The State of Oregon has employed the use of porous asphalt concrete
surfaces (E and F-mixes) since the 1970s. The use of porous mixes
has increased substantially in the past five years. Previously,
no work had been done to evaluate whether the quality control/quality
assurance (QC/QA) procedures used for dense-graded mixes were
appropriate for open-graded mixes. This study consisted of a literature
review, expert survey, and field survey of selected projects to
determine the relative importance of the constituents (e.g., asphalt
content, gradation, voids, moisture content) on the long-term
performance of the pavement. The overall objective achieved by
this study was the development of a basis for an improved QC/QA
specification for porous pavements in Oregon. Specific objectives
achieved include: 1) evaluation of experiences of others to control
quality of open-graded mixes, 2) conducted a field survey of selected
projects in Oregon to determine what factors most affect pavement
performance, 3) recommended modifications to existing specifications
which would include pay adjustments, and 4) developed a plan for
implementing the resulting recommendations. This study found that
the factors to be controlled during the production of porous pavements
include asphalt content, gradation, and moisture content.