Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/358505
16 August 2014 Better Roads CUSTOM LUBE TRUCKS BECAUSE NOT EVERY JOB SITE IS THE SAME. 877-OIL-VACS WWW.SAGEOILVAC.COM 7H[W,1)2WRRUYLVLWZZZEHWWHUURDGVFRPLQIR A new bridge spanning the St. Mary's River on Highway 50 just east of Jefferson City, Mo., may not look unusual, but it could save the state's taxpayers thousands of dollars in bridge construction costs throughout the next few decades. It is being used to test innovative concrete mixes side by side under real-world conditions in a series of research projects being conducted by the Missouri University of Science & Technology and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). One test, in which Marathon, Wis.- based County Materials Corporation was involved, will assess the relative performance of girders constructed from two different mixes of self- consolidating concrete (SCC) – also known as self-compacting concrete (SCC) – alongside a traditional con- crete mix. This will be the first bridge in Missouri to contain SCC. SCC is a highly flowable, non-segre- gating concrete that spreads into place, fills formwork, and encapsulates even the most congested reinforcement, all without any mechanical vibration. This is advantageous because SCC requires little to no use of mechanical vibrators to reduce entrapped air in the concrete during placement. It thus re- quires a smaller crew size, which leads to considerable savings in production costs. Also, when used to fabricate pre- cast or prestressed concrete structures, SCC flows more readily between and around the steel substructure. A more Putting Self-Consolidating Concrete vs. Traditional Mix to the Test A new Missouri bridges is experimenting with these two types of concrete with hopes to save thousands for the state's taxpayers. Article and photos courtesy of County Materials Corporation