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Cementx Pavement Blog

CONCRETE STANDS UP TO MOTHER NATURE!

5/15/2019

15 Comments

 
The National Wind Institute at Texas Tech University finds that concrete is the best material to stand up to hurricanes and tornadoes.  This video shows the real strength of concrete in a wind storm. Watch Build With Strength wind test video featuring Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association President David Perkins and Target Strength Concrete winner Dan Jeray, Redi-Mix Concrete.  
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TXDOT/CCT CONCRETE CONFERENCE A ROCK-SOLID VALUE

1/31/2018

39 Comments

 
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Why should you attend the 2018 TxDOT/CCT Concrete Conference?  Well, there are several reasons.  Most notably, the two-day technical program (April 10-11, 2018, JJ Pickle Research Campus at UT-Austin) packs critical new information, networking opportunities, and hands-on learning into a highly efficient format (12.5 PDHs).  And registration costs are kept low through our many members, sponsors and exhibitors.  
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Find Out More
The General Sessions will feature FHWA and TxDOT administrators providing perspectives on agency plans and priorities.  Additionally, distinguished technical lecturers will serve as a capstone to the entire conference.

Technical breakout sessions will focus on the latest developments in three key areas:  Highways, bridges and local streets and pavements.  Among other topics, you'll learn: 
  • How the Houston District has incorporated the ultra-quiet and smooth Next Generation Concrete Surface into several major highways.
  • How to lower bridge maintenance by eliminating joints and minimizing cracks in bridge decks.
  • How Illinois Tollway's continuously-reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) innovations might help TxDOT build better pavements.
  • For local streets, parking and industrial pavements, how you can use the industry's new online design tool--pavementdesigner.org--to optimize your concrete pavements. 
  • How cities and counties are getting the best value from jointed pavement, CRCP, and roller-compacted concrete.​
And when you need a break from the presentations, other learning and networking activities abound:
  • The added "Outdoor Equipment Showcase" where you can see first-hand FHWA's Concrete Lab Mobile Trailer; TxDOT's Total  Pavement Acceptance Device (TPAD) and 3-D ground penetrating radar;  and large state-of-the-art vendor equipment.
  • Manufacturers, suppliers and consultants are often industry's product and service innovators; we've increased exhibition space by 50% for more opportunities to learn about industry's latest technology.
  • The new "Exhibitor Spotlight" will highlight vendor innovations with presentations in the Tower Room during breaks.
  • Included meals, refreshments, and an opening day reception provide time to network with colleagues, sponsors, industry, and the featured presenters.

You can even extend your learning and networking by attending the added Engineering Ethics presentation (required annually for all Texas PEs) on Monday, April 9th, as a prelude to the Concrete Conference Golf Tournament later that morning.  The Ethics presentation is open to all attendees, whether or not joining in the tournament.

The registration fees for the conference make this an especially good value.  CCT's cement company members, conference sponsors and exhibitors help keep these costs low (by March 23rd):
  • $175 for TxDOT, other public agencies, or academia
  • $300 for all others
  • $75 Concrete Conference Golf Tournament (April 9, 2018 at nearby Balcones Country Club)

Who should attend?  If you are a stakeholder in the critical construction and renewal of Texas' transportation infrastructure, the TxDOT/CCT Concrete Conference is for you:
  • TxDOT engineering and construction personnel, from District Engineers and administrators to recent graduates.
  • Local road agency and regional mobility authority personnel who must build and maintain road networks.
  • Contractors who want to incorporate efficient new innovations and be aware of emerging technologies.
  • Consultants servicing TxDOT and local agencies, who need to update their expertise on concrete pavements and structures, so that they can offer their clients optimum state-of-the-art service.
  • Professors and students who want to expand learning opportunities beyond the textbooks.
  • Manufacturers and suppliers who want to speak with key decisionmakers in TxDOT, local agencies and industry.
For more information for both attendees and sponsors/exhibitor--and to register online--go to www.cementx.org/concrete 2018.
39 Comments

SOIL-CEMENT CONTINUES TO BE BIG IN TEXAS DAMS

7/12/2017

5 Comments

 
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By: Kenneth D. Hansen, PE
Texas is entering a new era in dam building to satisfy the need for increased water supply for municipalities, industry and agriculture. The five mile long Lane City Reservoir (links to information sheet and  video) in Wharton County will be the first large reservoir built in Texas this century. It will be closely followed by Lower Bois d’Arc Dam in Fannin County, an expansion of Harris reservoir in Brazoria County and Allens Creek reservoir in Austin County.

