Relying on my background in design, planning, pavements, and maintenance, my challenge was to gain a better knowledge of FDR using cement. I learned from knowledgeable engineers, construction inspectors, maintenance supervisors, and contractors. We received the emergency funds and went to work rebuilding the roads, but there was still a lot to learn about this solution. A representative of the Cement Council of Texas (CCT) worked with TxDOT to help us with the training and education we needed. The standard practice was to allow work on the cement-treated section in the morning, allow for curing and open the road back open to traffic late in the afternoon. A few times we were caught by cooler and rainy weather causing the necessary curing time to be delayed leading to a delay in reopening the road back to traffic.
Over time, the TxDOT pavement scores for the roads in Johnson County went from the worst in the district to the best. A new pavement engineer asked how we accomplished this. It took a committed effort by the entire team of designers, engineers, construction inspectors, maintenance personnel, and contractors. But to be honest, if you had to rebuild almost all your roads with FDR using cement in a short period of time, your road conditions would be great.
I live in Johnson County, and I am happy to report that the roads we built over twenty years ago are still in good condition. All good maintenance supervisors know that if you are not keeping your roads up, you are falling further and further behind. The economical, low-maintenance, longer-lasting roads that we built over 20 years ago have helped the county grow and saved money on maintenance.
I am proud to have now taken a position with CCT to support our state’s ability to build longer-lasting roads. If you are interested in a consultation or want to work directly with CCT, contact us today. Your children and grandchildren deserve longer-lasting roads.