RCC Pavement Provides Performance and Economy at Denver International Airport

While fresh fallen snow is desirable for Colorado's ski tourism industry, for airport operations it can be quite a challenge—especially at airports like Denver International Airport (DIA) where the annual snowfall is more than 61 inches (1.5 m). Removing the snow is one thing, finding a suitable place to store it is another. For the DIA Concourse C RON Project, 20,862 square yards (17,443 square meters) of 8-inch (200 mm) roller-compacted concrete (RCC) was selected for the pavement adjacent to the concourse apron areas. These areas are where snow removal efforts stockpile excess snow from around the DIA concourses during heavy snow events.

The City and County of Denver, the owner of this project, originally bid the project with an asphalt pavement section. Englewood-based Interstate Highway Construction, Inc., recommended the replacement of the asphalt section with a RCC pavement section utilizing a value engineering change to help meet the owner’s requirements and financial goals.

RCC in this application provided a very serviceable concrete pavement at a significant cost savings to the owner. The RCC pavement can stand up to heavy plowing and truck traffic during snow events, is strong and durable enough to resist the shoving and rutting common with asphalt pavements, and will not deteriorate under the saturated conditions caused by melting stockpiles of snow. Read the complete case study.

Cement-Treated Base Reaches New Heights on South Carolina Road

The latest equipment, materials, and methods for building cement-treated base (CTB) will save 20% in costs and shave five months off construction time for the expansion of South Carolina Route 5 (SC-5).

Funded by a county transportation tax program known as “Pennies for Progress” as well as state transportation funds, SC-5 in York County is being upgraded to a four-lane road from the current two-lane route. The original pavement design called for 8 inches (200 mm) of graded aggregate base course topped by 3.5 inches (90 mm) of asphalt base and a surface course. A local contractor proposed a type of CTB called cement-stabilized aggregate base course as an alternative. Because only 8 inches (200 mm) of CTB is equal to the original design, the alternative was accepted and will save 20% in cost. In addition, the use of a high-density paver to lay the base course speeds production and reduces construction time. Read a case study about the project.

What is the difference between the current and proposed AASHTO pavement design procedures?

The current AASHTO pavement design manual – Guide for the Design of Pavement Structures – is based on data collected during the AASHTO Road Test conducted in the late 1950s and is widely used in the design of new and rehabilitated highway pavements. The road test was a series of experiments carried out to determine how traffic contributed to the deterioration of highway pavements.

Pavement engineers realized that the limitations of the current design Guide stemmed directly from the limitations of the road test itself. To address this concern, an effort is currently underway by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program to develop a new pavement design procedure based upon mechanistic principles. Mechanistic pavement design is basically an approach where a model is used to calculate the reaction of a pavement structure when subjected to traffic loading.

The proposed AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, or MEPDG for short, will offer pavement design engineers greater flexibility over the current Guide. More on the AASHTO pavement design procedures.

PCA Extends Deadline for Sustainable Leadership Awards.

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and its member companies are committed to sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The cement industry recognizes that adopting the values of sustainable development benefits local, national and global climate and environmental considerations.

The annual Sustainable Leadership Awards will honor government leaders who advance sustainable development in their communities through the use of concrete and cement-based products. The deadline for entries has been extended until June 30. Learn more about the different awards and access the nomination form .

Conferences

National Local Technical Assistance Program / Tribal Technical Assistance Program (LTAP/TTAP) 2008 Annual Conference
July 14 - 17, 2008 in Breckenridge, Colo.

Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) 2008 Annual Conference and Trade Show
July 20 - 23, 2008 in Portland, Ore.

American Public Works Association (APWA) -
2008 Public Works Congress and Exposition
August 17 - 20, 2008 in New Orleans, La.

Training

American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) Professor's Seminar
June 16 - 19, 2008 in Skokie, Ill.

Complete listing of conferences and training.