NARRATOR: By facilitating proper water drainage, a well-maintained traveled way
protects the road, the driver, and the environment.
A traveled way that falls into disrepair will fail to disperse water correctly,
increasing erosion of both the road, and its surroundings,
and contributing to the buildup of damaging stream sediment.
Lack of maintenance or poor maintenance can result in a destroyed
road template, a condition that allows standing water to be absorbed into the sub-grade.
Three road templates crowned, insloped, and outsloped
have been designed to move water off the traveled way,
and disperse it safely into the environment.
ln this program, we'll take a look at smoothing and reshaping,
the two primary methods of maintaining these templates.
Smoothing is considered light maintenance and can be used to correct minor imperfections.
Reshaping is used to repair major problems in the traveled way.
Depending on requirements, both methods are commonly used to perform
routine maintenance, and to correct problems.
Smoothing involves skimming the road surface with the moldboard in a
in a tilt forward position filling minor road imperfections.
Even though fewer passes are needed for smoothing than for reshaping,
it's important to be aware of the template design of the road you are smoothing.
Careless smoothing can flatten a crown, or level an insloped or outsloped road,
destroying the road's ability to properly handle water.
Always begin work by placing traffic control devices and safety signs to protect drivers.
Then water the road way surface. Besides making cutting easier,
keeping down dust, and promoting mixing of the material during the blading operation,
proper moisture content also improves surface material compaction.
A compacted surface will last longer and erode less than a non-compacted one.
Your moldboard should be set in a forward position before you begin.
Adjust its bottom edge according to the road's template.
Angle the moldboard to approximately 30 to 45 degrees from the
motor grader's axis.
Begin smoothing from either edge of the road, apply enough downward pressure
to the moldboard to allow removal of minor surface imperfections,
and to release sufficient material to fill shallow potholes or ripples.
Adjust the overall angle of the moldboard within the 30 to 45 degree range as
necessary to maintain a steady amount of material in front of the
moldboard as you go.
The formation of the small windrow in the center of the road indicates that you
are releasing adequate material.
As you work, avoid driving over the windrow, and compacting it.
Driving over the windrow will alter your blade position creating irregularities in the smoothing.
Compacting the windrow makes it harder to later spread the material evenly over the road.
When selecting the lengths of sections to work, take advantage of the location
of turn outs and turnaround points.
During your second pass, you'll normally repeat the process outlined in the first
pass except that you drive on the other side of the road.
Again, move the windrow material to the road center line.
Subsequent passes should spread the surface materials from the windrow back over the traveled way.
Adjust the moldboard angle to spread half of the surfacing material in one lane
leaving the remainder for the opposite lane.
With the moldboard in a forward position, adjust the cutting edge to match the
desired template and proceed spreading the material evenly across the road.
Then, gradually raising the moldboard, spread the surfacing material as evenly
as possible to a uniform thickness.
The actual number of passes needed will depend on the width of the road.
Once you've smoothed the entire traveled way, add a small amount of water.
Finish by compacting the road surface and shoulders with a roller
or water truck or a grader mounted roller.
When the smoothing operation is complete, remove the traffic control
devices and safety signs.
Reshaping is used to correct severe surface irregularities
in the traveled way, such as deep ruts,
washboards, or potholes.
Unlike smoothing, reshaping cuts through the surfacing down to the bottom of all
surface irregularities and redefines the template of the road.
Reshaping also mixes and reprocesses surface materials to improve the
stability of the road's surface.
lf you encountered damage that extends deep into the sub-grade the road
probably needs repair that can't be performed by a grader alone.
As in any roadwork, before reshaping a road, place your traffic control devices
and safety signs.
ln addition to watering, you may need to scarify the traveled way.
Scarification and adequate moisture content will facilitate cutting,
control of dust and, and compaction.
Details of the scarification and watering process may vary from region to region.
But the actual reshaping procedure remains the same no matter where you are.
Your first pass is a cutting pass.
Typically starting on the ditch side of the road.
Angle the moldboard in a position slightly back from vertical to facilitate a cutting action.
The horizontal angle should be approximately 30 to 45 degrees
from the motor grader's axis.
Cut deep enough to remove all surface imperfections and restore the crowned template.
Move the surfacing material from the ditch side to a point just across the center
line of the road.
Accomplishing this may require more than one pass.
