6. Mixture Delivery

6.7 Tracking Quantities

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Reporting, Ticketing, and Tracking

During truck loading, the quantity (normally expressed in tons) is typically measured and stored electronically as part of the permanent project record. Each load is issued an individual and sequentially numbered load ticket that typically includes the type, quantity, and temperature of the delivered mix, the time of loadout, the accumulated total, and the identity of the truck. Also, any required Safety Data Sheet information can be preprinted on the back of the delivery ticket.

The quantity of mixture delivered from plant to paving site can be determined by one of the following three methods:

• Use a batch plant’s calibrated and certified plant scales. Use the accumulated weight of individual batches dropped directly into a truck from the pugmill or from a surge bin.
• Weigh loaded trucks on scales that can measure the tare weight of the truck and net weight of the mix. The scale must be level, horizontal, and of sufficient length to weigh all the truck’s axles at once.
• Use calibrated and certified load cells attached to the support legs of a portable surge bin to accumulate the subtraction of weight as the truck is loaded.

Paperless tracking of quantities is gaining favor with DOTs and contractors. This practice is known as e-ticketing. FHWA defines e-ticketing as “a paperless process for tracking, documenting, and archiving materials information, accessible in real time via mobile devices.” Moreover, FHWA has promoted the use of e-ticketing via the inclusion of e-construction technologies in rounds 3, 4, and 6 of its Every Day Counts program. The NCHRP published a synthesis of the current state of the practice in 2020 with Synthesis 545, Electronic Ticketing of Materials for Construction Management. The COVID-19 outbreak has been credited with the expansion in the use of e-ticketing. The elimination of paper that is handled by multiple people was seen as a means to deter the spreading of the disease.

E-ticketing streamlines the management of information by automating the collection, handling, and verification of mix production data. This allows for the real-time capture of construction data, which can then be mined as needed either during or after a project is completed. The data is recorded and archived automatically, streamlining the process. The information captured on an e-ticket is the same as on the traditional paper tickets.