Under Item 340, most of the responsibilities are on the Department rather than the contractor. On projects that warrant QCQA measures be taken, it could be risky to use Item 340 unless the department representatives are familiar with the roles and responsibilities required under method specifications. Description: Item 341 is a quality control quality assurance (QC/QA) specification for conventional dense graded mixtures. Typical Use: Dense graded mixtures in Item 341 can be used for a wide variety of applications ranging from new construction to overlays. Dense graded mixtures may be appropriate for applications ranging from high volume (or high demand) roadways to low volume (or low demand) roadways depending on the specified binder grade, aggregate properties, etc. Dense graded mixtures can be used as base, intermediate or surface layers. Advantages: The primary advantage of dense graded mixtures compared to other mixtures is lower initial cost. Another advantage is that most contractors and HMA producers are generally familiar with the production and placement of dense graded mixtures. Dense graded mixtures have been used in Texas for over 50 years and have performed well in most applications. The mixtures listed in Item 341 are identical to those listed in Item 340. In contrast to Item 340, which is a method specification, Item 341 prescribes numerous QCQA measures to be taken by both the contractor and the Department. The vast majority of the QCQA measures are the responsibility of the contractor. Disadvantages: Dense graded mixtures cannot accommodate high asphalt contents without becoming unstable and susceptible to rutting. Relatively low amounts of asphalt are typically used in dense graded mixtures, which in turn makes them more susceptible to cracking and more permeable. Generally speaking, dense graded mixtures can be designed to be either highly rut resistant or highly crack resistant but not both. Dense graded mixtures are not designed to have stone on stone contact. Their strength/stability characteristics are derived primarily from the quality of the intermediate and fine aggregate. Attempting to “coarsen” the mix to allow for more asphalt or to make the mix more rut resistant often has an adverse effect. Coarsening the mix often leads to a dryer mix and one that is more difficult to compact, more permeable and more susceptible to segregation. Dense graded mixtures are currently designed with a Texas Gyratory Compactor (TGC). The TGC has a relatively high compactive effort and unlike the Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC), the TGC compactive effort can not be varied to match the intended application.