ABSTRACT
The performance of the pavement system as a whole depends greatly on the construction of the supporting layers. There is a saying in building construction that “there is nothing more expensive than a cheap foundation.” This is also true of pavements. Quality construction of these layers ensures a well-drained, uniformly supported pavement, and makes it much easier to build a smooth pavement because the paver has a stable working platform. In contrast, a weak subgrade generally requires time-consuming and costly full-depth reconstruction to correct. Subgrade and base construction are also discussed in Chapter 7 of the Integrated Materials and Construction Practices (IMCP) Manual (Taylor et al. 2007).
