By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT Crews rebuilding the original, 30-year-old concrete roadbed on a more than 2 mi. (3 km) segment of Interstate 65 in Jefferson County, Ala., have finalized the project, which replaces an aging, maintenance intensive segment of I-65 from I-459 to U.S. 31. Work was completed in January 2012 at a total cost of $21,300,920. “The overall project went very well con- sidering the time limitations, weather limita- tions and the soil condition on the project,” said Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) spokesperson Linda Crockett. “These subjects, along with the vast amount of traffic, were great challenges. However, with careful planning and quick responses from personnel, it was a success. The project being completed along with others just south of this one, means a safe, smooth ride for motorists for years to come. Now that the work is done, it’s time to move to another portion of Alabama’s roadways and contin- ue to make improvements for motorists.” The high-profile assignment involved several ALDOT, contractor and city person- nel, and was part of the ALDOT’s Progress on Alabama Roadways campaign to pre- serve critical highway infrastructure. ALDOT dubbed the project Progress65, and said the new concrete surface will provide an easier ride along one of the states most trav- eled interstate corridors. “This is a very busy area — some say the busiest two miles of interstate in Alabama,” said Nick Wolf, senior project manager, McCarthy Improvement Company, Davenport, Iowa. “The section we recon- structed was in very bad shape. Potholes, joint faulting and excessive deterioration of the roadway made for not only a bad ride, but also a dangerous one. Our main goal for the project was to provide the traveling pub- lic with a new concrete roadway that will last for years to come in the very short time frame given to us as to not inconvenience the public any more than absolutely necessary.” McCarthy Improvement self performed the existing concrete roadway removal, all the earthwork, all the drainage/storm sewer work and placed the new concrete pavement that serves as the final riding surface. The existing roadway was removed in stages to allow traffic to still travel through the work zone. Once the existing pavement was removed, approximately 12 in. (30.5 cm) of dirt was removed to get to subgrade eleva- tion. Six in. (15 cm) of asphalt was placed as base for the new 14-in. (35.5 cm) concrete layer which is the final riding surface. Once the concrete pavement was completed in phases, traffic was moved onto the new con- crete pavement, which allowed the old pave- ment to be removed and replaced. This cycle repeated until all the old pavement was replaced with new material. According to Wolf, “It means a high- strength, smooth riding concrete section of roadway that will be worry-free for years to come. Overall, the project went well, despite its many phases. “The main challenges were the traffic and logistics. The biggest issues, honestly, were issues with change. Concrete roadways, while prevalent in Alabama, have not been constructed in the state in decades. “Another major issue was the subgrade that was found under the existing roadway,” Wolf explained. “It was unsuitable, which lead to significant delays and extra work in order to condition it so it could be usable.” ALABAMA STATE EDITION A Supplement to: Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479 “The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” see PROGRESS page 2 Throughout much of the project three lanes were open in the northbound and southbound directions. To accomplish this, one lane of traffic traveled in a backwards direction on the opposing travel lanes. Most of the work was performed behind temporary concrete barrier walls to protect the traveling public and the workforce. April 4 2012 Vol. XXIIV • No. 7 Mobile Dothan Auburn Anniston Gadsden Huntsville Florence Decatur Birmingham Bessemer Tuscaloosa Selma Montgomery Phenix City 65 65 65 65 10 85 20 20 59 59 565 2 20 72 31 231 43 78 5 72 431 280 82 231 31 43 80 82 231 84 84 52 431 331 45 98 84 82 ‘Busiest Two Miles’ of Interstate in Ala. Gets Major Rebuild
Transcript
By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT
Crews rebuilding the original, 30-year-oldconcrete roadbed on a more than 2 mi. (3km) segment of Interstate 65 in JeffersonCounty, Ala., have finalized the project,which replaces an aging, maintenanceintensive segment of I-65 from I-459 to U.S.31. Work was completed in January 2012 ata total cost of $21,300,920. “The overall project went very well con-
