Construction Of Water Bound Macadam Roads

General
The water bound macadam (WBM) is the construction known after the name of John Macadam. (See
also article 2.16 and 2,17). The term macadam in the present day means, the pavement base course made
of crushed or broken aggregate mechanically interlocked by rolling and the voids filled with screening
and binding material with the assistance of water. The WBM may be used as a sub-base, base course or
surfacing course. The thickness of each compacted layer of WBM ranges from 10.0cm to 7.5 cm
depending on the size and gradation of the aggregates used. The number of layers and total thickness of
WBM construction depends on the design details of the pavement.
When used as a surfacing course, WBM gets deteriorated rapidly under adverse conditions of traffic
and weather, therefore it is desirable to provide a bituminous surfacing course over the WBM layer in
order to prolong its life.
Specifications of Materials for WBM Pavement
Type of course Aggregates
The course aggregates used in WBM generally consists of hard varieties of crushed aggregates or
broken stones. However, soft aggregates like over burnt bricks metal or naturally occurring soft
aggregates such as kankar or laterite may be used. Crushed slag obtained from blast furnace may also be
used. The weaker verities of aggregates which get crushed during rolling need not strictly conform of the
requirement of gradation and there is no need of using screenings for filling the voids in the coarse
aggregates.
Property
Requirement for pavement layer
Sub-base Base course Surfacing course
(i) Los Angeles abrasion value
(maximum value, percent)
or
60 50 40
\ (ii) Aggregate value
(maximum value, percent)
50 40 30
(iii) Flakiness index
(maximum value, percent)
15 15

Properties of Coarse Aggregates
The crushed stone aggregate should be generally hard, durable and of acceptable shape. Free from
flaky and elongates particles. The IRC specifies the following physical requirements of coarse aggregates
for WBM construction, in terms of the test value for the three pavement layers.
Size and Grading Requirements of Coarse Aggregates
The coarse aggregates for each layer of construction should, as far as possible conform to any one of
the three gradings specified below. Grading No. 1 consists ofcourse aggregates of size range 90 to 40 mm
and grading No. 3 of range 50 to 20 mm and compacted thickness of each layer is normally 75mm.
Grading No. Size range, mm Sieve size, mm Percent passing the sieve, by weight
1 90 to 40 100 100
80 65 - 85
63 25 60
40 0 15
20 0 5
2 63 to 40 80 100
63 90 100
50 30 70
40 0 15
20 0 5
3 50 to 20 63 100
50 95 100
40 35 70
20 0 10
10 0 5

Screenings
The screenings are used to fill up the voids in the compacted layer of coarse aggregates. The
screenings consist of aggregates of smaller size, generally of the same material as the coarse aggregates.
Yhe grading requirement of screenings for WBM construction are given below :
Classification
Grading
Size of Screenings
mm
Sieve size,
mm
Percent passing the
sieve, by weight
A 12.5 12.5 100
10.0 90 - 100
4.75 10 30
0.15 0 8
B 10.0 10.0 100
4.75 85 100
0.15 10 30

The IRC has suggested that from economic consideration, predominantly non-plastic materials such as
kankar modules, moorum or gravel (other than river borne rounded aggregate) may be utilised as
screening material, provided the liquid limit of the material mm sieve is less than 10%. However, if
crushable type of materials are used as coarse aggregate, the use of screenings may be dispensed with.
Binding Material
Binding material consisting of fine grained material is used in WBM construction to prevent raveling
of the stones. Kankar nodules or line stone dust may also be utilised, if locally available. The binding
material with plasticity index value 4 to 9 % is used in WBM surface course construction; the plasticity
index of binding course material should be less than 6.0% in the case of WBM layers used as base course
or sub-base course, with bituminous surfacing. If the screenings used consist of crushable material like
moorum or soft gravel, there is no need to apply binding material, unless the plasticity index value is low.
Quality of Materials
(i) The approximate loose quantities of materials required in m
3
for 10cm compacted thickness of
WBM sub-base using coarse aggregate of grading no 1 per 10 m
2
area are :
(a) Coarse aggregate size 90 to 40 mm = 1.21 to 1.43
(b) Stone screening type A, 12.5mm size = 0.40 to 0.44
Or
Crushable type Screenings (moorum/gravel) = 0.44 to 0.47
(c) Binding material for sub-base course = 0.88 to 0.10
(ii) The approximate loose quantities of materials required in m
3
for 7.5 cm compacted thickness of
WBM base course or surfacing course using coarse aggregate of grading Nol 2 per 10 m
2
area are:
(a) Coarse aggregate size 63 to 40 mm = 0.91 to 1.07
(b) Stone screening type A, 12.5 mm size for base course = 0.18 to 0.21
Stone screenings for surfacing course = 0.15 to 0.17
Alternatively, Stone screenings type B,
9.0 mm size for base course = 0.30 to 0.33
9.0 mm size for surfacing = 0.24 to 0.26
Alternatively, crushable type screenings = 0.33 to 0.35
(c) Binding material for base course = 0.06 to 0.09
Binding for Surfacing course = 0.10 to 0.15
(Note : Binding material is not required if crushable type of screening is used).
(iii) The approximate loose quantities of materials required in m
3
for 7.5 cm compacted thickness of
WBM base or surfacing course using coarse aggregate of grading No. 3 per 10 m
2
area are:
(a) Coarse aggregate size 50 to 20 mm = 0.91 to 1.07
(b) Stone Screenings type B, 9.0 mm size for base = 0.27 to 0.30
Stone screenings type B, 9.0 mm size for surfacing = 0.22 to 0.24
Alternatively crushable type screenings = 0.33 to 0.35
(c) Binding material for base course = 0.06 to 0.09
Binding material for surfacing course = 0.10 to 0.15
(Note : Binding material is nor required if crushable type screenings is used.)

