TCP Fiber-Reinforced Heavy-Truck Traffic Project is First OptiPave Project in the U.S.

A heavy-truck traffic pavement project at a pallet company in Ft. Worth, Texas, USA, successfully utilized the Thin Concrete Pavement (TCP) system combined with the OptiPave Software Design. OptiPave was a recommended design in the new “330-2r-17” ACI document. The 330-2R-17 is also used as the basis for the Cement Association of Canada (CAC)‘s “Cross-Canada Concrete Pavements for Industrial & Trucking Facilities Seminar Series” to be held across Canada in 2017. This first U.S. application of TCP involved over 100,000 sq. feet of thin 4-inch, 6-foot square panels of fiber-reinforced concrete pavement.

Nigel Parkes, Director of Business Development-PNA Construction Technology, said, “Combining both design systems was the most efficient, and ultimately the most successful pavement, with this type of heavy truck traffic—making the concrete cost considerably less expensive than asphalt. Because the owners, managers and contractors—Terry Fricks, Greg Fricks, Brad Fricks, and Greg Campbell-Owners, Managers & Contractors-Fricks Pallet Company —were able to obtain the concrete at considerably lower costs, they were able to double the size of the project. The fiber company, ready mix supplier, and construction company all benefitted from this design.” Nigel stressed that, “Only with the TC Pavement (TCP) System combined with OptiPave Software Design will the concrete be cheaper than asphalt!”

Developed over 10 years ago by Juan Pablo Torres, CE-Director and Inventor-TCP-Chile and Juan Pablo Covarrubias, CE, General Manager-TCP-Chile & ISCP Director, the TCP process is a pavement method that reduces pavement thicknesses by shrinking the individual pavement panel sizes, thereby reducing the potential axle load on any single panel. The ultimate benefits of shorter panels include reduced curling and lower costs for these considerably thinner pavements.

Carlos Binder, Project Manager-TCP, stated that he re-ran the software, adding a new type of traffic considering only the axle loads presented by Campbell, General Manager-Fricks: (Axle 1: 10520 lb. + Axle 2: 20660 lb. + Axle 3: 20040 lb. = Total: 51,220 lbs.), so the traffic would be a maximum of 60 trucks per day with 0% traffic growth. This type of traffic is lighter than any one of the truck traffic classification (TTC) groups of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) used in the previous design: FHWA TTC 1—giving us 721,798 Esals in 20 years. With this type of traffic, the total Esals is about 382,357 allowing concrete to be thinner—4 inches with fiber and 4.5 inches without Fiber.

Robert Rodden, Lead Engineer-PNA Construction Technology, stated, “The drop (reduced pavement thickness) is because the loading that the contractor provided is lighter than the FHWA truck traffic category spectrum previously assumed. Due to the expected heavy truck-traffic loading, the thin design was jointed into 6-foot square panels to minimize traffic loading on any single panel. The concrete mix contained long, high-strength three-dimensional macrosynthetic fibers to add toughness and at least 145 psi of residual strength per ASTM C1609. The fibers work well with the TCP system by aiding in the reduction of shrinkage and curling—the benefits of shorter panels—while not compromising the aesthetics and surface finish. Because of optimization of these value-adding input variables of traffic and use of fibers, along with a joint spacing of 6 feet, the required concrete pavement thickness for a 20-year pavement was just 4 inches thick.”

Rodden added, “The dosage of fibers depends on the type and other concrete details. Basically, the concrete with the proposed fiber type and content needs tested by ASTM C1609 / C1609M – 12: ‘Standard Test Method for Flexural Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete’ to ensure that these properties are obtained by the tests. A fiber manufacturer can provide guidance on typical dosages for their products to achieve 150 psi residual strength with a base strength of 600 psi. While designed for 60 18-wheelers per day, the trucks were known to be loaded at slightly less than the legal limit. The concrete contractor anticipates a rapid growth and use of the fiber-reinforced TCP regimen in the U.S., and plans to use this project site as a viable reference example of this unique yet logical pavement system.

For more details on the specifics of the project, please go to:
PDF of the Project Profile: Forta Project Profile

ISCP article on ACI’s OptiPave New 330.2R-17 Document “Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Site Paving for Industrial & Trucking Facilities (ACI 330.2R-17)”: https://www.concretepavements.org/2017/05/27/now-available-guide-for-the-design-and-construction-of-concrete-site-paving-for-industrial-trucking-facilities-aci-330-2r-17/

ISCP article on CAC’s “Cross-Canada Concrete Pavements for Industrial & Trucking Facilities Seminar Series”: https://www.concretepavements.org/2017/05/30/cac-hosting-cross-canada-seminar-series-highlighting-the-new-aci-330-2r-17-guideline/

For TCP design-build guidance for up-coming pavement projects, please visit www.fricksco.com.