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

  • Wirtgen paving technology takes off at Frankfurt
    February 27, 2017
    Time was at a premium for Wirtgen machinery when resurfacing the runway at Frankfurt/Main Airport Europe’s third largest airport, Frankfurt/Main, has new surface course on runways about every seven year, including the centre runway, the most-frequently used section.
  • Preparing a raceway with milling machinery
    November 6, 2018
    Contractor Continental Milling has played an important role in refurbishing the famous Pikes Peak Highway route in the US state of Colorado Working as a subcontractor for the Kiewit Corporation on the mill and overlay project, the Continental Milling crew was responsible for milling patches up to 213.4m long on the winding, two-lane highway known for its switchback turns and scenic vistas. The work was needed to prepare the route for the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Pikes Peak Highway fea
  • Concrete plants: flexibility and efficiency
    March 17, 2016
    Concrete mixing plants are becoming more flexible and innovative to ensure they meet increasingly stringent construction schedules. Increasing demands are put on contractors to cut down the transportation of material to construction sites in the name of efficiency and the environment. For that reason concrete mixing plants are increasingly flexible in their transportation to sites, their set up times and their output. Ammann Elba, the company created when German-based Elba was acquired by Ammann in 20
  • U.S National Guard’s airport upgrade
    October 12, 2012
    In Kansas, specialist contractor Pavers has carried out important work for the National Guard. The aim of the work was to rehabilitate a WWII era hangar apron for the Kansas National Guard. The project required extensive repair work, including pavement patching, dowel bar retrofitting, partial depth patching and joint sealing. Pavers had to overhaul a 305m x 91.5m apron at Army Aviation Support Facility No 2 that suffered from poor drainage. The project included milling 152mm of old asphalt and concrete and