sidering the time limitations, weather limita-tions and the soil condition on the project,”said Alabama Department of Transportation(ALDOT) spokesperson Linda Crockett.“These subjects, along with the vast amountof traffic, were great challenges. However,with careful planning and quick responsesfrom personnel, it was a success. The projectbeing completed along with others just south
of this one, means a safe, smooth ride formotorists for years to come. Now that thework is done, it’s time to move to anotherportion of Alabama’s roadways and contin-ue to make improvements for motorists.” The high-profile assignment involved
several ALDOT, contractor and city person-nel, and was part of the ALDOT’s Progresson Alabama Roadways campaign to pre-serve critical highway infrastructure.ALDOT dubbed the project Progress65, andsaid the new concrete surface will provide aneasier ride along one of the states most trav-eled interstate corridors. “This is a very busy area — some say the
busiest two miles of interstate in Alabama,”said Nick Wolf, senior project manager,McCarthy Improvement Company,Davenport, Iowa. “The section we recon-structed was in very bad shape. Potholes,joint faulting and excessive deterioration of
the roadway made for not only a bad ride,but also a dangerous one. Our main goal forthe project was to provide the traveling pub-lic with a new concrete roadway that willlast for years to come in the very short timeframe given to us as to not inconvenience thepublic any more than absolutely necessary.”McCarthy Improvement self performed
the existing concrete roadway removal, allthe earthwork, all the drainage/storm sewerwork and placed the new concrete pavementthat serves as the final riding surface. Theexisting roadway was removed in stages toallow traffic to still travel through the workzone. Once the existing pavement wasremoved, approximately 12 in. (30.5 cm) ofdirt was removed to get to subgrade eleva-tion. Six in. (15 cm) of asphalt was placed asbase for the new 14-in. (35.5 cm) concretelayer which is the final riding surface. Oncethe concrete pavement was completed in
phases, traffic was moved onto the new con-crete pavement, which allowed the old pave-ment to be removed and replaced. This cyclerepeated until all the old pavement wasreplaced with new material. According to Wolf, “It means a high-
strength, smooth riding concrete section ofroadway that will be worry-free for years tocome. Overall, the project went well, despiteits many phases. “The main challenges were the traffic and
logistics. The biggest issues, honestly, wereissues with change. Concrete roadways,while prevalent in Alabama, have not beenconstructed in the state in decades. “Another major issue was the subgrade
that was found under the existing roadway,”Wolf explained. “It was unsuitable, whichlead to significant delays and extra work inorder to condition it so it could be usable.”
ALABAMA STATE EDITION A Supplement to:
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
see PROGRESS page 2
Throughout much of the project three lanes were open in the northbound and southbound directions. To accomplish this, one lane of traffic traveled in a backwardsdirection on the opposing travel lanes. Most of the work was performed behind temporary concrete barrier walls to protect the traveling public and the workforce.
April 42012
Vol. XXIIV • No. 7Mobile
Dothan
Auburn
Anniston
Gadsden
HuntsvilleFlorence
Decatur
BirminghamBessemer
Tuscaloosa
SelmaMontgomery
Phenix City
65
65
65
65
10
85
20
20
59
59
565
220
72
31
231
43
78
5
72
431
280
82
231
31
43
80
82
231
84
84
52
431
331
45
98
84
82
‘Busiest Two Miles’ of Interstate in Ala. Gets Major Rebuild
Page 2 • April 4, 2012 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
With I-65 Finish, ALDOT Eyes Further Road ImprovementsThroughout much of the project
three lanes were open in the north-bound and southbound directions.To accomplish this at differenttimes throughout the project onelane of traffic traveled in a back-wards direction on the opposingtravel lanes. Most of the work wasperformed behind temporary con-crete barrier walls to protect thetraveling public and the workforce.There were reportedly four sepa-rate occasions when either an “on”or “off” ramp was totally closed totraffic to allow for it to be recon-structed. Traffic was detoured on I-459 and US 31 for up to two weeksto allow this work to take place. As part of the concrete pave-
ment removal and replacement,McCarthy used a series of fourCaterpillar excavators, one to rake
the concrete off the reinforcingsteel, another equipped with ahydraulic shear to cut the steel, oneto load the steel and the last to loadout the concrete. Dozers, motor-graders, rollers and a trimmer wereused to make subgrade, while anexcavator, loader and roller wereutilized for drainage storm sewerwork.For the concrete pavement, a
