Publication Details
Mobile Ramp Precast Concrete Pavement Demonstration Project 
Primary Topic: Pavement Rehabilitation
Description: Repair and rehabilitation of the aging highway infrastructure continues to be a challenging endeavor for all U.S. highway agencies. Thousands of miles of highway pavements need rehabilitation, and many of these highways carry over 100,000 vehicles/day, including a large percentage of trucks. Extended lane closures must be avoided to prevent compounding congestion—which means rehabilitation work must be completed rapidly. While many projects have been completed using rapid-setting concrete, results have been inconsistent. Precast concrete pavements (PCPs) have been shown to be promising alternatives.
The production use of PCP has come a long way over the last 15 years. The technology is gaining wider acceptance in the U.S. for rapid repair and rehabilitation of concrete pavements as well as for heavily trafficked asphalt concrete pavements and intersections. Several U.S. highway agencies have implemented the PCP technology, and other agencies have constructed demonstration projects. In the U.S., the PCP technology is being used for intermittent repairs (full-depth joint repairs or full panel replacement) and for continuous applications (longer length/wider area rehabilitation) with service life expectations of at least 20 years for intermittent repairs and at least 40 years for continuous applications, without significant future corrective treatment.
The Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Project R05 was conducted from 2008 to 2012 to develop technical information and guidelines that would encourage the rapid and successful adoption of PCP technology. In 2013, the SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program (IAP) was created to help State highway agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and other interested organizations deploy SHRP2-developed products to deliver more efficient, cost-effective solutions to meet the complex challenges facing transportation agencies. On August 7, 2015, the Federal Highway Administration—in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—announced the selection of 21 transportation agencies receiving implementation and technical assistance awards as part of Round 6 of the SHRP2 IAP. The Alabama Department of Transportation, one of the agencies selected as a lead adopter of Project R05 technology, received an award of $300,000 to help offset the cost of constructing a PCP project. This case study report provides details of the 2017 PCP use for rehabilitation of a distressed asphalt concrete ramp at Exit 2 of I-165, intersecting with Alt US 90 (New Bay Bridge Road), in Mobile, Alabama.
FHWA Publication Number: FHWA-HIF-18-003
Publication Year: 2018
Document Links: PDF (file size: 5 mb)