Primary publication: TIEFBAU August 2008

Summary: Among the asphalt technology the upper layers present a special problem, being that the multitude of tasks, such as compacting the subjacent layers, which are rich in cavities, the smoothness, road grip, brightness, weather-resistance, and stability through flexibility, stability under load, and wear- and fatigue-resistance, require making truly diverse conceptual decisions. The compact asphalt technology makes possible to reduce the mixture temperature by 10-15° C. Often, the denticulation of both layers is considered by builders of compact asphalt pavements to be the primary goal.  Paramount to this, however, is the unerring, higher and homogeneous compaction of the upper layer (and of the binder) with the formation of a tightly-braced granular structure. The successful technical implementation of the concept was tied to the multi-stage development of specific machine- and process engineering.