Intelligent compaction (IC) is a roller-based innovative technology that provides real-time compaction monitoring and control. IC can monitor roller passes, vibration frequencies/amplitudes, and stiffness-related values of compacted materials or intelligent compaction measurement Values (ICMV). Various ICMVs have been introduced since 1978. Based on the five levels of ICMV in the 2017 FHWA IC Road Map, the current implementation of ICMV in the United States has been limited to Levels 1 and 2. However, Level 1 and 2 ICMVs fail to meet the FHWA IC Road Map criteria. To achieve the full potential of IC technology, Level 3 and above ICMVs are needed to gain the confidence of agencies and industry and the adoption of IC to soil and base compaction. This project aims to (1) evaluate Level 3-4 ICMV systems against Level 1 ICMV systems for soils, subbase, and base compaction and (2) develop a blueprint for future certification procedures of IC as an acceptance tool. This study also aligns with the goals of the ongoing HWA IC for foundation study and the TPF-5(478) pooled fund study. This final report details the ICMV background, field test efforts, analysis results, and an IC specification framework for compaction acceptance.

While having been successfully used for soil compaction for many years, intelligent compaction (IC) technology is still relatively new for asphalt pavement construction. The potential of using intelligent compaction meter value (ICMV) for evaluating the compaction of asphalt pavements has been hindered by the fact that ICMV can be affected by many factors, which include not only roller operation parameters, but also the temperature of asphalt layer and the underlying support. Therefore, further research is necessary to improve the application of IC for the asphalt compaction. In this study, the feasibility of IC for asphalt compaction was evaluated from many aspects. Based on that, a laboratory IC technology for evaluating asphalt mixture compaction in the laboratory was also developed. In this study, one field project for soil compaction was constructed using IC technology, and a strong and stable linear relationship between ICMV and deflection could be identified when the water content of soil was consistent. After that, more field projects for asphalt compaction were constructed using the IC asphalt roller. The density of asphalt, as the most critical parameter for asphalt layers, along with other parameters, were measured and correlated with the ICMVs. Various factors such as asphalt temperature and the underlying support were considered in this study to improve the correlation between the density and ICMV. Based upon the results of correlation analyses, three IC parameters were recommended for evaluating the compaction quality of resurfacing project. In addition, the geostatistical analyses were performed to evaluate the spatial uniformity of compaction, and the cost-benefit analysis was included to demonstrate the economic benefits of IC technology. Based on the test results of field projects, the IC indices were further utilized to quantify the lab vibratory compaction for paving materials. The compaction processes in the laboratory was monitored by accelerometers. Using Discrete-Time Fourier Transform, the recorded data during compaction were analyzed to evaluate the compactability of paving materials and to further correlate to the field compaction.

"TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 445: Practices for Unbound Aggregate Pavement Layers consolidates information on the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice of designing and constructing unbound aggregate pavement layers. The report summarizes effective practices related to material selection, design, and construction of unbound aggregate layers to potentially improve pavement performance and longevity."--Publisher website.