Circuit of The Americas begins final paving process for racetrack
The massive paving project will involve final paving of the 3.4-mile racing surface, venue access and service roads, and walkways around the property. A paving project this large and complex requires acute attention to detail to ensure the finished surface can accommodate varying weather conditions, as well as high performance vehicles racing at extremely high speeds throughout the year.
“This is an exciting milestone in our construction process, and will help us quickly transform Circuit of The Americas from a construction site into a working sports and entertainment facility," said Circuit Vice President of Public and Community Relations Julie Loignon. “Our paving team, which is comprised of Austin Commercial, Tilke GmbH and a variety of subcontractors, has extensive experience in projects requiring this extreme level of detail, and we’re confident the end result will be a Grade 1 racetrack that puts Austin on the world motorsports map."
Defined as “echelon paving," the process involves three to four paving machines moving in unison along the racetrack surface to ensure a uniform, seamless top layer of asphalt. The process and equipment are considered to be highly specialized. One particular instance in which this paving machine is being used is in Central Texas to pave the State Highway 130 extension.
The pavement material itself has a unique composition compared to that used for public roadways. It is required to be highly skid-resistant for the type of vehicles driving on the track, as well as the high speeds being reached. The composition ensures consistency of texture, smoothness of ride, and the conformance to the specifications outlined by motorsports governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Approximately 10,500 tons of hot mix asphalt is used to pave the track itself.