Author Archives: Angela Folkestad

ACPA is excited to be partnering with CDOT to offer the Concrete Pavement Inspector Certification Program.  Our first 2 classes were held in November & January, and we’ve now filled the February 15th and March 21st classes.  An additional class is scheduled for April 4th to address the increased needs for certification.  Please contact Jamie Johnson (jjohnson@pavement.com) with any questions regarding the program.

Thank you to all who attended the concrete pavement preservation demonstration on September 27th in Steamboat Springs!  Thanks to our speakers, Tom Pelo, BASF Construction Materials, who explained how to use admixtures to create a concrete mix that gains full strength in 6 hours and Mark Tharnish, Sika Corporation, who showed the group how to properly construct a partial depth repair. 

Special thanks to Castle Rock Construction Company for providing labor and equipment, Pete Lien & Sons/Trans Colorado Concrete for supplying the concrete, and CDOT Region 3 for providing traffic control and hauling material for the demonstration! 

Thank you to the Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District, Douglas County, and Multiple Concrete Enterprises for helping us put together an informative and hands on open house showcasing concrete pavement preservation and an up close view of the diamond grinding process!  Thanks also to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department for keeping us safe during our site visit.

In 2016 Douglas County, Colorado will finish repairing and grinding 120 lane miles of concrete pavement in Highlands Ranch. These 7.5-inch thick 25 to 30-year old concrete pavement roads were designed to last 20 years on the existing expansive clay subgrade, and they have far exceeded the design traffic they were expected to carry.  Smoothness is being restored on these durable old concrete pavement roads to improve ride and extend their life even further.  

Larry Scofield with the International Grooving and Grinding Association (IGGA) discussed concrete pavement preservation, the basics of diamond grinding equipment and processes, and presented what we know about concrete pavement blow ups.

Article originally published in the Spring-Summer 2016 edition of the Colorado Public Works Journal

As noted in the May 2014 “Guide to Concrete Overlays” published by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center), shrinking budgets and ever-increasing traffic volumes have necessitated the immediate need for engineering strategies to preserve and maintain the nation’s roadways. One such approach is an unbonded concrete overlay.

Unbonded concrete overlays are used to restore structural capacity to existing pavements ranging from moderately to significantly deteriorated. The term “unbonded” simply means that bonding between the overlay and the underlying pavement is not needed to achieve desired performance. Thus, the overlay performs as new pavement and the existing pavement provides a stable base.

Source:  “Guide to Concrete Overlays: Sustainable Solutions for Resurfacing and Rehabilitating Existing Pavements” (www.cptechcenter.org)

There are several benefits of using unbonded concrete overlays, including the solution’s cost-effectiveness. According to the CP Tech Center, “dollar for dollar, they are one of the most effective long-term pavement preservation and major rehabilitation options for existing pavements.” Other benefits of unbonded concrete overlays include their quick construction, ease of maintenance, and sustainability assets.

In general, unbonded resurfacing is highly reliable, offering longer design life than road rehabilitation with asphalt. It has been used successfully by several states, providing on average more than 30 years of good-to-excellent performance, according to the CP Tech Center.

Innovative methods of construction are continuously being explored, and Route D south of Kansas City, MO was the first in the nation to use a fabric bond breaker in 2008.  The 3.7 mile long unbonded overlay was constructed in 50 days with a 5” minimum concrete thickness and 6’ x 6’ jointing on a 24’ wide road carrying 9,300 ADT (5% trucks).  The new surface has now been serving the traveling public for 8 years, and a 2015 visual distress survey demonstrated that it is performing extremely well.

The CO/WY Chapter of ACPA can provide further education on material considerations for long-lasting concrete overlays, and will gladly review potential projects to identify which option(s) are best for your situation. For more information, please contact Angela Folkestad (afolkestad@pavement.com) or Jamie Johnson (jjohnson@pavement.com).