Even at 8 inches, asphalt is no match for planes that weigh 50 to 85 tons. West Virginia pavement engineers and Triton Construction replaced deteriorating overlay with 8 tons of Rapid Set® Cement concrete that, at 5000 psi compressive strength in one hour, exceeded project requirements.
The Holy Grail of concrete bridge deck maintenance is an easy-to-install, high-early-strength overlay for fast reopening and very low permeability for durability. North Carolina and Lanford Brothers try the latest option: Rapid Set® Cement dosed with Liquid Low-P™ (for “low permeability”) admixture.
Rapid Strength Concrete (RSC) slabs on six California jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) highway projects were surveyed. The overall performance of the RSC slabs were similar and considered to be outstanding over 13 years.
Quick return to service is critical to avoid disrupting traffic, especially if that traffic traverses a bridge. This state DOT used Rapid Set® Cement to replace concrete bridge deck expansion joints by 6:30 a.m. The material met the agency’s opening strength requirement of 4000 psi compressive strength in four hours.
A major California airport installed can lighting to improve visibility. The contractor used ASTM C1600 very-rapid-hardening (VRH) Rapid Set Cement concrete instead of Type III portland cement concrete to avoid heavy penalties that would have accrued had taxiways not reopened to traffic by 5:30 a.m. every day.
The I-64/40 pavement patching project consisted of replacing 7,500 square yards of 11-inch-thick concrete panels. Work was completed ahead of schedule using Rapid Set Cement.
It is possible to reduce panel thickness by 20%, eliminate 70% or more of traditional rebar, and erect panels the same day they are poured. Products used include Cement All, WunderFixx, Rapid Set Cement and FastRock TU.
All infrastructure must be repaired and restored as quickly as possible to minimize inconvenience to the traveling public. Caltrans facilitated the replacement of four hinges on a reinforced concrete box girder bridge by using Rapid Set® Cement concrete.
To ensure all timelines and incentives could be met, Rapid Set Cement and DOT Repair Mix Concentrate (aka DOT Concentrate) were used for all patching and doweling work. Work included full-depth panel replacements and slot stitching at longitudinal cracks and joints and DBR at transverse cracks and joints using DOT Concentrate.
Contract penalties for construction delays on runway repairs can be extremely punitive. To give crews enough time to cut out and replace old light cans and sample and test newly placed concrete each night before the runway was approved for reopening, contractor DACO Construction used Rapid Set Cement concrete instead of accelerated Type III portland cement concrete.
Downhole Products chose Rapid Set Cement for their wellhead caps. Using Rapid Set Cement helped the crew meet specifications of 3,500 psi in 24 hours.
Mining has driven Utah's growth since before the territory became a state in 1896. Maintaining 24/7/365 access to these facilities is therefore critical to the state's economy. To keep traffic moving when the north-south route through one mining town required repair, the state chose to use ASTM C1600 very-rapid-hardening Rapid Set® Cement.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has used concrete mix designs containing Rapid Set Cement since 2014 to meet performance specifications for their roadway panel replacement projects. Here, the contractor was able to meet the required reopening strength before 6:30 am every day in every season.
Because the roadway had to be returned to traffic by a specified time with a minimum compressive strength of 1600 psi, Rapid Set® Cement’s fast curing time was the ideal solution. The contractor was able to replace more broken pavement panels each weekend.
When the highway has to be repaired and reopened by 6 a.m. and the pavement has to have 3000 psi compressive strength to reopen, the Washington State DOT (WSDOT) often specifies Rapid Set Cement. Contractors working for the agency placed 200 tons over three months to restore a smooth ride for commuters.
The Utah DOT uses bulk Rapid Set Cement on time-sensitive projects to minimize inconvenience to the driving public. Contractor Dry Creek Structures consistently met the 6 am reopening deadline and 4000 psi (compressive) reopening strength. Demolition, installation, and curing of the newly placed concrete was completed in time for the morning commute.
Portions of two busy interstates had to patched overnight and reopened to traffic by 5 am. Using Rapid Set Cement, contractor RA Knapp Construction was able to get 2.3 times the production in the same eight-hour time frame. The Kansas DOT has added Rapid Set to its patching specifications.
The NCDOT oversaw the full-depth panel replacement on the southern stretch of Interstate-40 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Rapid Set cement concrete was used and met the specifications of 400-psi flexural strength in two hours, in half the time.
CSA cement is a proven technology for the underground construction industry. The fast set time, high strength, low porosity, high chemical stability and sulfate resistance make it a material uniquely suited for underground repairs, shotcrete and other applications as needed.
