August 2011
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Paving Solutions is published monthly by the Portland Cement Association as an internal communications vehicle to keep members, stakeholders, and partners informed about developments in the promotion of concrete paving and infrastructure funding.
City of Frankfort Goes for Two
Although it has been many years since the last installation of a concrete street in the City of Frankfort, Ky., several new projects have recently been completed and more are planned.
When looking at repairs needed for the street and intersection at Collins and Holmes Streets, the public works department determined that since they had to put a four-inch deep, 18-foot wide concrete cap over recently repaired utility cuts, a new six-inch deep, 22-foot wide street was the best approach. This provided the concrete cap for the utility cuts and saved the City paving cost.
Based on the results of this project, the City began a second concrete street the following week. The Broadway Hill project was originally planned to be an overlay but because the 50-year-old street required many repairs, it was decided to remove the pavement and replace it with a full-depth concrete street.
A third concrete street will be started and completed once the utilities are all repaired and replaced.
Contact Roger Faulkner
Colorado DOT Selects Concrete for First ADAB Project
Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc., were selected by the Colorado Department of Transportation to construct two new bridges, and the associated roadway, along SH 21 in Colorado Springs, Colo. This project represents the first time CDOT has bid a project using their alternate design/alternate bid process (ADAB).
Both the asphalt and concrete pavement industries provided input in the development of the ADAB procedure. To make the ADAB procedure fair to both the asphalt and concrete industries, it considers long term maintenance and user costs, includes no material adjustment factors, and requires that both pavements be bid by the square yard.
The ADAB procedure includes a bid adjustment factor for maintenance and user costs which brings it to a total of $920,000, which is then added to the low asphalt bid for evaluation. All seven contractors elected to submit only concrete pavement bids.
This project will require about 3,600 tons of portland cement.
Contact Don Clem
Tennessee To Hold Government Relations Summit
The Concrete Paving Association of Tennessee, in partnership with PCA Southeast Region, the American Concrete Pavement Association, the Tennessee Concrete Association, and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association is hosting the first annual Concrete Industry Regional Government Relations Summit, August 22-23, in Nashville.
Industry attendees will attend a full day of presentations on effective government relations strategies, along with a panel of elected officials and government relations experts discussing ways to positively impact the cement industry through effective government relations. In addition, Tennessee Governor Bill Halsam and several state and local lawmakers have been invited to an opening-night networking reception.
Contact Roger Faulkner
Register at www.pavementse.com
RCC Open House Highlights Economical Alternative to Asphalt
Approximately 80 engineers and transportation officials converged on Cimarron, Kan., on July 25 to attend a roller compacted concrete (RCC) open house hosted by the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association. The project highlighted an 18-mile stretch of US-50 west of Cimarron, where RCC was used for shoulder widening. The event emphasized the interest among the pavement industry for RCC as an economical and practical alternative to asphalt.
In addition to visiting the project site and observing the RCC placement, compaction and curing, attendees heard several presentations on RCC and the project. Kansas Department of Transportation officials provided the owner's perspective on inspection and how seven-inch RCC was specified as an option to a seven-inch asphalt base. Koss Construction Company discussed aspects of constructing RCC and the quality assurance measures taken to provide a strong uniform RCC base for the shoulder widening.
In addition, Greg Halsted, PCA pavement market manager, presented an overview of the Guide for Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements.
Contact Michael Young
Precast Panels Demonstrate Innovative Pavement Process
In March 2011, the Florida Department of Transportation began plans for a demonstration of a new road construction method that placed precast concrete panels in a 792-foot-long section of U.S. 92.
The original project concept consisted of a two-inch asphalt interlayer and a nine-inch concrete pavement overlay over the entire length of the project to minimize flooding of the highway. However, tight budget caused a change in the original project plans. After consideration, it was decided they would construct a 792-foot-long section using a Florida Modified Texas Precast Slab System. This modification ensured that corrosion would be minimized and pavement life would be increased.
Where heavy rainfall overtops the roadway, the 1.7-mile section will be elevated. In the 1.55-mile portion, the existing concrete pavement will be removed and crushed and reused as a graded recycled aggregate base that will be paved with a new concrete overlay.
In the remaining 792 feet of existing concrete, the roadway will remain intact. In order to raise the pavement, there will be 9-inch-thick precast panels placed on top of an asphalt interlayer that will overlay the concrete pavement. The precast section will go down in three segments of about 264 feet each. It will require 66 panels, typically 12 feet by 24 feet to span the 792-foot stretch. The panels are prestressed, and each segment will be post-tensioned longitudinally with tendons running through ducts in the panels.
This project is expected to be completed in early 2012.
July PPI: Asphalt Continues to Increase
The asphalt PPI saw a jump of 1.5 percent from May to June, according to the latest Producer Price Index issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This was the third consecutive month of increases.
The steel price index decreased 1.7 percent, and both concrete and lumber PPI's declined, down 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
From June of 2010, the steel PPI has increased 7 percent, the asphalt PPI is up 6 percent, and the lumber PPI has declined 3.1 percent. The concrete price index has declined 0.2 percent during the same period.
Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. PCA provides this information to aid in the promotion of concrete and cement-based products.
Contact Joe Chiappe
More information
Paving Summit Drives New Course for Industry
An industry-wide paving summit held in Chicago on July 21 reviewed top issues and concerns in the paving market and urged participants to capitalize on emerging trends and opportunities.
Called “Market Size to Market Share: Thinking Harder About Concrete Pavement Advocacy,” the one-day session included presentations on the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, federal and local advocacy, and measurement:
>"MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Results and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Model (LCCA),” Mehdi Akbarian, MIT
> “Federal advocacy on LCCA by Mercury LLC,” Brett Thompson, Mercury LLC
> “Implications of MIT and Mercury Initiatives on Local Promotion and Advocacy,” Mike Frederick, The Frederick Group
> “Metrics and Measurement Criteria for Promotion and Advocacy,” Ed Sullivan, PCA
Following the breakout sessions, regional breakout sessions explored ways for the industry to step up advocacy programs on the state level. Attendees included regional and national representatives of PCA member companies, the American Concrete Pavement Association, and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
Contact John Prentice