NC² MAP Brief & E-News: Spring 2021

The NC² E-News, originally the quarterly newsletter of the former CP Road MAP program, overviews new developments in concrete pavement research and technology from around the country. NC² MAP Brief Best practices and promising technologies that can be used now to enhance concrete paving. The new Spring 2021 Quarter NC² Moving Advancements into Practice (MAP) Brief titled “Stringless paving: Smoother pavement at lower cost“ is now available.

Uncertain whether stringless paving is the way to go for one or more of your 2021 construction projects? This MAP Brief overviews stringless paving, its potential benefits for agencies and contractors, and relevant best practices as relates to contracting/specifications, design, construction, and inspection. To read the Spring 2021 Quarter NC² MAP Brief, please click on image below, or go to: https://intrans.iastate.edu/app/uploads/2021/03/MAPbriefSpring2021.pdf


Click to go to MAP Brief online

Stringless paving: Smoother Pavement at Lower Cost
In this MAP Brief “Overview of Stringless Paving”:

Introduction: Conventional concrete paving with a slipform paver requires the installation of a stringline and support posts adjacent to the roadway to establish the correct pavement alignment and profile. Obstacles of the stringline:
• Adds several additional feet (6 ft. +/-) of required clearance to the paving envelope
• Already wider than the pavement due to the tracks of the slipform paver
• Stringline becomes an obstacle for equipment, concrete delivery trucks, and finishing crews
• If equipment access across the stringline is required, paving crews must lower and reset the stringline
• Results in delays
• Introduces the potential for errors

Stringless paving is a technology that eliminates the installation and maintenance of stringlines and has the potential to decrease the need for construction staking and increase the smoothness of the pavement profile.

The benefits that result from stringless paving include.…To read more, click on image at top, or go to https://intrans.iastate.edu/app/uploads/2021/03/MAPbriefSpring2021.pdf
Stringless Paving for Concrete Pavements
Best Practices for Utilizing Stringless Paving
—Surveying
—Design
—Construction
—Inspection

—Conclusions

News from the Road

“News from the Road” highlights recently completed research around the country that helps the concrete pavement community meet the research priorities outlined by the NC² member states.

Design and Performance of Unbonded Concrete Overlays on Concrete Pavement: A Synthesis
This National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) synthesis culls best practices for the design, construction, and maintenance of unbonded concrete overlays from field performance observations. To read more, please click on image below, or go to: https://cptechcenter.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4bf55bc365dca0e5c928442da&id=ca2a3a0d66&e=2945805a7f


Click to go to “Unbonded Concrete Overlays
on Concrete Pavement” online PDF

Entrained Air-Void Systems for Durable Highway Concrete
This report shows how air-void systems impact pavements’ freeze-thaw performance and recommends modified requirements including the testing of fresh concrete air systems. To read the report, and view and read PDF on the TRB website, please go to: www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/181668.aspx

LTPP Data Analysis Program: Effect of Dowel Misalignment on Concrete Pavement Performance
This report on Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) sections suggests the commonly used joint score fails to reflect how dowel misalignment affects load-transfer efficiency. To read the report and read the PDF online, please go to: www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/20070/20070.pdf

Use of Reclaimed Fly Ash in Highway Infrastructure
This tech brief identifies considerations for agencies and contractors using harvested/reclaimed coal fly ash to ensure durable concrete for use in highway infrastructure. To read the tech brief and read the PDF online, please click on image of fly ash particles below, or go to: https://intrans.iastate.edu/app/uploads/2020/09/use_of_reclaimed_fly_ash_TB.pdf


Click to go to online PDF of Fly Ash tech brief

Featured FHWA Concrete Clips

This quarter, we feature the Concrete Clips addressing Mechanistic-Empirical Design for Pavements and Engineering Concrete Mixtures for Performance.


https://youtu.be/9lPF5mf3sQE https://youtu.be/tXb4f7bCYs8

Learn more about . . . thin overlays on Database:

Below are the first several hits for the example search query “thin overlays” from the Concrete Infrastructure Research Database that covers both in-progress and recently completed concrete pavement and bridge deck research. For the Database, please click on image below, or go to: https://cptechcenter.org/concrete-infrastructure-research-database/


Click to go to online “Concrete Infrastructure Research Database”

For helpful links, please see below:
SPRING 2021 NC² MAP Brief: https://intrans.iastate.edu/app/uploads/2021/03/MAPbriefSpring2021.pdf
SPRING 2021 NC² E-News: https://mailchi.mp/59a0b96be139/spring-2021-nc2-news
NC2 RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://cptechcenter.org/nc2-resource-library/
ARCHIVED NCC E-News, please go to: https://cptechcenter.org/nc2-news/
CP Tech CP Road MAP: https://cptechcenter.org/cp-road-map/

To find out more about the CP Road Map, or to get involved, please contact:
Steve Tritsch, HCE Services, Inc.
E-mail: stritsch@iastate.edu |  Phone: 515-294-3230
CP Tech Center | 2711 S Loop Drive • Suite 4700 | Ames, IA 50010

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