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  Last Updated:  June 25, 2009 02:58 PM

 

 


MnDOT Places First Thin Overlay

 

By Ivy Chang, Construction Bulletin, November 3, 2008

The Minnesota Department of Transportation tried a non-traditional concrete overlay on Highway 53 a few miles north of Duluth, MN, that showed promising results for future highways.

The thin overlay, which has been tried in other states, should restore a smooth ride, provide a load transfer between pavement segments, and can be poured in less time, according to Ted Sexton, Mn/DOT resident engineer in District 1A that includes Duluth.

Read Full Article

 

 

A "Must Read" !

The Economics of

 Concrete Pavement
 

The April 2, 2008 edition of ACPA's
CONCRETE PAVEMENT PROGRESS,
"The Economics of Concrete Pavement,"
is available via the following link:

The Economics of Concrete Pavement

Headlines in this issue include:

* Casting a Light on the Hidden Costs of Asphalt
* Oil Price Volatility Extends to Asphalt
* Beyond Materials
* Calculate Total Costs Using Life-Cycle Cost Analysis
 



See the difference!

Click here

To view photos comparing asphalt and concrete streets


 


Click here to see why...


 

 

       Summer Golf Opportunities

 

 

      EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

 

Webinars Address Key Technical Topics in Concrete Paving 

ACPA Webinars Continue in Late August

The American Concrete Pavement Association's popular web-enabled training continues with five webinars through mid-September. ACPA's webinars, which range from 60 to 90 minutes, cover topics related to concrete pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation, as well as broader issues such as sustainability.

August 20: Understanding COMPASS Mix Design Software (60 minutes)

August 27: Pavement Evaluation for Rehabilitation (60 minutes)

September 3: Bonded Overlays—Design and Construction (90 minutes)

September 10: Admixtures for Concrete Pavements (90 minutes)

September 17: Recycling Concrete Pavements (90 minutes)

For additional information about the webinar series, contact Michael E. Ayers. To register online, visit the ACPA website at acpa.org or click here.

            ACPA Webinar Series
 

 
   
 



CPAM Celebrates 50th Anniversary

at the 48th Annual

Concrete Paving Workshop
 

March 19 - 20, 2009

Radisson Plaza Hotel, Rochester, MN
 


 

Articles & Photos

Workshop Program



    

   
   
   
 


 

Lessons Learned From Mn/ROAD

(1992-2006)  -  FINAL REPORT

Mark B. Snyder, Consultant
10/15/2008

Read Full Report

 

   
 


Check out bulletproof pavements!

According to TERRA, "the typical recommended minimum standard 6-inch concrete pavement has performed so well on the MnROAD LVR and other Minnesota low-volume roads that it is often referred to as a 'bulletproof' pavement for more heavily loaded applications."

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Think Green…Think Concrete
 

 

 

Concern over global warming and a host of environmental issues has many of us thinking “green,” looking for ways to reduce pollution and protect the environment.   If you’re an environmental steward thinking green, think concrete.

 

According to a recent article entitled “Concrete & Climate Change” published in the Summer 2008 issue of Concrete InFocus by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, concrete compares favorably to other building materials when analyzing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, one of several greenhouse gases that can cause global warming.  And when it comes to paving materials, concrete is decidedly green.  Studies conducted by National Resources Council of Canada which compared fuel consumption and emissions for a 62 mile section of a major arterial highway, one paved with concrete and the other with asphalt, concluded that heavy trucks traveling on concrete pavement realized significant fuel savings ranging from 0.8% to 6.9%.  “These fuel savings lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.”   Another study conducted by Athena Institute analyzed concrete and asphalt roadways to compare embodied energy and global warming potential for construction and maintenance over a 50-year life cycle.  “The study concluded that for a high volume highway, the asphalt pavement alternative required three times more energy than their concrete counterparts from a life cycle perspective.”   For more detail, read the entire article at http://www.nrmca.org/research/CIF-Summer-08-Climate.pdf.


The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) released a special report in October 2007 entitled, “Green Highways – Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Concrete Pavements,” Publication SR385P.   The report begins by noting that, according to the 2005 EPA Green Highways Initiative, “green highways” are “those that are environmentally responsible and sustainable in all aspects, including design, construction, and maintenance.”   ACPA’s special report details the many benefits of concrete paving and concludes, in part:  


Concrete pavement has long been considered an environmentally and economically sustainable pavement choice for its longevity.  This hallmark of concrete pavements ensures that the desirable performance characteristics of the pavement remain essentially intact for several decades.

 

In addition, long-lasting concrete pavements do not require rehabilitation or reconstruction as often and, therefore, consume fewer raw materials over time.  Energy savings also are realized, since rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts consume energy.  Even more importantly, congestion is reduced by using long-lasting concrete pavements because of less frequent construction zones that impede traffic flow.  Ultimately, all of these benefits add up to greater long-term economic and social benefits to the public.

 

Many other features of concrete pavements were also noted which contribute to making concrete pavements an environmentally sensitive pavement choice.   Make a “green choice” today and check out the entire article on ACPA’s website Pavements4Life or via the following link:  http://www.pavements4life.com/QDs/SR385P.pdf.

 

   
 

 

Concrete Overlays

 

 

 

See the results of the tour of Iowa concrete overlays!

Iowa Overlay Tour - November 8, 2007

 

   

 

   
 

 

MnROAD Lessons Learned

Results of Phase I now available!

 

 

 

   
 

Mn/DOT hired the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) to do an independent study on the Minnesota Road Research Project (MnROAD), a full-scale pavement research facility opened to live traffic in 1994.   The results are summarized in the CTS report entitled: 

MnROAD Lessons Learned

Mn/DOT also summarized their findings in 11 reports, available  on the DOT website under:

Lessons Learned from MnROAD Phase 1

 

 
     

 

 
 
 

 

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Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota, 4517 Allendale Drive, Suite A, White Bear Township, MN  55127      Phone:  651.762.0402      Fax:  651.762.0638

 

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