portable concrete batch plant(Rexcon Logo 12 central mixplant) was erected on site to pro-duce all the concrete for the road-way, a Guntert and ZimmermanS850 concrete paver ranging inwidth from 12 to 32 ft. (3.6 to 9.7m) was used for the mainline andramp concrete pavement. AGOMACO 2600 placer/spreaderalong with a GOMACO TC600cure/tine machine rounded out thepaving train.On smaller placements, a
GOMACO 2800 concrete paver
and a GOMACO RTP 500 placeralso were utilized. Materialsincluded 75,000 cu. yds. (57,341cu m) of concrete, 65,000 tons(58,967 t) of asphalt, 750,000 lbs.(340,194 kg) of reinforcing steel,seven new overhead sign struc-tures, 10,000 linear ft. (3,048 m) ofpermanent concrete barrier walland 7,000 linear ft. (2,133 m) ofRCP storm sewer.“The biggest challenge was
keeping to the tight schedule,”Wolf admitted. “A project like thiswith the numerous phases, trafficswitches, ramp closures etc. wouldnormally take two to three years.” Tight working conditions in a
very busy section of interstateforced most of the work to occurafter hours. Night work requiredmore planning, a larger staff and aheightened safety presence to
ensure worker and public safety.Wolf said the job required exten-sive homework.“ALDOT has one of the tough-
est smoothness specifications inthe United States. Extra planning,preparation and equipment setupwere all required to ensure require-ments were met. The weather, onthe other hand, is one thing wecouldn’t plan for and we werecommitted to remaining flexiblewith our plans to overcome anyproblems weather might presentthroughout the project duration.Hot temperatures required theplacement of concrete at night andnecessitated the use of chilledwater to lower concrete tempera-tures during placement. Forecastswere continuously monitored.”Early phases of work on the
project — one of the few concretepavement jobs in Alabama inrecent years — resulted in outside
For the concrete pavement, a portable concrete batch plant(Rexcon Logo 12 central mix plant) was erected on site to pro-duce all the concrete for the roadway.
PROGRESS from page 1
The existing roadway was removed in stages to allow traffic to still travel through the work zone.Once the existing pavement was removed, approximately 12 in. (30.5 cm) of dirt was removed to getto subgrade elevation. Six inches (15 cm) of asphalt was placed as base for the new 14-in. (35.5 cm)concrete layer, which is the final riding surfacesee PROGRESS page 6
“ALDOT has one of the toughest smoothnessspecifications in the United States. Extraplanning, preparation and equipment setupwere all required to ensure requirementswere met.”
Nick WolfMcCarthy Improvement Company
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 4, 2012 • Page 3
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Page 4 • April 4, 2012 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 4, 2012 • Page 5
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Crews Hold to Tight Schedule During Key I-65 Rebuildshoulder upgrades on I-65 north-bound and southbound, andrequired the outside lane in bothdirections to be closed and blockedoff by temporary concrete barrierwalls to provide a safe work zone.The single outside lane closuresand installation of temporary barri-er wall began in late March. Once the shoulders were
upgraded, traffic was shifted whilerebuilding began first on the north-bound lanes, then the southboundlanes. ALDOT and its contractor
reportedly made every effort tominimize traffic impacts, but therebuilding resulted in lane closuresand traffic shifts throughout theduration of the project. It alsorequired the use of alternate routeswhile exit ramps were closed.Ramp closures were carried outone at a time, ranging from a max-imum of eight to 14 days each. Regarding ramp closures, the
initial phases of work identified aprogression and sequence thatallowed ALDOT to announce eachramp closure in advance. Effortswere made to minimize trafficimpacts and avoid conflicts withholiday travel and major sportingevents. With Alabama’s interstate sys-
tem between 30 and 55 years old,major rebuilding projects areessential to preserve interstates fordecades to come. Usually, theseprojects require temporary reduc-tions in the number of lanes, laneclosures and short duration rampclosures. “We worked hard to plan this
Interstate 65 rebuilding project in away that minimizes impacts oncommuters and through-traffic asmuch as possible,” saidTransportation Director JohnCooper. “In 2008, the TennesseeDOT completely closed Interstate40 in downtown Knoxville formore than a year for a rebuildingproject. We believe this project willprovide a high-quality rebuildwhile still keeping I-65 open withsingle lane closures and short-duration ramp closures. We studieda number of options, and this wasthe best plan for getting the jobdone.” The goal for completion was the