All of these new embankment dams are expected to utilize soil-cement to protect their upstream slopes from waves which could be generated by hurricane force winds. Soil-cement in Texas has proven to be a less costly and a better performing solution for slope protection than rock riprap- which is not readily available in most of Texas.

The use of soil-cement for protecting major dams in Texas goes back more than 50 years. Much has been learned from the performance of these early soil-cement protected dams. These lessons will be summarized by me during a Soil-Cement Short Course to be held at Wharton, Texas on September 14, 2017. The program includes a night tour of soil-cement being placed by the latest specialized equipment and methods on the Lane City reservoir being built for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).  Phillips and Jordan is contractor for the CH2M-designed embankment.

What has been learned from the original Bonny Reservoir, Colorado soil-cement test section built by the US Bureau of Reclamation in 1951 will be presented.  It will be followed by lessons I learned from being involved in the following major soil-cement protected projects in Texas – Toledo Bend Dam, the cooling water reservoirs for the Barney M. Davis Power Station and the South Texas nuclear plant, Palmetto Bend Dam (forms Lake Texana) and Choke Canyon Dam. All of these dams have been performing as designed for more than 35 years. 
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In addition to hearing about the purpose, design and construction of the Lane City reservoir, registrants will be introduced to soil-cement being used to protect stream banks.  Soil-cement for this application has been well received and well tested for protection of erodible sandy river banks from floods in urban areas of Arizona, southern California, New Mexico and Colorado.

Ken Hansen Bio
5 Comments

NEW FDR GUIDE RELEASED, FEATURED IN CCT'S STABILIZATION/RCC SEMINARS

7/7/2017

5 Comments

 
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By: Jan R. Prusinski, PE
The National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) at Iowa State University has recently published a comprehensive "Guide to Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) with Cement."  This 90-page manual was developed in cooperation with the Portland Cement Association and many product experts from around the country, including CCT's own Matthew Singel.  It will serve as a centerpiece in CCT's just-announced one-day seminar series "Best Practices for Cement Stabilization and Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements," to be held at seven Texas locations between August and December, 2017.

FDR is often the lowest-cost method of recycling failed asphalt pavements into highly durable bases.  It is an in-place operation that pulverizes the existing surface and base, then adds a small amount of cement to provide a fast-curing and long-lasting base that stands up to heavy trucks and saturated conditions.  Construction is fast, often completed in one day, so light traffic can be applied afterwards; and the need to excavate huge amounts of old material and replace it with new base material--and the associated heavy truck traffic--is avoided.

The guide provides not only an introduction to FDR with cement, but it also comprehensively covers key topics:
  • Properties and materials
  • Project evaluation (when is FDR appropriate?)
  • Structural design
  • Mix design
  • Construction
  • Inspection and testing
  • Long-term performance
The guide is geared for design, testing and construction professionals, so that they can properly utilize this highly economical and durable asphalt pavement recycling method.  

If you are interested in being trained in this technique, using the new guide, please consider attending one of the CCT's 7 upcoming seminars.  To find out more about FDR, and download the guide, visit the CP Tech Center's website.
5 Comments

100 YEAR-OLD CONCRETE STREET: AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO IMPROVE ASCE'S D+ GRADE

7/7/2017

5 Comments

 
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By: Jan R. Prusinski, PE
San Antonio's Belknap Place is over a century old, and still going strong.  Last May, it was commemorated with a Texas State Historical Marker, and in December the American Concrete Pavement Association presented its Longevity Award to the City for Belknap Place.  As President Trump contemplates a $1 trillion infrastructure investment, and the ASCE discusses America's overall D+ in its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, Belknap Place stands as a monument to wise public investment in a resilient technology. Click here for a Belknap Place slideshow and report.
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WHY A CEMENTX PAVEMENT BLOG?

3/1/2017

2 Comments

 
By: Jan R. Prusinski, PE
Is your knowledge up to date on how to design, construct and maintain concrete pavements?  Do you know current best practices for stabilizing base materials and soils with cement?  Have you considered roller-compacted concrete for a street or industrial site, but don't know how to design or specify it?  Are you giving your clients--public agencies, facility owners, the traveling public--the best performing pavements at the lowest cost?  If these or similar questions are on your mind, then the Cementx Pavement Blog is for you.  Also, you can register for updates and a free giveaway.

