Earthwork is the removal of unsuitable materials in the sub layers and main layers of road pavement and been replaced with suitable materials for a standard construction, Earthwork is one of the major works involved in road construction. It consists of the excavation of the asphaltic surface where there is existing road and when there exist no aliphatic surface, various test would be carried out to check how suitable is the material that will serves as the sub layers to the finer layer which is asphalt. The pail loader, grader, excavator, wheel rollers and the Tipper Trucks are the majorly used machines in the process of excavating. Three layers are worked on during earthwork;
Subgrade course of the road which is what is left after the removal of the sub-base layer, which is the undisturbed layer of the road construction. The strength of the subgrade course determines greatly the strength, effectiveness and properties of the other layers coming on it.
The Subbase course is subjected to test to know if it has the ability to bear the loading of the road according to the design of the road, if it can’t, then it is being excavated. Laterite is the material being used for this course and the thickness of the subbase according to design is 150mm.
Base course of the road is the layer before the asphaltic layer. The materials used for the base course is stone base in which according to the design it is 150mm.
After the base course is being prepared, priming is being done to give cohesion between the three layers and the asphaltic layer (surface course) coming on it.
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