Earthwork and Paving (C-12) · Lesson 5 of 6

Matching Paver Speed to Plant Output and Truck Count

"Matching Paver Speed to Plant Output and Truck Count" is lesson 5 of 6 in the Earthwork and Paving (C-12) Learning Hub. It opens with "The Plant Sets the Pace, Not the Paver" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. The Plant Sets the Pace, Not the Paver
  2. Tons per Linear Foot of Mat
  3. Paver Speed From Tons per Hour
  4. How Many Trucks Keep the Paver Fed
  5. Check the Run Against the Tickets

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, from "Tons per linear foot" through "Coverage per load".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Matching Paver Speed to Plant Output and Truck Count" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Paver Speed From Tons per Hour".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "How Many Trucks Keep the Paver Fed".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Check the Run Against the Tickets".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Paver Speed and Truck SchedulingPLANT TO TRUCKS TO PAVERPLANT150 tons/hrTRUCKS20 t each1 per 8 minPAVER12 ft x 3 in11.1 ft/minTruck round trip = 40 min5load15haul5dump15returnArrival every 8 min: 40 / 8 = 5 trucksPaver capacity is 300 tons/hr, but the plantonly supplies 150 tons/hr, so the pavermust slow down to matchPAVER SPEED FROM PLANT OUTPUTTons per ft = 12 x 0.25 x 150 / 2,000= 0.225 tons per linear footSpeed = 150 t/hr / 0.225 = 667 ft/hr667 / 60 = 11.1 ft/minTRUCKS AND COVERAGEInterval = 20 t / 150 t/hr = 8 minTrucks = 40 min / 8 min = 5One load covers 20 / 0.225 = 88.9 ftHourly run = 667 ft of 12-ft laneRun the paver at 11.1 ft/min - slower than it can goKeep 5 trucks cycling so there is always a load at the paverWaiting trucks lose heat - 39-2.02C sets minimum spreading temperaturesSpec basis: 2025 Caltrans Std. Specs 39-2.01C(2)(b), 39-2.02C; round trip and tons are example job valuesCC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: The Plant Sets the Pace, Not the Paver

A paver can usually lay far more asphalt than a single plant can make and haul. If the paver outruns the supply, it stops and waits. The 2025 Caltrans Standard Specifications treat continuous paving as the goal: a material transfer vehicle, where one is specified, must have sufficient capacity to prevent stopping the paver (section 39-2.01C(2)(b)), and windrow paving requires that depositing, pickup, loading, and paving be continuous (section 39-2.01C(1)). Mix also loses heat while it waits - section 39-2.02C requires tarpaulins over truck loads when the ambient air temperature is below 60 degrees F - and the spec sets minimum ambient and surface temperatures for spreading. The foreman's first job is to calculate the speed the plant can feed.

Step 2: Tons per Linear Foot of Mat

Use the same arithmetic as the tonnage calculation: tons per linear foot = width (ft) x thickness (ft) x unit weight (lb/cu ft) / 2,000. A 12-ft lane at 3 inches (0.25 ft) and an example 150 lb/cu ft is 12 x 0.25 x 150 = 450 lb per foot, which is 0.225 tons per foot. This number is the link between tons per hour and feet per minute.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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