On the Grade
ACPA at the 13th International Conference on Concrete Pavements
The 13th International Conference on Concrete Pavements (ICCP) was held this week in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More than 360 concrete pavement professionals from 21 countries worldwide gathered to hear about best practices for concrete pavement along with cutting-edge research. The conference is held in conjunction with the National Concrete Consortium (NC2) and provided a chance for DOT professionals from around the country to learn from fellow states, the industry, and the FHWA.
ACPA, a Gold Sponsor of the conference, hosted, helped coordinate and moderated or presented several workshops. These include:
- Peter Taylor, director of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center), coordinated a workshop on the Airport Pavement Technology Program (ACPTP). The workshop provided an update on various projects within the program. Projects covered include ASR; PEM; best practices for rapid repair, runway rubber removal and concrete paving continuity; QC/QA; effects of diamond grinding; design; and performance of thin concrete airfield pavements. Gary Mitchell, ACPA’s Chief of Engineering and Construction, provided a short update in the session.
- ACPA and IGGA partnered to host a workshop during the conference on Concrete Pavement Preservation – Sustainable Solutions for Tomorrow, Today. The workshop covered best practices for preservation including pavement evaluation, knowledge transfer, and the various techniques for concrete pavement preservation. John Roberts and Nick Davis of the IGGA / ACPA Pavement Preservation Partnership presented the pavement preservation toolkit, concrete surface characteristics, and sustainability impacts of proper preservation. The workshop also featured a presentation on the forthcoming guide for preservation of concrete overlays by Jerry Voigt, retired CEO and President of ACPA and consultant under Square One Pavement Consulting LLC, and concluded with Jim Mack, Cemex and former ACPA Chairman, reinforcing the need for competition and using all concrete pavement techniques.
- Eric Ferrebee, ACPA’s Senior Director of Technical Services, served on the planning committee for the conference and serves as a member of the board of directors for the International Society of Concrete Pavements which coordinates the conference. Eric served as a moderator, workshop coordinator, exhibitor, author, and presenter during the conference. He presented the evolution of pavement design during a workshop on Advancements in Optimized Concrete Pavement Design. He was also a co-author of a paper with Dan King and Peter Taylor (both of CP Tech Center) on Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Overlay Strategies.
ACPA Participates in 5th Advanced Workshop on Concrete Pavements
Last week, the 5th Advanced Workshop on Concrete Pavements was held in Hudson, Wisconsin, ahead of the 13th International Conference on Concrete Pavements. The workshop provided an opportunity for concrete pavement professors, researchers, graduate students, and industry professionals from around the world to briefly discuss their work and receive feedback from the group. Eric Ferrebee, ACPA’s Senior Director of Technical Services, and Jim Mack, Cemex and former ACPA Chairman, represented the concrete pavement industry and discussed ways to make some research efforts more implementable with contractors, DOTs, and other professionals. The research presented represented a wide variety of modern topics including sustainability, innovative materials, design, early age assessment, joints, pavement performance, and construction. This feedback loop helps make the important research being done at universities even more valuable and implementable.
Register for the Next Tech Tuesday Webinar Today
The next Tech Tuesday webinar, E-Compaction Tools for Increasing Performance of Concrete Pavement Foundations, will be held September 17 at noon central.
E-Compaction tools are designed to meet project goals by providing complete documentation, ensuring with the highest confidence that compaction requirements are fulfilled according to specifications and pavement design criteria.
Long-lasting pavements are Built Better from the Ground Up. This webinar will highlight the application of e-Compaction reporting and tools for pavement foundation construction projects in MN, PA, IN, and IA. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Transportation will join to share the owner’s perspective.
Presenters include David White, PhD, P.E.; Gabe Nelson, P.E.; Ells Cackler, P.E., from Ingios Geotechnics, Inc.; as well as Melissa Serio, P.E. from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Preliminary Program for ACPA Annual Meeting Now Online!
Plan now to join ACPA for a top-notch educational experience at the 2024 Annual Meeting, December 3-5, 2024, in Phoenix, AZ.
From highway, airport, and non-traditional market forums to government affairs and strategic advisory committee meetings, Wednesday’s schedule includes a wide range of educational opportunities. And don’t miss Thursday’s popular Concrete Pavement University sessions covering quality control, sustainability, emerging technology, and more.
Unique networking opportunities like off-site excursions, the Welcome and Chairman’s receptions, and the newly re-launched Emerging Leaders Group’s 5k run/walk round out this jam-packed agenda.
Click here to view the preliminary agenda and to register today.
Do Cool Street Coatings Work? The Evidence Is In!
The City of Phoenix has a Cool Streets program that dates back to 2020 and is arguably the largest Cool Streets program in the US. Since Phoenix is a significant Urban Heat Island (UHI), the program applies a light-colored coating to black asphalt streets to reduce the impact of streets (which comprise approximately 40% of the surface area) on the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE).
Today, partnering with Arizona State University (ASU), the city has invested approximately $15 million in the program and has placed more than 100 miles of cool pavement coatings.
The only ASU report published to date occurred after approximately ten months in service. The report noted that their coating could reduce asphalt concrete (AC) surface temperatures by as much as 12 degrees. However, the study also found that the coating makes it much hotter for pedestrians who absorb the reflected light. In fact, the report stated that, at six feet above the pavement, the temperature was only 0.3 degrees cooler. Earlier this month,local news investigators reported that the program is on hold and that no new cool street coatings have been placed in 2024.
A visual review of one of the Cool Street neighborhoods in 2022 provided more evidence of concern. Since the street evaluated was older pavement prior to the coating placement, reflective cracking occurred in less than two years and some of the coating had already started peeling off. In comparing the neighborhood’s concrete sidewalk temperatures and an abutting chip seal surface with the two-year-old cool street, the chip seal, estimated to be about 10 to 12 years old, was about the same temperature as the cool street. The 48-year-old concrete sidewalk was 9 to 12 degrees lower!
The findings suggest that concrete, with its impressive longevity and ability to maintain significantly cooler temperatures, emerges as a superior option. Investing in concrete surfaces could provide a more effective and sustainable solution for urban heat management.
Learn more about urban heat reduction and other environmental benefits of concretehere.
Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Released Study on Diamond Grind Pavement Resurfacing
In May 2024, ADOT released a study, “The Impact of Diamond Grind (DG) Pavement Resurfacing on PM10 Emissions.” The study compared DG PM10 tire wear to asphalt rubber PM10 tire wear by collecting representative air-quality samples for local freeways with both AR-ACFC and DG surfaces to quantify tire wear (TW) emissions. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of potential differences.
Click here to read the full study.
