There seems to be a common undertaking that controlling the paving process will increase paving quality. But what is paving quality? Some define paving quality as monitoring and measuring process parameters all the way through. Starting from the asphalt plant to the compacted and finished road. Some just consider smoothness and compaction monitoring as paving quality. What is paving quality for you? Is monitoring the process for example through the operator more important than recording and analyzing the data afterwards? Or is it both? What information do you want to have while you are paving?

Quality means different things to different people. I also asked members of the NAPA group on LinkedIn that question and these are their answers summarized:

• Quality is a smooth surface and fulfilling of specs to get a bonus
• Quality is like making a pizza, following each steps carefully to deliver a high quality product
• Quality is determination of the right asphalt hot-mix design, proper preparation of the areas, use of proper equipment and application and ensuring that all these steps are performed in a controlled environment. Skilled workers and supervisors and fulfilling the customers expectations
• Quality means fulfilling performance specifications
• Quality means fulfilling density and smoothness requirements from DOTs to increase lifetime of a road
• Quality means to focus on base and design of the project
• Quality means carrying out the paving work systematically (as planned), ensuring all procedures are strictly followed to meet the requirements.
• The finished works should conform to the design level, have good riding surface and most importantly the required compaction is achieved
• Quality means to receive Information on condition of paving site, the weather condition, type of mix to be used, type of aggregate in the asphalt, the supply of material to site, available construction plant
• Quality starts with monitoring the process through the plant operator during production
• Quality means a a solid stable drained base, a sufficient layer of aggregates. Testing all the way up is optional as long as care is taken on site to properly compact the soil and aggregate

What does Paving Quality mean to you?