end of December — an ambitioustimeline —requiring much of the
work to be performed seven days aweek, and, at times, around theclock. Work officially wrapped upthe following month. Motoristshad been warned of longer traveltimes, heavier congestion andsome detours when ramp closureswere necessary. The goal was to beoff the clock by the end of 2011,because officials didn’t want toimpact commuters and travelersany more than necessary. “The finished product, though,”
Cooper said, “is a rebuilt section ofroadway in the place of a sectionthat has required constant mainte-nance in recent years. This will bereal progress for this area of I-65.” A reduced speed limit of 45 mph
was in effect throughout the 2.34-mi. (3.7 km) work zone. Driverswere urged to consider usingalternate routes, to adjustarrival/departuretimes, to observework-zone speedlimits and work-zone signs, anduse extreme cau-tion in this areawhile construc-tion was underway.The work
included rebuild-ing the ramps onI-459 and U.S.31, but notr e d e s i g n i n gthem. The rampswere closed dur-ing the work, anddetours were setalong U.S. 31. The ramps were not scheduled
to be widened during the rebuild-ing, but their lanes were re-striped.That means the exit ramp from I-65 southbound to U.S. 31 – wherean extra lane was tightly placedonto the ramp’s shoulder years ago— required drivers headed for U.S.31 south to negotiate the curvingramp only inches from theguardrail. ALDOT officials say the con-
crete work was done as a safetyissue, but it does not precludeadding lanes to the ramp at a laterdate. New lights for the interstate also
were a part of the contract.Subcontractors involved in the
high-profile project included DunnConstruction, Ozark Safety
Services, H&L Construction,Ozark Striping Company, ForestryEnvironmental, AntigoConstruction and Lane Haulingand Excavating and AbramsonLLC.“Abramson performed the cast
in place inlets and cast in placemedian barriers,” explained com-pany estimator and project manag-er Scottie Cole. “The companyalso handled the median slopepaving.”A Miller 8800 slipform machine
was needed for placement of thepermanent barrier. Approximately4,500 cu. yds. (3,440 cu m) ofALDOT AF1C concrete was used. Debra Young, owner and presi-
dent of Lane Hauling andExcavating, said her team hauled
dirt and demo materialsin preparation for thenew road.“We started working
on the I-65 project inmid-March, 2011. Weprovided McCarthyImprovement Companywith the material trans-portation for wet con-crete and rock on thisproject.”Lane Hauling and
Excavating provideddump truck transportation for20,000 unit hours of material haul-ing and 90,000 unit tons of rocktransportation which amounted toroughly $2,000,000 of transporta-tion services. State officials say they had earli-
er tried to repair the concrete on I-65, but those efforts failed. “It’s the worst section of inter-
state that we had,” explainedBirmingham Division EngineerBrian Davis. “The solution was totear it out and replace it.”The work involved removing
the 52-ft. (15.8 m) long sections ofconcrete, which are 8 in. (20 cm)thick and reinforced with steel, andreplacing them with shorter sec-tions of plain concrete that will be14 in. (35.5 cm) thick, according to
Davis. “That stretch of interstate, which
carries more than 115,000 vehiclesa day, was built in 1981 with con-tinuous reinforced concrete in anattempt to save money on con-crete,” he pointed out. “The prob-lem was, it didn’t work.”According to Mike Mahaffey,
ALDOT construction engineer,“We’ve had more calls than nor-mal from motorists, all of whichhave been positive complimentingALDOT on a job well done.Several of these callers mentionedthe condition of the roadway priorto the beginning work, and thecondition now as being a differ-ence between daylight and dark.Overall everyone seems verypleased with the project and thetimely completion of it.”Said Wolf, “We’ve received lots
of compliments, and lots of thanks,for actually keeping to the sched-ule. There’s been lots of talk aboutthe smooth ride. There’s always asense of pride and relief in thateveryone’s hard work has paidoff.”
(This story also can be foundon Construction EquipmentGuide’s Web site at www.con-structionequipmentguide.com.)CEG
ALDOT dubbed the project Progress65, and said the newconcrete surface will provide an easier ride along one ofthe state’s most traveled interstate corridors.
PROGRESS from page 2
A Guntert and Zimmerman S850 concrete paver rangingin width from 12 to 32 ft. (3.6 to 9.7 m) was used for themainline and ramp concrete pavement.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 4, 2012 • Page 7