BCSA cement offers design and construction professionals a chance to work with a concrete mixture that does not shrink and sets quickly, reaching 4500 psi compressive strength in about one hour.
Rapid Set Cement is the Port of Seattle’s material of choice because it provides high initial strengths and a faster return to service with long-term durability. Rapid Set Cement concrete is used to perform the work overnight and the repaired sections returned to service each morning so that operations and flight schedules are not disrupted.
Project specifications for filling the trenches and holes in the upgrade of the runway lighting called for concrete to achieve compressive strength of 3,500 psi in four hours. Rapid Set Cement was used in the mix design and reached 3,500 psi in two hours, half the time specified, allowing the project to be completed sooner.
300 cubic yards of concrete were successful placed in 6 hours. The freeway opened to traffic an hour after placement. Short Load produced the Rapid Set Concrete.
A more sustainable alternative to portland cement for decorative concrete work is available for architects and contractors. Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate (BCSA) Cements have a lower carbon footprint and can typically yield additional LEED points.
The January 17, 1994, Northridge 6.6 earthquake did immense damage to many of the region’s vital traffic arteries. One serious disruption was the closing of the I-10 Santa Monica freeway due to the collapse of two bridges. The 1-10 is the busiest freeway in the nation. C.C. Myers completely rebuilt the two bridges 74 days ahead of schedule and received a $14.5 million bonus. Products used include Rapic Set Cement, Rapid Set Flowable Fill, and SET Control.
Based on the proven performance of Rapid Set® Cement Concrete in heavy-use pavement applications and harsh climates, it was chosen to replace 531 Runway 16C panels. Rapid Set Cement Concrete provided a rapid-setting, high performance concrete solution engineered to provide extended service life and significant savings in repair and replacement costs at SEA-TAC for many years to come.
The implementation of "sigma methodologies" evokes a sense of quality and excellence, and therefore combining the word "sigma" and concrete is a method that represents high quality concrete. This article shares six specific attributes of belitic calcium sulfoaluminate cement concrete that directly contributes to high quality.
Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement is a proven growing technology for the underground construction industry. The fast set time, high strength, low porosity, high chemical stability and sulfate resistance make it a material uniquely suited for underground repairs, shotcrete, and other applications as needed.
Special cements allow for quicker, long-lasting concrete bridge and deck repairs.
Sydney International Airport invited Volumetric Concrete Australia to perform slab replacement work on the East West Runway 25.
The sustainability of concrete, the most widely used material in the world, is still a difficult concept to quantify. However, the Product Category Rules (PCRs) for concrete are a step in the right direction. This article focuses on the sustainability of materials used in civil infrastructure such as highways and bridges, but the concepts explored are also frequently applicable to materials used for building repair.
Rapid-hardening cement concrete can be used anywhere portland cement concrete can be used, and offers the greatest advantages when used for repair or rehabilitation of highway and airport pavements, bridge decks and overlays, and other projects where time is of the essence. Product used is Rapid Set Cement.
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center conducted four years of testing to determine the best option for rapid-setting concrete for repairs to military airfields. Product used was Rapid Set Cement.
DOTs are tasked with deploying new techniques and new products to extend pavement in timeframes that reduce traffic interruptions and lane closure times. Rapid-hardening cement helps them meet this challenge, since it sets and gains strength rapidly. Products used include Cement All, Mortar Mix, FLOW Control, Low-P Cement, and Rapid Set Cement.
Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement has been around since 1975. Its hydration reaction consumes all the free water at a very early age in the creation of ettringite crystals. This means flatwork doesn’t bleed and therefore pores and capillaries are much smaller than those created in portland cement concrete by rising bleed water. The result is lower permeability and very low drying shrinkage.
Volumetric Mixer produces 398 cubic yards of rapid strength concrete in just 5 hours, for panel replacement work on one of California's busiest freeways. Product used was Rapid Set Cement.
The I-280 bridge hinge joints are designed to slide and rotate, providing the 6-mile-long concrete structure the flexibility and stability to withstand an earthquake. The worn-out hinges on the bridge were replaced with hinges better designed to handle seismic forces. It was planned long before the Napa earthquake, which caused no damage to the structure. Product used was Rapid Set Cement.
Five international projects show how construction products play a supporting role in industries where new technology rollouts, tight timelines, and sustainable design are the new normal. Products used include Cement All, Concrete Mix, Rapid Set Cement, SET Control, and TRU Self-Leveling.
Asphalt has held the lion’s share of repair work for years. But now, pavements made of concrete prove to be more cost effective in the initial installment as well as more durable than asphalt, making them the ideal choice for repairing aging roadways. Product used is Rapid Set Cement.