Prepare for the SCDOT Asphalt Roadway Technician Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with clear hints and explanations. Excel in your exam preparation!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a contributing factor to raveling?

Raveling happens when the surface loses its cohesion and aggregates start to loosen and shed because the asphalt binder isn’t sticking to or binding the rocky grains effectively. When the mix is overheated, the asphalt binder can degrade—oxidizing and aging faster, becoming too stiff and less able to coat and hold the aggregate. That weakened bond means traffic can pull grains away from the surface, creating raveled, exposed areas. So overheating the mix directly undermines the adhesive quality of the binder, making raveling more likely. Clean aggregates, adequate asphalt content, and proper compaction all help prevent raveling. Clean aggregates promote better bonding, adequate asphalt content ensures enough binder to coat and bind, and proper compaction improves density and interlock. None of these introduce the condition that leads to raveling; they work against it.

Raveling happens when the surface loses its cohesion and aggregates start to loosen and shed because the asphalt binder isn’t sticking to or binding the rocky grains effectively. When the mix is overheated, the asphalt binder can degrade—oxidizing and aging faster, becoming too stiff and less able to coat and hold the aggregate. That weakened bond means traffic can pull grains away from the surface, creating raveled, exposed areas. So overheating the mix directly undermines the adhesive quality of the binder, making raveling more likely.

Clean aggregates, adequate asphalt content, and proper compaction all help prevent raveling. Clean aggregates promote better bonding, adequate asphalt content ensures enough binder to coat and bind, and proper compaction improves density and interlock. None of these introduce the condition that leads to raveling; they work against it.