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Options for Using Precast Concrete to Speed

Construction

A solution for repairing roadways with faster project schedules,

reduced congestion, and improved safety

Modular pavement technology uses precast concrete pavement (PCP) segments

that can be quickly installed on a prepared foundaon. PCP has applicaon both

in accelerated pavement reconstrucon as a permanent surface over a wide

area, as well as for temporary segments to allow more exibility in construcon

phasing. There are great potenal benets to using PCP systems: they can

speed up roadway reconstrucon without sacricing quality; once installed, the

roadway can quickly be reopened; and trac disrupon during construcon

can be signicantly reduced through use of unique phasing opportunies. In

many cases, contractors have been able to repair the subgrade and return the

roadway to full service within one construcon shi.

Over the past 10 years, several transportaon agencies have recognized the

benets of this technology and installed PCP systems in a variety of applicaons.

Because it is a relavely recent technology, however, informaon on modular

pavement pracces and PCP performance has not been well documented. In

addion, most PCP systems are proprietary, so state transportaon departments

have oen found them dicult to specify.

The objecve of the research from the second Strategic Highway Research

Program (SHRP2) was to ll this gap in knowledge by developing guidelines

and tools for public agencies to use in the selecon, design, construcon,

installaon, and maintenance of PCP systems, and to provide the tools for cost/

benet assessment in situaons where the technology may apply.

Modular Pavement Technology

The Solution

Because PCP systems are a recent technology, there was insucient data on their

use over an extended period of me, with gaps in knowledge regarding durability and performance at the joints and pane

Addionally, unrealisc expectaons about PCPs as super pavements potenally could undermine the success of thetechnology. To address these issues, SHRP2 invesgated 16 PCP projects at locaons with a wide range of climates (from

Michigan to Texas) and assessed how the PCP systems were used (on ramps, toll plazas, at-grade roadways, and airports).

Field surveys included short, intermient repairs as well as longer, connuous applicaons.

Precast concrete pavement

saves time and money

FOCUS AREA:

Renewal (R05)

Tools to match the right pavement

installaon opons to the project,

as well as specicaons for design,

fabricaon, and installaon of

precast concrete pavement systems.

Save Lives

Shorter construcon

period means less

exposure to work

zone hazards for drivers and

construcon workers.

Save Money

Installaon

costs for PCP are

slightly higher than alternave

CIP soluons, but can result in

signicant savings because of

reduced installaon me and

trac maintenance costs.

Save Time

PCP enables rapid

installaon and

quality control, and roadways

can oen remain parally open

during the installaon process for

reduced congeson and minimal

impact to users.

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SHRP2s research found that modular pavement technology is sll evolving, but that over the 10 years it has been used,

well-designed and well-constructed PCP systems can provide high-quality, long-term service and are oen a good choice

for rapid repair and rehabilitaon of exisng pavements. These new guidelines provide transportaon agencies with

tools that can match the PCP installaon technology to the project, while providing clear specicaons for PCP design,

fabricaon, and installaon, as well as model specicaons.

The Benefts

PCP pavement provides the opportunity for signicantly reducing trac impacts of roadway reconstrucon projects,

parcularly on heavily traveled routes. The technology has applicaons both in small segments to allow exibility in

construcon phasing, as well as use for corridor-wide pavement reconstrucon. This tool will support the connued growth

and understanding of the use of PCP for roadway construcon. Some benets are:

Shorter installaon me means reduced trac impacts.

Safety of drivers and construcon workers improves due to reducing the frequency and duraon of work zones.

Pavement is ready for trac upon installaonno curing me.

Slabs are cast in plants under ideal condions for opmum quality.

Installaon can take place at night or under adverse weather condions, extending the construcon season.

Durability can be similar to or beer than tradional cast-in-place (CIP) soluons.

Who is using these modifed pavement technologies?PCP systems are in place across the country. Here are just a few examples

Agency System Projects

Caltrans Precast, prestressed, and jointed PCP (Caltrans designed) I-680 (prestressed system)I-15 (jointed system) and other locations

Illinois Tollway Jointed PCP for repairs(Tollway designed and Fort Miller Co. systems)

Several projects in the Chicago area

Iowa Department of Transportation(DOT)

Precast, prestressed, and jointed PCP for approach slabs Highway 60 near Sheldon, IAIowa 43 near Denver, IA

New Jersey DOT Jointed PCP for repairs (Fort Miller Co. systems) Several projects along I-95 and other primaryroadways

Utah DOT Utah DOT-designed Fort Miller Co. systems I-15 and other locations

Virginia DOT Precast, prestressed (Virginia DOT designed)

Jointed (Fort Miller Co. systems)

Fairfax County, VA; I-66 mainline (prestressed

system); I-66 ramp (jointed system)

How can you learn more?

For more informaon, email Sam Tyson at FHWA, sam.tyson@wa.dot.gov, Keith Plae at AASHTO, kplae@aashto.org,

or James Bryant at TRB,jbryant@nas.gov. Addional resources include a project overview on the TRB website at

hp://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/trbnetprojectdisplay.asp?projecd=2169.

About SHRP 2 Implementation

The second Strategic Highway Research Program is a naonal partnership of key transportaon

organizaons: the Federal Highway Administraon, the American Associaon of State Highway

and Transportaon Ocials, and the Transportaon Research Board. Together, these partners

conduct research and deploy products that will help the transportaon community enhance the

producvity, boost the eciency, increase the safety, and improve the reliability of the Naons

highway system.

Strategic Highway Research Program

U.S. Department of Transportaon | Federal Highway Administraon

American Associaon of State Highway and Transportaon Ocials Transportaon Research Board

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