Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/953148
EquipmentWorld.com | March 2018 55 nance of jointed sections on busy roadways." For decades, Texas has documented CRCP's better long-term performance, smoothness and resiliency under heavier traffic. Experts say it offers more rehabilitation options than jointed concrete, in part because anything put on top of it does not have to contend with joints underneath. Texas DOT has used bonded concrete over- lays extensively to double the pavement's 30-year life to 60 years of performance. Higher cost yet more durability, strength, longevity In Texas, the nation's energy capital, there are plenty of freight trucks, and some interstates already have more allowances for heavier vehicles and chained vehicles. If a road has a lot of 18-wheel trucks, CRCP will be a better long-term performer, according to Lukefahr. Texas A&M Transportation Institute has been study- ing impacts of truck drafting, or platooning, to reduce wind resistance. The trucking industry is working with Texas DOT on having the lead vehicle operated by a conventional driver and vehicles trailing electronically. But these platoons impact pavement, which has no op- portunity to rebound between sets of axles. Under that pressure, CRCP would fare best of all the pavement types, Lukefahr says. "Continuously reinforced really is the workhorse, heavy-duty, long-lasting pavement," she says. CRCP does sustain a number of cracks, with a trans- fer of crack in spacing anywhere between 2 and 6 feet. But she says that "because all of that reinforced steel is there, those cracks remain very, very tight, and so it's not a problem from a durability aspect." Illinois Tollway plans aim for 50-year design with CRCP In a $4 billion expansion of the Illinois Tollway's most congested stretch, CRCP will be used on more than 25 miles of I-294 stretching from O'Hare International south to 95th Street. The privately funded tollway chose CRCP because of its zero-maintenance and longer life, says Mike Plei, an Illinois-based consultant who served on a research committee that built test sections for the mas- sive project. "The life-cycle analysis done by the agency showed that the CRCP would be the best option" with the low- est overall cost, he says. Illinois has used CRCP for years, and the cracks don't get wider or deteriorate, says Plei. With jointed pavement, Midwestern states have experienced deterioration in joints. That is partly from using de-icing chemical solutions, and temperature ef- fects moving the concrete, Plei explains. The Concrete Call 800-459-SEAT to find a dealer near you. Your Total Seating Solution Quality seats and seat componets for your vehicle Sentinel Sturdy and compact mechanical suspension for tight- fit applications 100 Series Optional 180° turn- table versatility in cloth or smooth black vinyl 500 Series Designed for a wide- range of construction applications in cloth or smooth black vinyl 800 Series High performance suspension and comfort foam and comfort features 600 Series Preferred features, heavy-duty suspension and comfort foam black vinyl or smooth black vinyl comfort features and comfort foam fit applications Untitled-4 1 7/10/17 3:10 PM