KTBS Television Station in Shreveport, Louisiana (LA), USA recently reported on precast reinforced concrete on the on-ramp to Interstate 20 heading eastbound—next to where U.S. Highway 79, U.S. Highway 80, and state Highway 169 intersect in Greenwood, LA.
Erin Buchanan, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokeswoman said, ”This is important because this is the first time we’ve done a project like this with the precast panels in the state of Louisiana. So we’re forging new territory for this type of project. We ultimately replaced about 269 concrete panels as part of this project on about 1,200 feet of ramp.”
It’s very different from anything ever done in Louisiana before. Fully formed reinforced panels were installed and are ready to be driven on just as soon as they were installed!
The ramp only had to be closed four weekends overnight to complete the job done. In a traditional repair, it would have been closed for an entire month, seven days a week.
David Merritt, Engineer explained, “There are some Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials who have had an interest in this for years. We’ve got a concept, we’ve got an idea. We’ve investigated it through the feasibility study. Let’s try it out. Let’s put some precast pavement on the road and let’s see how it goes.”
There are a lot of roads in the ArkLaTex (region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas) that crumble too early. So what makes this specific on-ramp so important in terms of a testing ground for speed of construction and durability?
“The precast panels are really going to be put to the test in this particular location because of the volume of big truck traffic that comes through. It’s not just about passenger vehicles that are causing wear and tear on the roadway, there are a lot 18-wheelers. So in the next year to year-and-a-half, we will be able to really tell how this type of project is going to stand up against one of our more traditional projects,” said Buchanan.
90% percent of the cost is covered by federal money. The rest came from the state of Louisiana.
Buchanan continued, “So, if we’re going to use this [precast concrete panels] for the state of Louisiana, realistically because of the cost, it will initially be in small doses. We can replace or repair a section in a few hours, versus another type of pavement process that would take much longer.”
Some of those small doses could be on Interstate 20 through Bossier City. That prospect has a lot of people excited. Officials at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) stated that if I-20 through Bossier City does get some much-needed work involving precast concrete in the future, it would be for smaller segments due to the expense.
In October, two of the local DOTD engineers attended a panel discussion in Washington D.C. with engineers from other states who are also trying out the precast concrete process. They shared their ideas and experiences to try and help improve the local highways.
For the Video and the article, please go to: https://www.ktbs.com/news/arklatex-indepth/precast-concrete-could-mean-better-local-roads-in-the-future/article_9ebe3418-9f4a-11e8-b46e-17ec1880a565.html