Concrete Pavement Reporter E-News Archive
April-June 2006
Boards and Meetings
CP Tech Center Director Tom Cackler participated in the 18-day AASHTO-FHWA International Long-Life Pavements Scanning Tour in May. The group including representatives from FHWA, AASHTO/state DOTs, NCHRP, ACPA, PCA, and other organizations visited Canada, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The International Conference on Long-Life Pavements will be held in October in Chicago.
The CP Tech Center Advisory Board met on April 6 in Chicago. The Board reviewed the center’s bylaws and provided input to the center’s focus areas, including surface characteristics and concrete overlays. The center’s Executive Board will meet at the ACPA Mid-Year Meetings in July.
Completed Projects
Mix Design of Pervious Concrete for Cold WeatherThe objective of this research was to develop a pervious concrete pavement mix that not only has sufficient porosity for stormwater infiltration, but also desirable strength and freeze-thaw durability. Results indicate that pervious concrete made with single-sized aggregate has high permeability but not adequate strength. Adding a small percent of sand to the mix improves its strength and freeze-thaw resistance, but lowers its permeability.
Training Program for Hispanic Workers and American Supervisors: The objective of the project was to develop and implement an effective language and cultural training program for Hispanic construction workers, American supervisors, and DOT inspectors. The program’s training materials and teaching approaches are intended to facilitate communication on the jobsite and reduce the high fatality rate among Hispanic workers.
New Project
Advancing Concrete Overlay Rehabilitation Solutions: The CP Tech Center has proposed a plan to improve knowledge of and confidence in concrete overlays. A committee that includes state paving chapter, state DOT, FHWA, and local agency representatives is being formed. The first phase, an illustrated Guide to Concrete Overlays, is underway with the support of ACPA and center funding. Potential additional phases include concrete overlay projects in a number of states and a comprehensive user-friendly design and construction manual.
Lab Activities
The center’s Mobile Concrete Research Lab has been performing a suite of quality control tests in Oklahoma and Georgia. Remaining states to be visited in the Material and Construction Optimization (MCO) project include South Dakota and New York.
The center’s staff has conducted the following tests at the PCC Pavement and Materials Research Laboratory in Ames, Iowa: Brookfield rheometer, 25 tests in the past year; Rapid Air 3000, 56 tests in the past year; bulk sieve shaker, 7.5 hrs in June; compression tester, 305 tests from April 1 to June 30; 12” sieve shaker, 80 tests in the past year; Lapro diamond saw, 28 hrs from April 1 to June 30; 33 concrete mixes completed from April 1 to June 30; freeze-thaw machine, 1900 hours or 79 days in the past year; also preliminary work on a variety of developmental projects.
