Missouri Department of Transportation’s Verification and Validation Procedures for Intelligent Compaction and Paver-Mounted Thermal Profiling Systems

Abstract

Intelligent construction technologies (ICTs) such as intelligent compaction (IC) and paver-mounted thermal profile systems (PMTPS) enhance construction quality, reduce costs, and improve safety. Since 2017, the Missouri Department of Transportation (DOT) has piloted IC and PMTPS on asphalt projects, observing notable quality improvements. To expand ICT use for acceptance and decision making, the Missouri DOT undertook a research project to develop verification and validation methods for contractor-submitted IC and PMTPS data to comply with Title 23 US Code of Federal Regulations Section 637 Subpart B (CFR) requirements. The CFR states that the DOT or DOT consultant must validate contractor-collected data. The use of contractor data for acceptance was added to 23 CFR 637 in 1995 before ICTs were widely available, and no guidelines or resources are available for DOTs to validate contractor ICT data. This paper details Missouri DOT’s ongoing efforts to meet CFR requirements by validating contractor IC pass count and PMTPS temperature data. For IC pass count validation, a post-processed-kinetic (PPK) Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device successfully produces a similar data set as IC, independently from the contractor equipment, to validate contractor data. Future refinements may address data loss issues and explore standardizing grid spacing. For PMTPS validation, infrared cameras provide a workable solution, though challenges with taking valid images and event marker placement persist. This paper details the successes and challenges of the above Missouri DOT efforts to meet CFR requirements through ICT data validation and verification.