Following the recent award of a pavement consulting contract to Fugro Roadware, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has announced the construction of a 2.5 mile concrete test road in Northeast Florida. Fugro’s experience in planning, construction, long-term data collection and analysis of instrumented concrete pavements will provide FDOT with the tools for successful construction, data collection and analysis to improve pavement design and management practices.
The research project presents international, national, and local benefits. At the international level, it provides a unique opportunity for researchers around the world to study long-term performance of concrete pavements. At the national level, it will contribute to advancing the state of the art and practice in rigid pavement evaluation, design, construction, and management. At the local and state level, the project is set to provide the State Materials Office (SMO) with onsite and offsite technical expertise in constructing a concrete test road, and the opportunity to train staff, engineers, and practitioners. The accumulated understanding of concrete pavement performance will equip FDOT with improved and context-sensitive pavement design and management procedures, ultimately resulting in a more sustainable and cost-effective highway infrastructure for Florida.
The Florida concrete test road will be a rigid pavement testing facility, designed to perform as a real-life laboratory in a well-controlled environment to study and evaluate performance of materials used in concrete pavement construction. It will be constructed in 2016 adjacent to US301, a rural arterial which averages 28,500 vehicles per day with 31% truck traffic. It will include 52 concrete test sections, each 225 feet long over a total length of 2.5 miles. This facility is unique as it is the only full-scale concrete test road in the southern region of North America. The unique climatic and environmental conditions differentiate it from other available test tracks, such as MnROAD in Minnesota, allowing researchers to broaden their understanding of design, instrumentation, construction, and performance.
Fugro will work with FDOT to evaluate and understand the performance of this test road under operational conditions in order to optimize design, maintenance, and management methodologies leading to increased pavement life of the roadway network and ultimately long-term cost savings. “This is a unique opportunity for Fugro staff to be involved with this project and work collaboratively with Florida Department of Transportation staff to gain greater insight into the design, instrumentation and performance of rigid pavements,” reported Jerry Daleiden, Director of Pavement Engineering for Fugro.
Fugro will support FDOT’s SMO with engineering planning, database design and development, materials sampling and testing, pavement instrumentation, data acquisition, pavement performance monitoring, data analysis, data reporting, and training as well as technology transfer activities related to the test road. In order to maximize the efficiency of the project, Fugro is set to provide onsite staff to work alongside FDOT, ensuring the technical needs and requirements of FDOT are met.
ABOUT FUGRO
Fugro creates value by acquiring and interpreting earth and engineering data and providing associated consulting services to support clients with their design and construction of infrastructure and buildings. Fugro also supports clients with the installation, repair and maintenance of their subsea infrastructure.
Fugro works around the globe, predominantly in energy and infrastructure markets offshore and onshore employing approximately 13,000 employees in over seventy countries. In 2014 Fugro’s revenue amounted to EUR 2.6 billion; Fugro is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
ABOUT FUGRO ROADWARE
Fugro Roadware has over 45 years of highly specialized experience in infrastructure and pavement management technology and data collection services. Our mission is to provide transportation asset management systems, surveys and advice to maximize the impact of the maintenance and development decisions on the life and value of the asset while ensuring the safety of our employees and the safety of others.
Contact:
David Lowe
Managing Director
Fugro Roadware
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