Highway 3 in Plymouth County, Iowa, Gets an Accelerated Concrete Overlay

ACPA Senior Director of Technical Services Eric Ferrebee, P.E., joined the Iowa Concrete Paving Association (ICPA) and the CP Tech Center to review the progress of an accelerated concrete overlay project built to serve the users of this state highway. The overlay of Highway 3 between Le Mars and Remson in Plymouth County was an accelerated job that specified a tight construction schedule to complete approximately 9 miles in three weeks. The job is a research project demonstrating the construction efficiency of concrete overlays on state highways while minimizing traffic impacts, ultimately improving safety during construction and providing a long-lasting pavement solution for the agency.

NGCS Remains an Effective Texture in CA

Ten years ago, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) constructed seven Next Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS) pilot projects to evaluate this newly developed texture. This July, three of the pilot projects in the Sacramento area were reviewed by a team consisting of Caltrans, university, consultant, SWCPA, and ACPA/IGGA personnel. After more than a decade, the NGCS textures are still performing as intended. Next, the team traveled south and reviewed the newly constructed NGCS section on Highway 101 near Santa Barbara. Caltrans construction personnel gave a presentation and review of the project, and the California Highway Patrol provided a five-minute traffic break on the 101, which allowed the team to get a close inspection of the newly constructed texture. After more than a decade, the NGCS textures are still performing as intended.

The field review was set up and managed by Dulce Rufino Feldman, Ph.D., P.E., Caltrans Senior Concrete Pavement Design Engineer, and participants included the SWCPA’s Charles Stuart and Mark Gudenas, and IGGA/ACPA’s Larry Scofield, P.E.

Sustainability Innovations on Display in Minnesota
Last week, ACPA Senior Director of Technical Services Eric Ferrebee, P.E., traveled to Minnesota to attend the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnRoad)’s open house on sustainability initiatives. MnRoad is working with the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) on a variety of projects that test new products in MnRoad test cells. With a focus on sustainability improvements, many of the materials being tested are pozzolanic and would serve as replacements for supplementary cementitious materials like fly ash and slag. Beyond the MnRoad open house, Ferrebee toured a number of concrete projects constructed in the last 20 years with Matt Zeller, P.E., and Dan Labo, P.E., of the Concrete Pavement Association of Minnesota (CPAM).