| Volume 42, Number 5 June 6, 2006 |
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In
this issue ... 50th Anniversary of the Interstate |
In
this issue ... |
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Next
issue ... Sustainability
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Nation's
Interstate Celebrates 50 Years
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As
the nation commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Interstate highway
system this week with the culmination of the cross-country convoy
and a gala dinner, it is fitting to consider the effects of one of
the biggest contributors to its success: the concrete pavement industry. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the federal legislation that created the Interstate Highway System. |
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| Permanent Highway #3 in Pierce County, Wisc., was one of the first concrete pavement roadways in the state. | This network of nearly 47,000 miles of divided highways has been called the greatest public works project in history. | |
It not only linked our nation, and boosted productivity to sustain a more than tenfold increase in the gross national product since the network's inception, but also serves as the backbone of the world's strongest economy. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways as one of the "Seven Wonders of the United States." One of the precursory steps in establishing the Interstate system was the first "Federal-Aid Highway Act," which was signed into law in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. This legislation directed the federal government to bear 50% of the cost associated with road building. In order to be eligible for federal funds, states needed a professional highway department and had to maintain the federal-aid road once it was competed. Three years later, Oregon became the first state to level a fuel tax on gasoline, a course soon followed by many states. During the 1920's and 1930's, $2 billion for federal-aid road construction was authorized. Another major milestone was a 1939 report to Congress titled, "Toll Roads and Free Roads." It documented the need for a 26,700 mile network of non-toll expressways for which the Federal government would bear more of the cost than the traditional 50%. Plans for this national system of expressways were presented to Congress in 1944 by the National Highway Committee, appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt, and headed by Commissioner of Public Roads Thomas H. MacDonald. By this time, the plan called for a system of 33,900 miles of expressways and 5,000 miles of auxiliary routes. Congress ended up designating a total of 40,000 miles for the National System of Interstate Highways in 1944, but funding would not be authorized until 1952, when President Harry Truman signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952. This legislation authorized a down payment of $25 million for the Interstate system. The final green light for the U.S. interstate highway system was not given until President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Title I of the act increased the system's proposed length to 41,000 miles; required nationwide design standards (developed through AASHTO); established a new method for apportioning funds among states; and set the federal government's share of the project cost at 90 percent. Title II-the Highway Revenue Act of 1956-created the Highway Trust Fund as a dedicated source of funding for the Interstate Highway System, on a pay-as-you-go basis through the federal gas tax and other motor-vehicle user fees. Subsequent acts by Congress extended the Interstate system mileage to its current length. As for the future? "Concrete pavement is playing an increasingly important role in this system, as evidenced by the increased use in reconstruction projects, particularly in highway corridors with heavy projected traffic and a high percentage of trucks," said Leif Wathne, P.E., ACPA's Director of Highways. "Use of concrete pavement will continue to grow in North America as our focus on sustainable development becomes more pronounced," Wathne added. "A crucial element of sustainability is longevity. A long-lasting concrete pavement does not require rehabilitation or reconstruction as often, and therefore consumes less raw materials in the long run. " Energy savings are also realized since rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts consume energy. Congestion is reduced (with accompanying energy savigs, and reduction in vehicle pollutants) by employing long-lasting concrete pavements, due to the less-frequent construction zones impeding traffic flow. Ultimately, all these environmental and social benefits add up to greater long-term economic benefits to the public," Wathne said. |
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ACPA
Sponsors Nationwide
Contest to Celebrate Interstate Anniversary |
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In
the celebratory spirit surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the U.S.
Interstate highway system, ACPA opened the "Great American
Family Road Trip" essay contest to contestants nationwide.
From June 16 to September 4, contestants have the opportunity to enter the contest by submitting a 500-word essay about a family road trip. |
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Winners will be awarded one of several prizes: a $500 gas gift card; a $250 gas gift card; a $100 gas gift card; and two $50 gas gift cards. Ten entrants also will be awarded road atlases. |
The "Great American Family Road Trip" is the topic of ACPA's essay contest. | |
Click here for the official entry form. For more information, please contact Bill Davenport at 847-966-2272. |
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Mineta
Submits Resignation
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U.S.
Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta submitted
Friday, June 23 his resignation from the post, according to White
House Press Secretary Tony Snow. Mineta's resignation is effective July 7. He served under both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. He is the longest-serving transportation secretary. A long-time friend of the transportation construction industry, Secretary Mineta served for many years as a member of the U.S. House of Representative’s Public Works and Transportation Committee, including two years as Chairman. |
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| Mineta submitted his resignation from his position as U.S. Transportation Secretary. | Snow credited Mineta with cutting regulations and red tape to liberalize the commercial aviation market, establishing the Transportation Security Administration, and helping to shape the highway bill. Click here to read Mineta's letter of resignation. |
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Capka
Confirmed as Federal Highway Administrator
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J.
