Road roller

A heavy vehicle that compacts soil, gravel, or asphalt with one or more large drums. Its weight and drum action create a stable, even road surface.

Compaction: The process of reducing voids in soil or aggregate by applying mechanical force. A road roller achieves compaction by repeatedly loading the road surface.
Soil compaction: The densification of soil through mechanical pressure, vibration, or impact. Road rollers prepare the foundation that supports pavement layers.
Steam roller: A steam-powered road roller that uses its mass to compact road materials. Steam rollers were an early powered form of the road roller.
Road grader: A road-construction machine with an adjustable blade for leveling and shaping surfaces. A grader shapes and spreads material; a roller densifies it.
Smooth drum roller: A roller that compacts material using one or more smooth steel drums. Its broad steel drum is suited to granular materials and asphalt finishing.
Asphalt concrete: A paving material made from mineral aggregate bound with asphalt binder. Rollers compact asphalt concrete while it is workable after placement.
Road construction: The engineering process of building or improving roads and their supporting layers. Road rollers emerged as specialized equipment within road construction.
Asphalt paver: A machine that places and initially levels asphalt pavement before compaction. The paver lays the asphalt mat that road rollers subsequently compact.
Pneumatic tire roller: A compaction vehicle that uses multiple rubber tires to knead and press a surface. Its tires apply overlapping pressure that seals and densifies asphalt layers.
Subgrade: The prepared natural soil or fill that supports a road structure. Compacting the subgrade limits settlement beneath the finished road.

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Heavy equipmentBroader topic: Rollers compact soil, gravel, and asphalt during road construction.