Monthly Archives: March 2020

Sustainability in Concrete Pavements


Content provided by Shaped by Concrete

The role of concrete in connecting us to our daily lives and keeping our economy moving

The roadways and airstrips connecting our nation are integral to our society and daily lives. We expect smooth drives and safe landings, yet we rarely stop to think about the foundation of those expectations: the best material that can be used to surface roads, runways and other infrastructure.

Concrete pavements are a staple of our infrastructure – a durable, economical and sustainable solution for our roadways, airstrips, military bases, parking lots and sidewalks. Additionally, concrete pavements offer many safety benefits to drivers.

Durability
Simply put, concrete pavements have the longest lifespan of any paving material. It can withstand the freezing winters of the upper Midwest to the scorching summers of the Southwest, with an average service life of 30 to 50 years.

Sustainability
Concrete pavements consume minimal materials, energy and other resources throughout its lifespan, giving it a lower overall energy footprint, and offers better fuel efficiency for drivers. Concrete pavements have a lower energy footprint associated with production, delivery and maintenance than asphalt pavement.

  • Concrete’s lighter color reduces the amount of power necessary for illumination and mitigates the urban heat island effect.
  • Tires driving over smoother roads get better mileage per tank of gas; the overall better condition of concrete pavement compared to asphalt gives drivers better roads and better mileage.
  • Concrete can be 100% recycled at the end of its service life, making it a renewable pavement option.

Economical
Concrete pavements require minimal materials and energy for initial construction and do not require repeated resurfacing, spot repairs or patching. Compared to other road surfacing materials which require constant maintenance, concrete is cheaper to use at the outset and less expensive throughout its lifespan because it does not require extensive upkeep.

  • It was estimated that using life-cycle cost analysis for pavements alone can save an average $91 million for every $1 billion spent, or 9.1 %, when comparing equivalent concrete and asphalt pavement alternatives.
  • The use of concrete pavement is less disruptive to traffic – the construction of concrete pavements does not require lengthy lane closures and roads can be reopened in as short as six hours.
  • Concrete pavement can dramatically increase the life of transportation systems, cutting the amount of yearly repairs and spreading them out over longer time periods.

 For more information visit: www.shapedbyconcrete.com

Thank you for attending the 2020 CO/WY ACPA Concrete Pavement Workshop!

 

We are so glad you were able to join us for a day of education and discussion around the future of the concrete paving industry.

Congratulations to all the Award Winners!

We hope everyone is staying safe and well.

Please feel free to reach out to the association if we can provide any assistance to you or your employees at this time.

We look forward to seeing you next year!


Thank you to our 2020 Workshop Sponsors!

Platinum
Concrete Works of Colorado
CRCC
CEMEX
Flatiron Constructors, Inc.
GCC of America
Holcim (US) Inc.
IHC
Lawson Construction
Millstone Weber
RockSol Consulting Group

Gold
Chato’s Concrete
Mountain Cement Company
Faris Machinery

Silver
COMMAND Center
CR Minerals Pozzolans
Euclid Chemical Company
GCP Applied Technologies
GOMACO
MAPEI Corporation
SIMPLEX

Thank you to our 2020 Workshop Exhibitors!
Arcosa
Barton Supply
BASF
Concrete Stabilization Technologies Inc.
Esch Supply
Hot Shot Supply

Additional Partners
Colorado State University – Pueblo
Colorado Public Works Journal
Transportation & Construction Girl

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Upcoming Workshop/Events