Richard Capka was sworn in as the 16th Federal Highway Administrator
on May 31. The U.S. Senate approved the nomination of J. Richard Capka as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) by voice vote after the holds were lifted prior to the Memorial Day recess. Capka
was nominated by the President on March 7, and he has served as
acting administrator of FHWA since August. |
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| J. Richard Capka presents keynote remarks at the 2003 ACPA Annual Convention. (Photo: ACPA) | ||
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Concrete
Pavement Rehabilitates
Ailing Asphalt in Washington |
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When the Washington State DOT needed a solution for damaged, worn-down pavement on one of Seattle's most-traveled roadways, they turned to concrete pavement. The increased traffic traveling the 40-year-old route had taken its toll.The asphalt pavement on I-5 through downtown Seattle had experienced years of cracks, potholes, and costly and disruptive temporary repairs, according to WSDOT. This was the first major rehabilitation of the pavement since it was originally constructed in the early 1960s. |
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ACPA member company Gary Merlino Const. Co., Inc. won the bid on the project, which involved: |
A view of the project from Olive Street, looking south. (Photo: WSDOT) | |
• eliminating the patchwork of asphalt and concrete pavement by replacing asphalt pavement with a stronger and longer-lasting concrete surface; • removing 350 truckloads of old asphalt and pouring 700 truckloads of new concrete to resurface a one-mile span of I-5; • paving an exit with concrete; and • replacing cracked and broken pavement and repairing a bridge joint on an overcrossing. The major challenge in completing this work involved the considerable staging effort that had to take place in order to complete the project on time. "We had to route access routes right through the middle of the city in conjunction with a tight timeframe of between 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday," said Bob Pipinich, of Gary Merlino Const. Co., Inc. "We staged operations by the half-hour." "Everything-the materials, the equipment- had to be prestaged and ready to go as soon as 10 o'clock hit. All of the pavement had to be cured and joints sealed prior to reopening to traffic on Monday mornings," he said. However, close coordination with Salinas Construction, Inc. made it possible to replace the worn asphalt with stronger concrete pavement for a smoother ride, safer surface, and extended lifespan for this highly-traveled route. |
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Pavement
Preservation
Techniques Keep Roadways in Service |
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Pavement
preservation refers to all the actions taken to provide and maintain
serviceable roadways, including corrective and preventive maintenance,
as well as minor rehabilitation projects, according to the Foundation
for Pavement Preservation. CPR techniques include diamond grinding, full-depth repair, partial-depth repair, slab stabilization, load-transfer, and joint resealing, among others. |
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Among the first considerations should be the type(s) of preservation technique(s) to apply, based on the type and amount of deterioration present in the candidate pavement. |
Diamond grinding is one concrete pavement restoration technique. | |
The basic process involves assessment to determine whether the distress is structural (which affect the pavement's ability to carry traffic) or functional (which may affect ride quality and safety, but do not impact the pavement's load-carrying capability). Preventive CPR techniques include: • Joint and crack resealing to minimize the infiltration of surface water and incompressible materials into the joint system; • Retrofitting concrete shoulders to decrease edge stresses and corner deflections, as well as to reduce the potential for transverse cracking, pumping, and faulting; • Retrofitting edge drains by adding a longitudinal drainage system to assist in the removal of water that may cause pumping, faulting and durability distress. Corrective and preventive CPR techniques include: • Dowel bar retrofit to increase the load transfer efficiency at transverse cracks and joints; • Slab stabilization to restore the support to concrete slabs by filling small voids that develop under the concrete slab at joints, cracks, or the pavement edge. • Full-depth patching, i.e., removing and replacing at least a portion of a slab to the bottom of the concrete, to restore areas of deterioration. Full-depth patches improve pavement rideability and structural integrity and extend pavement service life. • Partial depth patching to restore localized areas of deterioration that do not extend through the slab. • Diamond grinding to remove bumps and re-profile the surface of concrete pavements. This improves the riding comfort to motorists and decreases the severity of dynamic or impact loads from heavier vehicles. ACPA has a range of technical resources that address pavement preservation and CPR techniques. These include "Concrete Pavement Repair Manual " (JP002); Pavement Rehabilitation Strategy Selection (TB015P); and "CPR for City Streets" (CD023P). To order ACPA publications, go to the ACPA website, www.pavement.com; call toll-free 1- 800-868-6733; or fax requests to 847-966-9666. Contact Mike Ayers at 217-621-3438 for more information or if you have any questions about this article. Would you like to submit a technical question? Send an email to ACPA or call Bill Davenport or Erin McKnight at 847-966-2272. |
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| United States to Experience Long-Term Cement Consumption Growth... The United States annual cement consumption is expected to grow to nearly 195 million metric tons by 2030, according to a Long-Term Cement Consumption Outlook released by the Portland Cement Association last week. This reflects a 1.7% compound annual growth rate. Increased U.S. population and the expected demand for housing, commercial buildings, public buildings, and infrastructure will fuel this increase as will an expected 25% increase cement consumption per capita. The cement industry is currently engaged in an aggressive $3.9 billion capacity expansion. Market growth coupled with decreased foreign reliance on cement import should result in complete absorption of the expected new capacity. |
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ACPA Concrete
Pavement Progress is published 12 times per year and covers
current practices and case histories in the concrete pavement industry.
ACPA Concrete Pavement Progress is distributed free
of charge to public officials, ACPA members, executive committee,
board of directors, and affiliated chapter/state paving associations. All rights reserved. Copyright
2006 by the American Concrete Pavement Association. No portion of
this publication may be reproduced mechanically or electronically
without the expressed written permission of the American Concrete
Pavement Association. |
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| American Concrete Pavement Association
5420 Old Orchard Road, Suite A100 Skokie, IL 60077 Phone: 847-966-2272. Fax: 847-966-9970 (Washington) 1130 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 1250 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-887-8290. Fax: 202-887-8298 (Mesa, AZ) 807 W. Keating Ave. Mesa, AZ 85210 Phone: 480-775-0908 Visit our website at http://www.pavement.com/ |
2006 Chairman,
ACPA Board of Directors
Peter Deem, Holcim (US) Inc. 2005 Vice-Chairman, ACPA Board of Directors Pat Nolan, Interstate Highway Const., Inc. (IHC) 2006 Communications Committee Chairman Mike Roth, Lehigh Southwest Cement Co. ACPA President/CEO - Gerald F. Voigt, P.E. Editor - Bill Davenport Managing Editor - Erin McKnight |
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