Skip to main content

Efficient concrete overlays

Concrete overlays have a long history and proven success in the state of Iowa. Mitchell and Worth counties in north central Iowa have led the way. In the past three years, they have put down approximately 241km of 102mm concrete overlay. Concrete Foundations Inc. (CFI), based out of Hiawatha, Iowa, has slipformed almost 80km of the counties' overlays, including 45km this paving season near the town of Osage. CFI has slipformed most of the overlays with its GOMACO two-track GP-2600 paver. This season, the co
February 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Efficient concrete overlays are being achieved with the use of stringless controls

Concrete overlays have a long history and proven success in the state of Iowa. Mitchell and Worth counties in north central Iowa have led the way. In the past three years, they have put down approximately 241km of 102mm concrete overlay.

Concrete Foundations Inc. (CFI), based out of Hiawatha, Iowa, has slipformed almost 80km of the counties' overlays, including 45km this paving season near the town of Osage.

CFI has slipformed most of the overlays with its 218 Gomaco two-track GP-2600 paver. This season, the company added the Leica Geosystems stringless system and a new GOMACO four-track GHP-2800 paver to the inventory. Both were put to work on the project near Osage.

The new unbonded concrete overlay is 6.7m wide, and the material is placed directly on the existing asphalt surface of the roadway. The surface only has to be swept clean before the mix is dumped on it and concrete slump averages around 13-25mm.

The firm has seen increased production with fewer people needed for stringline maintenance and setup. Five site personnel who normally worked with the stringline are now used elsewhere during the paving process. The lack of stringline also allows them to focus more on quality and production rather than stringline maintenance.

The GOMACO GHP-2800 is pulling burlap for a burlap drag finish behind the paver. Finishers work behind the paver with bull floats before a texture/cure machine applies a longitudinal tine and white spray cure.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Roadtec changes the game of asphalt paving
    December 20, 2016
    Truly innovative is Roadtec’s Shuttle Buggy material transfer vehicle. John Irvine, President of Roadtec, explains how and why the ‘Buggy’ changed the game of asphalt paving Road paving technology changed dramatically in the 1930s when the American inventor Harry Barber unveiled the very first asphalt paver. Barber was what we today would call a “game-changer”. Innovations like Barber’s don’t come around often. In fact, decades can pass until another breakthrough product pushes the productivity and q
  • Machine control advances boosting quality
    June 12, 2017
    The latest developments in machine control technology will deliver major gains in quality and productivity. Machine control technology plays an increasingly important role in construction. The pace of development has been fast, with new systems offering major gains in both productivity and quality across a range of applications. At the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 exhibition in Las Vegas, key advances were unveiled in machine control technologies suited to markets such as earthmoving, concrete paving and pil
  • Paving a Japanese airport within strict time constraints
    September 19, 2012
    In Japan, major efforts are being made to both conserve energy and materials, while also delivering high quality airport runways. At Haneda Airport, as well as at the Fukuoka, Chitose and Sendai airports, innovative use is being made of asphalt paving equipment from Sumitomo. The latest model HA60W J paver from Sumitomo is being used to lay warm mix asphalt, while the contractors is also using sophisticated control technology. To minimise disruption to flight schedules, construction work at Haneda has been
  • The Mersey Gateway bridge project continues on schedule
    October 18, 2016
    Work continues on the 2.3km Mersey Gateway signature bridge project close to Liverpool in the UK. David Arminas reports on some of the construction highlights. Under construction is a cable-stayed structure with three towers that will span the Mersey River’s expansive mud flats between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes near Liverpool. Including the approach viaducts on each side, it will be 2.3km long with a river span of 1km. The main bridge deck will be reinforced concrete. The 80m-high central tower will b