Paving In the Clouds: Development of Information Systems to Support Asphalt Paving Process

Asphalt paving is a specific type of construction work: the machines and materials constantly move while the asphalt mixture constantly cools down. The machine operators do have a clear goal – to provide an equally distributed and uniformly compacted asphalt layer in time-restricted conditions. But what does it mean in particular? In reality, the asphalt should be compacted to a certain degree while the asphalt is warm enough: if the mixture temperature during the compaction is outside a specific range, for example 85 120°C, then machine movements can result in damaging the asphalt layer. Such work requires adequate operational decisions, which can be effectively supported by specialized information systems. Progress in developing such systems is a challenge we strive for.