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CEMENT COUNCIL'S WEBSITE REDESIGNED FOR BETTER CONTENT, NAVIGATION AND MOBILE USE

3/1/2017

1 Comment

 
Cement Council of Texas Website on laptop, mobile phone, and tablet
By: Jan R. Prusinski, P.E.
The Cement Council of Texas has redesigned it's website for 2017.  You can still find us at www.cementx.org but the site is now is easier to read and navigate, as well as being mobile and tablet friendly.  We want to make this site better for you, the building professional, and make it your Texas resource for news, knowledge and events on concrete and cement pavements, infrastructure, and construction. We're celebrating by giving away valuable publications on concrete pavement and stabilized bases/subgrades for subscribers to our email updates.  And you'll also be registered for a May 1st drawing for even more valuable publications from the American Concrete Institute and the Portland Cement Association.

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THREE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ARTICLES HIGHLIGHT TEXAS INFRASTRUCTURE MEGA-PROJECTS

2/8/2017

4 Comments

 
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By: Jan R. Prusinski, PE
As they say, things are bigger in Texas; of course, this carries over into infrastructure needs too.  Today's Houston Chronicle published three articles highlighting various aspects of potential mega-projects that would bolster Texas' infrastructure.  
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IS IT TIME TO DEVELOP A MORE REASONABLE CONCRETE OVERLAY DESIGN METHOD?   

12/31/2016

5 Comments

 
PictureClick to enlarge - Courtesy of National Concrete Pavement Technology Center
By: Richard B. Rogers, PE
Concrete pavement overlays can be an economical method to rehabilitate both concrete and asphalt pavements (see the Guide to Concrete Overlays from the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center.)  ​But, the concrete overlay pavement design methods being used today, yes even AASHTO ME, are overly conservative.  Why should a concrete overlay of an asphalt pavement in structurally good condition be only 2 inches thinner than a new concrete pavement on a subbase and subgrade.  Better methods are available--just not used--to take advantage of the existing pavement structure.  


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GIVE YOUR CONCRETE PAVEMENT A SECOND LIFE

12/31/2016

7 Comments

 
​By: Richard B. Rogers, PE
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If your concrete pavement is starting to show some distress, then it may be time give it a new life with a bonded concrete overlay.  A 4-inch bonded concrete overlay is faster and more economical than full reconstruction or an asphalt overlay and has a history of providing 25 years of service with excellent performance.  Bill Brudnick, Houston District Design Engineer or Mike Hallum, Wichita Falls District, Area Engineer have both had successful experiences with thin bonded overlays.  The CCT can provide examples, design strategies, and construction techniques...just contact us.

"This blog was previously posted in the Cement Council of Texas' "Texas Cement and Concrete Blog" (now inactive) and was carried forward to the current blog ("Cementx Pavement Blog") as it contains content that may be of interest to the reader".
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    PURPOSE

    The Cementx Pavement Blog seeks to make pavement owners, engineers and contractors smarter about selecting, designing, constructing and maintaining pavements. New blog postings began February 1, 2017; however, we carried over pavement-related blog postings from our older blog, the "Texas Cement and Concrete Blog," which ran until December 2016.

    Authors

    Jan R. Prusinski, PE
    Executive Director

    Richard B. Rogers, PE
    Sr. Director, Concrete Pavements

    Matthew W. Singel
    ​Director, Soil-Cement and RCC Pavements

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​The Cement Council of Texas promotes the proper use of cement and concrete in pavements, infrastructure, buildings, homes and other construction applications.  We are the non-profit trade association of portland cement manufacturers and shippers in Texas.

Office: 817-281-6799
​Email: info@cementx.org
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The materials and information contained herein are for general guidance and reference purposes only for professionals competent to evaluate the significance and limitations of their content.  The materials and information do not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.  Third party materials reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the accuracy of the facts, data, opinions, findings, and conclusions presented therein.  The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Cement Council of Texas.
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  • Home
  • Pavements
    • Airports
    • Highways
    • Industrial
    • Parking Lots
    • Pavement & Soil Stabilization
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  • Calendar/Events
    • Calendar
  • News & Resources
    • News
    • Industry Links
    • Resources & Presentations
  • Blog
  • Projects
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • CCT Members
    • CCT Staff >
      • Richard B. Rogers, PE
      • Amy C. Swift
      • Nancy Aguirre Beltran, PhD., EIT
      • Randy Bowers, PE
    • Contact and Subscribe