TECHNOLOGY NEWS
2
OCT–NOV 1998
The preparation of thisnewsletter was financed through theLocal Technical Assistance Program(LTAP). LTAP is a nationwideeffort financed jointly in Iowa by the Federal Highway Administration and the IowaDepartment of Transportation.The mission of Iowa’s LTAP:To foster a safe, efficient,environmentally soundtransportation system by improvingskills and knowledge of localtransportation providers throughtraining, technical assistance, andtechnology transfer, to improve thequality of life for Iowans.Subscriptions to
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are free, and we welcome your comments,questions, and suggestions. Tosubscribe, or to obtain permissionto reprint articles, contact the editorat the address below.Center for TransportationResearch and Education2625 N. Loop Drive, Suite 2100Ames, Iowa 50010-8615Telephone: 515-294-8103Fax: 515-294-0467http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/Tom MazeDirectortom@ctre.iastate.eduDuane Smith Associate Director for Outreachdesmith@iastate.eduMarcia Brink Editormarcia@ctre.iastate.eduTom McDonaldSafety Circuit Ridertmcdonald@ctre.iastate.eduSharon Prochnow Program Coordinatorsharon@ctre.iastate.eduStan RingLibrary Coordinatorstan@ctre.iastate.eduMichele Regenold Assistant Editormichele@ctre.iastate.eduThe opinions, findings, orrecommendations expressedhere are those of theCenter for TransportationResearch and Educationand do not necessarily reflectthe views of the FederalHighway Administration or theIowa Department of Transportation.Iowa State University and theCenter for TransportationResearch and Educationprovide equal opportunities andcomply with ADA requirements inprograms and employment. Callthe Affirmative ActionOffice at 515-294-7612to report discrimination.
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researchers fromIowa State University have experi-mented with nondestructive methodsfor determining the strength of new PCC pavement.One method—maturity testing—has given highway officials a way to reduce traffic delay due to PCCpaving from 7 to 14 days to only 1 or 2 days for cartraffic. According to James Cable, associate professor of civil and construction engineering at ISU who con-ducted the studies, maturity testing is based on theconcept that PCC strength can be expressed as afunction of cure time and pavement temperature.Here’s how it works:First a maturity-strength relationship is establishedfor a particular mix. At the beginning of a construc-tion project, several flexural test beams are cast.Thermocouple wire for measuring temperature isembedded in one control beam. The strength of theother beams is measured one by one at regular inter-vals by traditional destructive methods. Thestrength is correlated to the “maturity value” of thecontrol beam (under a time-temperature curve), anda maturity-strength baseline curve for the PCC mixis established.The curve can be established while concrete is beingplaced. Temperature probes are installed at specifieddepths every 500–1,000 feet in the new pavement.Using the baseline curve, temperature readings fromthe probes predict pavement strength. Additionaldestructive tests of flexural beams from the site areunncessary.Pavement temperatures are read near the surface todetermine when to saw transverse joints, and atmidpavement depth to determine when to open theroadway to cars (350 psi flexural) and constructiontraffic (500 psi flexural).Maturity testing can be useful to local governments whenever roadway construction is extremely incon-venient to motorists—at private driveway entrances,for example. Council Bluffs City Engineer GregReeder has been using maturity testing for threeyears. “The biggest advantage,” he says, “is theacceleration of construction time, especially wherepeople are cut off from their homes and businesses.”The city sets the probes and does the temperaturetesting. “It’s not very time consuming,” Reeder says.“Sometimes the probes get yanked out by the fin-
Reducing traffic delaysdue to construction
isher or even by kids, so be careful where you locatethe probes.”Reeder has one other caution: “Your concretesupplier has to be on board,” because the supplierhas to establish the curves at the start of the projectand whenever the mix changes. Jason Spooner, construction supervisor for Manatt’sInc. of Ames, says Manatt’s has used maturity test-ing on several projects. “We were pretty skeptical atfirst. But this is our second season using it, and it’sbeen very reliable.”In 1997 the Iowa DOT revised its specifications toallow wider use of maturity testing. See Iowa DOTspecification “Mtls. I.M. 383” dated May 2, 1997.For more information about the study, contactCable, 515-294-2862, jkcable@iastate.edu. He pre-sented his research at the Crossroads 2000 transpor-tation conference in August 1998; the paper isprinted in the conference proceedings and can beaccessed online at www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/cross-roads/149using.pdf. (This file is in pdf format andrequires Acrobat Reader to be opened. Acrobat canbe downloaded free at www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.)This study was supported by the Iowa Highway Research Board (HR-380). For a copy of the finalreport, contact CTRE’s librarian, Stan Ring,515-294-9481, stan@ctre.iastate.edu. Ask forpublication P1314.
Under contract with the City of Ames, Manatt’s iscurrently reconstructing East Thirteenth Street andusing maturity testing on the PCC project. Here a thermocouple probe is placed in wet PCC mix.
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