CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The 3rd Biennial TxDOT/CCT
Concrete Paving Conference
November 18-19, 2004

The Cement Council of Texas and Texas Department of Transportation partner held the 3rd Biennial TxDOT/CCT Concrete Paving Conference in Austin, Texas on November 18-19. In addition to the Department of Transportation, other partners were PBS&J, the Texas Concrete Paving Association, and The Transtec Group, Inc. Sponsors HDR Engineering, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Texas Construction Magazine, Fugro South, W.R. Grace, ISG Resources, Boral Material Technologies, Wheeling Engineering, Shepler’s, Engius, LLC, and the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association (TACA) also supported the conference. More than 250 Texas Department of Transportation, city, county, consulting and concrete industry delegates attended the day-and-a-half session.

Planning Committee members TxDOT’s Jeffrey Seiders and Moon Won, Bob Lopez, Executive Director, Cement Council of Texas, and Dan Rozycki, President of Transtec, Inc. developed the conference program. Speakers from around the U.S. presented state-of-the-art practice for the design and construction of portland cement concrete pavements.

Of special note was the talent and contribution of speakers from US locations as far away as Albany and Ithaca, New York. John Roberts, P.E., Albany, Executive Director, International Grinding and Grooving Association, discussed the importance of restoring pavement smoothness with diamond grinding operations. Dr. Ken Hover, Cornell University in Ithaca, returned for his third appearance on the program and delivered his special kind of presentation about quality concrete using the new TxDOT specifications for construction. Anton Schindler, Auburn University in Alabama and Mark Swanlund, Office of Pavement Technology, FHWA in Washington, D.C., and Steven Karamihas, Senior Research Associate, University of Michigan also traveled long distances to contribute to this important conference.

Thomas Bohuslav, Director of the Texas DOT Construction Division and Dan Reagan, FHWA Division Administrator, started the program by discussing the “big picture” of concrete paving on the state and national level. Both gentlemen expressed confidence in the role of concrete on Texas roads and highways and that the TEA funding will facilitate more overall construction in the state. Mark Swanlund, Office of Pavement Technology, FHWA in Washington, D.C., addressed the general theme of the conference by describing the importance to long life and performance that good, smooth surface characteristics provide. Other speakers followed with the same theme in the general and breakout sessions.

The conference was arranged in session format, with each session concentrating on specific issues like smoothness. Sessions were entitled, “The State of Concrete Pavements” in which speakers John Rantz and Paul Hoelscher (Construction Engineers, Lubbock and Abilene Districts, respectively), and Tomas Saenz, Materials Engineer El Paso District, discussed the reasons for decisions to build concrete highways; “Hot Topics in Concrete Pavements”, with speakers Darrin Grenfell, FHWA, Steven Karamihas (Senior Research Associate, University of Michigan), Paris District’s Bobby Littlefield, and Robert Rasmussen, Transtec, Inc., describing smoothness and safety, maintenance procedures, and tire noise on pavements.

Session D, “Pavement Construction 101”, featured speakers Dennis Warren, Executive Director, Texas Concrete Paving Association; Charlie Burnett, W.W. Webber, Inc.; and David Head, Construction Engineer, El Paso District, illustrating the steps of quality construction of a concrete pavement from construction planning to completion. The second breakout session, “New Solutions to Structures” covered mass concrete structures, concrete cooling during placement with liquid nitrogen, temperature management and high performance concrete. Ralph Browne and Kevin Pruski, DOT Bridge Division, Maria Juenger, University of Texas, Joe Dan Johnson, Transit Mix, and Anton Schindler, Auburn University made the presentations.

As mentioned earlier, John Roberts joined with Andrew Wimsatt, Fort Worth District, Doug Dillon, PBS&J, and Frank Carmichael, HJV Associates in session F, “Protecting A Wise Investment”. The principal message of the session was pavement management during construction to assure high quality construction and practical evaluation, timeliness and procedures for the repair of concrete pavements on DOT highways and city streets.

Session G, “Advancements in Concrete Pavements”, covered optimization of concrete mixes, job control using maturity meters, and monitoring curing. Presenters were Terry Dossey, University of Texas, Lisa Lukefahr, Manager, Rigid Pavements and Concrete Materials, Texas DOT, and Andy Naranjo, also of the DOT Materials Branch.

As in prior conferences, Dr. Ken Hover, capped the success of the conference with the “Concrete Fundamentals and the New TxDOT Specification” session using his unique and exciting delivery. Dr. Hover continues to be a mainstay of the TxDOT/CCT paving conferences.