Rehabilitation of Ellaville Weigh Station with Ultrathin Whitetopping

Abstract

The Florida Department of Transportation constructed the first ultrathin whitetopping (UTW) project at the Ellaville truck weigh station on I-10 in northwest Florida. This rehabilitation project included the placement of UTW on the existing asphalt pavement, which had experienced severe rutting problems. Layer thicknesses for the UTW were 80 mm and 100 mm. The joint spacings for the UTW panels were 1.2 m and 1.6 m. High early strength concrete was used in this project. Polypropylene fibers were included in the concrete for the sections on the west side of the weight platform and plain concrete was used on the east sections. The joints on the east section were sealed with silicone sealant and the joints on the west section were left unsealed. Falling weight deflectometer tests and frequent condition surveys were performed on the projects. After 1 year of service and 1.1 million equivalent single-axle loads, the UTW shows good performance. Success and long-term performance of the UTW is highly dependent on the degree of bonding between the UTW and the asphalt base. During the study period, panels 1.2 m2 and 1.6 m2, concrete with and without fibers, sealed and unsealed joints, showed similar performance. It is predicted that the 1-year performance of the UTW at the weigh station is equivalent to 4.5 years of service at a medium traffic intersection.

Thin and Ultra-Thin Whitetopping

“…Research projects, such as the investigation of UTW overlays at the ALF pavements at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, have provided invaluable information and data toward determining the predominant distresses in UTW overlays (141,142). Similar observations have been made of other controlled UTW and TWT overlays nationwide (18,20,41,42,51).…”

“…has moved beyond its experimental status to become a viable alternative to HMA in certain applications" (41). The Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) reports, "With the success of the UTW research in Gainesville, the FDOT implemented the first UTW project in the rehabilitation of pavements at the Ellaville Truck Weight-Station on I-10" (42).…”

Concrete Overlay as a Rehabilitation Option for Distressed Asphalt Pavements

“…The first ever UTW project was undertaken in Louisville, Kentucky in September 1991 [3][4][5][6]. The experiment included construction of two thicknesses of concrete overlay (90 mm and 50 mm) on the access road to a waste disposal landfill.…”