Skip to main content

Help for US agencies’ to use new tool to boost concrete pavement quality

In a bid to reduce costs, increase pavement quality, and minimise travel delays caused by road construction, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) are to help agencies implement a tool that allows contractors to identify concrete pavement surface irregularities during construction. Real-time pavement smoothness has been selected for guided implementation under the second Stra
April 23, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
In a bid to reduce costs, increase pavement quality, and minimise travel delays caused by road construction, the US 2410 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the 3510 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the 2774 Transportation Research Board (TRB) are to help agencies implement a tool that allows contractors to identify concrete pavement surface irregularities during construction.

Real-time pavement smoothness has been selected for guided implementation under the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). In May 2014, SHRP2 will begin accepting applications from state departments of transportation (DOTs) who wish to use real-time concrete pavement smoothness to speed up construction and increase quality on their projects.

SHRP2 is an initiative committed to delivering solutions that address growing congestion and aging infrastructure while increasing roadway and construction safety. During typical construction, contractors must wait for concrete pavement to gain adequate strength before evaluating smoothness, which can result in costly penalties and corrective grinding to meet requirements. By monitoring the smoothness of freshly placed concrete, contractors can make timely adjustments to improve operations, increase quality control, and deliver pavements faster.

Two devices measuring real-time pavement smoothness will be available for implementation assistance—the 218 Gomaco Smoothness Indicator (GMI) and the Ames Engineering Real Time Profiler (RTP). These products were selected for implementation after research and evaluation performed by pavement engineering firm The 5943 Transtec Group under SHRP2.

Principal Investigators Dr Robert O. Rasmussen, Steven M. Karamihas and Gary J. Fick evaluated the devices for practicality and accuracy during pavement projects in Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, and New York. You can access the full results of this study—including guidelines for implementation—at TRB online.

State DOTs can apply to participate in the SHRP2 effort to familiarise agencies and associated contractors with the selected real-time pavement smoothness devices. The program aims to provide participating agencies with approximately $60,000 worth of equipment rental, training, and technical support.

Agencies interested in participating must apply online during the application period extending from 30 May – 27 June 2014. To learn more, %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal click here http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/ImplementationAssistance false http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/ImplementationAssistance false false%>

Related Content

  • Updated multiprocessor showcased by Ramtec
    February 3, 2012
    First launched in 2001 but recently updated, Ramtec’s Robi MP19 multiprocessor can, as its title suggests, be applied to a wide range of demolition tasks.
  • North Viaduct completed on UK’s Mersey Gateway bridge project
    April 19, 2017
    Concrete finishing work has started on the completed north approach viaduct of England’s new 2.13km Mersey Gateway project. Over the past three years, around 18,400m³of concrete was used to build the viaduct. When complete near the end of this year, around 60,000 vehicles are expected to use the toll bridge every day, or nearly 22 million vehicles annually.
  • Key event for asphalt industry in Europe
    July 16, 2019
    A key event is being planned for Europe’s asphalt industry. The European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) will hold the 1st EAPA Workshop on the Use of Rejuvenators in Asphalt Mixtures on the 10th and 11th September 2019. The workshop will be held in the Italian city of Padova at the Caffe Padrocchi (Rossini room) - Via VIII febbraio, n. 15 - 35122 Padova. It will take place in the afternoon of 10th September 2019 and the morning of 11th September, followed by the 5th International ISAP Symposium on A
  • Michelin and IRF partner up to provide road statistics
    December 13, 2013
    Michelin has partnered with IRF to mark the global launch of the 50th Anniversary edition of the World Road Statistics. The World Road Statistics (WRS) have now been published every year since 1964. To mark this half-century of achievement, IRF has released a commemorative 50th Anniversary edition that compiles 12 years of data to provide a comprehensive statistical review of the evolution of international road and land transport from the dawn of the Millennium to the present day.