Economical | Quiet | Long-Lasting | Safe | Fuel-Efficient | Lower Overall Maintenance | Sustainable | Lower Energy Needs

Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards

Submittals due January 22, 2021

The Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of ACPA would like to invite you to submit nominations for the 2020 Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards. These awards are given annually to concrete paving projects of exceptional quality and recognize the owner, engineer, and contractor of each award winning project. All projects in Colorado and Wyoming completed and/or opened to traffic by December 31, 2020 are eligible for consideration.

All project submittals must be completed online at www.acpa.org/acpa-excellence-in-concrete-paving-awards/, which is on the National ACPA website.  If you do not already have a login, you will need to register as a new user in the box labeled “Online Paving Awards Login.”  After registering you will be able to generate your submittal, upload pictures, and edit your submittal until the submission deadline. You can create your submittal in multiple sessions by going to the link and logging back in using your username and password. Once you are logged in, click on “Begin an Application for a New Project.” Make sure to check the appropriate award category for your project and check “Colorado/Wyoming Chapter – ACPA” as the Local Paving Awards Program you are entering.

For consideration, please submit a completed online nomination form by January 22, 2021.  If you have any questions or need further assistance with the online submittal process, please contact Angela Folkestad.

Join Us For the 2020 ACPA Annual Member’s Meeting

Please join other members of the CO/WY Chapter – ACPA to discuss the goals and initiatives for the Association in the coming year. 

When: 
Tuesday, October 06
11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Where: 
ACPA Office
6880 S. Yosemite Ct.
Centennial, CO 80112
(Second Floor Training Room)


RSVP is required.
This meeting is currently scheduled to be in-person and may be subject to change due to anticipated attendance to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines. 

Lunch will be provided!

To RSVP please contact Emma Dolan
720-297-9902
edolan@pavement.com

How Colorado’s Concrete Paving Industry is Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions


Colorado’s concrete paving industry is committed to reducing
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in Colorado and around the world.
The concrete paving industry has identified three Stages of
Opportunities for Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:
Before Construction, During Construction, After Construction.


Reducing GHG Emissions Before Construction…
Optimizing pavement design and materials selection begins the
process of reducing GHG emissions in the beginning stages of
any pavement’s life. Designing with concrete means designing for
longevity and longevity of pavement life is the primary opportunity
for the reduction of GHG emissions as it allows for less frequent
reconstruction.
The production of cement is often the most referenced item in
regard to CO2 output. One way the concrete pavement and cement
industries have begun addressing this issue is by producing and
using Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) or Type IL. Blending
limestone into the cement reduces the amount of energy required
as well as the amount of CO2 produced. Alternative fuels are also
being used in these plants which burn cleaner than coal and
renewable energy options are being pursued.
Requiring Supplemental Cementitious materials such as Flyash
and Slag Cement utilizes byproducts from coal fire power and steel
production while increasing the durability of concrete pavements.
Specifying optimized gradations reduces the amount of cement
required and the use of recycled concrete can also greatly improve
the opportunity for reduced GHG emissions.


Reducing GHG Emissions During Construction…
Sourcing locally available materials is one of most effective ways to
prioritize sustainability during the construction process. The use of
mobile batch plants decreases the number of trucks hauling long
distances. Having onsite mining operations, 5,200 truck trips can
be avoided when producing 120,000 tons of sand. When recycling
pavement that is removed into 50,000 CY of base 4,200 truck
trips can be saved. All of these contribute to the reduction of
GHG Emissions.
By optimizing phasing of projects, identifying concrete mixtures for
specific situations, and performing nondestructive testing construction can be accelerated which reduces congestion.

 



Reducing GHG Emissions After Construction…
During its long lifespan, concrete reabsorbs a significant amount of
CO2 through a naturally occurring process called recarbonation.
Pavement preservations and restoration serves the main purpose of
extending the life of the pavement and minimizing disruptions to the
traveling public while maximizing the efficiency of resources.
Diamond grinding is a practice that is often combined with other
Concrete Pavement Repair (CPR) procedures. Diamond grinding can
extend a pavement’s life by 14-17 years per a study performed by
Caltrans. Improved smoothness, texture and reduced noise can all
be anticipated as a result of Diamond Grinding.
Concrete Overlays contribute greatly to pavement preservation and
are a great opportunity for reduced GHG Emissions after initial construction. Concrete overlays efficiently utilize resources and eliminate
the need for disposal of existing pavements. They are cost effective
and are constructed quickly while simultaneously extending the life
of the pavement.
It is imperative to consider all aspects of “use phase” of road construction and identify the areas before, during and after construction
where improvements can be made to create the most sustainable
and reliable roadways possible.

Adapting to New Ways of Working and Preparing for More Challenges Ahead

As Colorado’s concrete paving industry continues to work through
the coronavirus outbreak, their focus remains on providing a safe
working environment for their employees, project partners, and the
traveling public.
The staff of the CO/WY Chapter of ACPA is working closely with our
colleagues across the country, and we’ve partnered with the National
Concrete Pavement Technology Center to develop webinar programs to provide ongoing education about all things concrete pavement. While our traditional gatherings at conferences and workshops
are on hold, we’re providing alternative ways to support your planning, design and construction efforts. Registration for all upcoming
webinars will be available at https://go.acpa.org/cp-tech-center2020. If you have education needs on additional topics or missed
the concrete overlays or ADA series and would like to access the
webinars, please email Sarah Sanders (ssanders@pavement.com).

The concrete paving industry recognizes that the challenges of funding transportation are becoming greater as transportation revenues
in Colorado continue to decrease. Data on the impacts of a lack of
transportation funding can be found at www.tripnet.org. ACPA has
been actively advocating for increased infrastructure funding both in
Washington DC in partnership with other national organizations and
in Colorado through our involvement with the Colorado Construction
Industry Coalition.

We ask that you join us in reaching out to the
legislators who represent you on both the state and national level to
reinforce our message on the importance of funding infrastructure.
While we work with the limited amount of funding available, it
becomes even more important that the money is spent wisely and
includes longer term fixes with concrete pavement that reduce the
annual maintenance costs and frequency of rehabilitation activities.
ACPA staff is continuing to work remotely, and we’re available to
assist with any of your concrete pavement questions and challenges.
Congratulations to all the Excellence in Concrete Pavement Award
winners we recognized this spring! Learn more about their projects
in the center section of the magazine. We enjoyed seeing many of
you at our annual concrete pavement workshop in early March,
and we look forward to when the time is right to see you all again!