The International Conference on Optimizing Paving Concrete Mixtures and Accelerated Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation, sponsored by the
The International Conference on Optimizing Paving Concrete Mixtures and Accelerated Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Concrete Pavement Technology Program (CPTP), is scheduled for Nov. 7-9, 2007, in Atlanta, Ga. Now underway are 30-plus CPTP projects evaluating concrete pavement design features, materials, and best construction practices, plus related new technology, as part of an integrated, national effort to improve the long-term performance and cost-effectiveness of concrete pavements. Accordingly, conference participants will explore U.S. and international experiences with concrete mixture optimization, which involves adapting available resources to meet necessary engineering criteria, construction operations requirements, and economic demands. Targeting especially federal, state, and municipal engineers, contractors, materials suppliers, and academia, seminar topics will include best construction practices, mitigation of materials-related distress, economic factors, and the use of locally available material resources.
Participants also will discuss accelerated construction and rehabilitation, including concrete requirements, production rates, and testing needs; congestion mitigation strategies; contractor and equipment issues; and, the use of weekend and night-time versus long-term road closures. Case studies will feature fast-track construction that is being done in heavily trafficked areas, including overnight construction where roads can be opened up the next morning, says Wouter Gulden of the American Concrete Pavement Association’s Southeast Chapter. The conference will also highlight the versatility of concrete.
Adds Jeff Uhlmeyer, pavement design engineer for the Washington State Department of Transportation, The conference overall will focus on how to construct concrete pavements faster and smarter. Participants can learn from an international audience and find out what’s possible today in concrete paving, as well as how to build partnership between contractors and agencies.
Conference cosponsors include the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Georgia Department of Transportation, International Society for Concrete Pavements, and the American Concrete Pavement Association. Among additional sponsors are the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Transportation Research Board, Portland Cement Association, and the Cement Association of Canada.
More information can be obtained by contacting Shiraz Tayabji at CTLGroup, tel.: 410/997-0400; fax: 410/997-8480; e-mail: [email protected]; or, Sam Tyson at FHWA, tel.: 202/366-1326; e-mail: [email protected]. Information and online registration are also available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/2007CPTPconf.cfm. Further background on CPTP and its initiatives is posted at www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/index.cfm.