward
movement of asphalt binder to the surface, creating a slick surface condition,
often caused by excessive binder content or high temperatures.
Q33: What is raveling in asphalt pavements? A33: Raveling is the
progressive disintegration of pavement surface beginning with loss of fine
particles and eventually coarse aggregate, creating a rough surface.
Q34: What is shoving in asphalt pavements? A34: Shoving is the
longitudinal displacement of pavement material, typically occurring in areas of
frequent starting and stopping, such as intersections and bus stops.
Q35: What is corrugation in asphalt pavements? A35: Corrugation is a form
of plastic deformation characterized by ripples or waves across the pavement
surface, perpendicular to the direction of traffic.
Q36: What is the purpose of tack coat? A36: Tack coat is a thin application
of asphalt emulsion used to bond asphalt layers together, ensuring proper
adhesion between lifts.
Q37: What is prime coat? A37: Prime coat is a low-viscosity asphalt applied
to unbound aggregate base to bind surface particles, reduce permeability, and
promote bonding with subsequent asphalt layers.
Q38: What is seal coat? A38: Seal coat is a surface treatment that seals small
cracks, improves skid resistance, and protects the underlying pavement from
oxidation and moisture infiltration.
Q39: What is microsurfacing? A39: Microsurfacing is a thin asphalt surface
treatment that corrects surface irregularities, restores surface texture, and seals
the pavement against moisture infiltration.