Construction Procedure
Preparation of Foundation for receiving the WBM Course
The foundation for receiving the new layer of WBM may be either the subgrade or sub-base or base
course. This foundation layer is prepared to the required grade and camber and the dust and either loose
materials are cleaned. On existing road surfaces, the depressions and pot-holes are filled and the
corrugations are removed by scarifying and reshaping the surface to the required grade and camber as
necessary. If the existing surface is a bituminous surfacing, furrows of depth 50 mm and width 50 mm are
cut at 1.0 m intervals and at 45 degrees to the center line of the carriageway before laying the coarse
aggregate.
Provision of Lateral Confinement
Lateral confinement is to be provided before starting WBM construction. This may be done by
constructing the shoulders to advance, to a thickness equal to that of the compacted WBM layer and by
trimming the inner sides vertically.
Spreading of Course Aggregates
The coarse aggregate are spread uniformly to proper profile to even thickness upon the prepared
foundation and checked by templates. The WBM course is normally constructed to compacted thickness
of 7.5 cm except in the case of WBM sub-base course using coarse aggregate grading no. 1 which is of
10.0 cm compacted thickness.
Rolling
After spreading the coarse aggregates properly, compaction is done by a three wheeled power roller
of capacity 6 to 10 tonnes or alternatively by an equivalent vibratory roller; the weight of the roller
depends on the type of coarse aggregates.
Rolling is started from the edges, the roller begin run forward and backward until the edges are
compacted. The run of the roller is then gradually shifted towards the center line of the road, uniformly
overlapping each preceding rear wheel track by one half widths. This process is repeated by rolling from
either edge towards the center line until adequate compactions achieved.
On superelevated portions of the road, rolling is commenced from the inner or lower edge and
progressed gradually towards the outer or upper edge of the pavement.
Application of the Screenings
After the coarse aggregates are rolled adequately, the dry screenings are applied gradually over the
surface to fill the interstices in three or more applications. Dry rolling is continued as the screenings are
being spread and brooming carried out.
Sprinkling and Grouting
After the applications of screenings, the surface is sprinkled with water, swept and rolled. Wer
screenings are swept into the voids using hand brooms. Additional screenings are applied and rolled till
the coarse aggregates are well bonded and firmly set.
Applications of Binding Material
After the application of screening and rolling, binding material is applied at a uniform and slow are at
two or more successive with water and wet slurry swept with brooms to fill the voids. This is followed by
rolling with a 6 to 10 tonnes roller and water is applied to the wheels to wash down the binding materials
that sticks to the roller. When crushable type screenings like moorum or gravel are used, there is no need
to apply binding materials, except in the surfacing course.
Setting and Drying
After final compaction, the WBM course is allowed to set over-night. On the next day the hungry
spots are located and are filled with screenings or binding material, lightly sprinkled with water if
necessary and rolled. No traffic is allowed till the WBM layer sets are dried out. In the case if WBM base
course, the layer is allowed till the WBM layer sets and dries out. In case of WBM base course, the layer
is allowed to dry completely without permitting traffic to ply and then the bituminous surfacing is laid.
Limited construction traffic may be permitted to ply over the WBM layer taking proper care not to
damage the layer.

Checking of Surface Evenness and Rectification of Defects
The surface evenness of longitudinal direction is checked by 3.0 m straight edge and the number of
undulation exceeding 12 mm in the case of WBM layer of grading no. 1 and 10 mm in the case of grading
nos 2 and 3 are recorded in each completed length of the 300 m, the maximum number if undulation
permitted in each case is 30. The spots with 15 mm undulation are marked for rectification of defects.
The cross profile is checked using camber template and the maximum variation from special profile
should not exceed the specified limits, the defective are with a minimum area of 10 m
2
at a spot is
sacrified, reshaped with added material or fresh material and re-compacted properly as specified earlier.