Retrieve any lost surfacing material on the outside road shoulder, blading it
toward the center of the road way to be incorporated with the material being cut from the traveled way.
The windrow you leave should be larger than the one left
during the smoothing operation.
Subsequent passes are also cutting passes.
Cut from the outside edge of the road toward the center line.
Again this may require more than one pass depending on the width of the road.
Be careful to protect the crown.
Do not cut the crown with the moldboard.
Multiple cutting passes may be needed to correct more serious problems like
potholes, washboards or gullies.
Another way to fix problem areas is to scarify deep imperfections rather than
making additional cutting passes.
Once cutting is complete, begin mixing the surface material, capture all of the
loosened surface material and move it towards the ditch.
The surfacing material should be rolling and mixing throughout this operation.
Adjusting the pitch of the moldboard forward may facilitate optimum mixing action.
The angle of the moldboard should allow placement of the mixed windrow
approximately one foot from the ditch.
This spacing will allow tracking room for the inside wheels of the grader during
subsequent layout passes, and prevent the material from falling into the ditch during the next pass.
Keep all wheels off the windrow as it is forming.
Driving over the windrow would alter the moldboard position, creating irregularities
in the reshaping and making it harder to later spread the windrow material
evenly over the road.
The mixed windrow should be consistent in size throughout it length to ensure
even distribution of surface thickness in the layout process.
Now begin the layout process.
Normally you'll need to adjust the moldboard position so that it tilts fully forward.
However, if your grader is equipped with a carbide bit system, it must remain
in the vertical position in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
Lay out half of the mixed surface material on the ditch side of the road,
spreading it in an even map, following the established road template.
As you do this, place the remainder of the material in a windrow just across the crown.
Depending on the width of the road, this may require multiple passes.
Remember to keep your speed slow and steady to prevent the grader from
hopping, and to minimize irregularities.
Spread the remaining windrow to the opposite side of the crown over the
remaining traveled way.
lt's important to maintain the design width of the traveled way being careful not
to widen the road or loose surfacing over the side of the road.
lf you have excess surfacing, spread it on the road way or place it in an area where
it can later can be reclaimed.
Your work shouldn't leave any unplanned burms that might disrupt the road's drainage systems.
When you finished your last layout pass, water the surface,
compact the damp surface including the shoulder.
This will assist in bonding the fine particles to larger ones.
A compacted surface will last longer and erode less than a non-compacted one.
Begin by placing traffic control devices, and safety signs.
Water and scarify as needed prior to beginning work.
The first pass is a cutting pass, typically starting on the inside of the road.
Cut through the surface layer and re- establish the original road template.
Move the resulting windrow towards the outside of the road.
Typically on the second pass, the operator will cut from the outside towards the inside.
Depending on road width, you may combine the new windrow with
the windrow from the previous pass.
lt may be necessary to make multiple cutting passes or scarify the road to
correct more serious problems like potholes, washboards, or gullies.
Next, combine the windrows.
Mixing and moving them toward the inside of the road.
Adjust the vertical pitch of the moldboard to obtain a maximum mixing and rolling action.
The mixed windrow should be consistent in size throughout its length to ensure
even surface thickness in the layout process.
Place the mixed windrow about one foot from the edge of the traveled way
allowing tracking room for the grader tire.
Begin the layout procedure on the inside of the road,
spreading the surface material toward the outside edge.
Adjust the moldboard in a full forward position.
lf your grader is equipped with a carbide bit system, keep the tips in a vertical position.
Leave enough service material in the windrow to complete the next pass.
Keep your speed slow and steady.
ln the final pass, spread the remaining surface material towards the
outside of the road.
For proper drainage, the completed surface should be insloped or outsloped.
Spread any remaining material evenly over the traveled way or place it in an
area where it can later be reclaimed.
Best results can be achieved through some form of surface and shoulder compaction.
Occasionally, you'll need to maintain roads that include a combination of
insloped, outsloped and crowned segments.
ln this situation, take special care with the transition sections between the different segments.
Decrease your speed to allow smooth, accurate transitions and prevent irregularities.
To ensure driver's safety, the length of the transition must be maintained to the
designed speed of the road.
By correctly and promptly smoothing and reshaping roads as their condition requires,
you not only fix imperfections in the traveled way but you actually design
longevity into the road.
Being vigilant and selective in the upkeep of the roads assures their durability
and usefulness while protecting the surrounding ecosystems.