Tennessee Projects Down
By Mark Belshe
Two asphalt-rubber
projects for the Tennessee Department of Transportation have
been completed by FNF Construction. Although not officially
designated as demonstration projects, the sites are designed
to determine if an asphalt-rubber binder as typically placed
in Arizona is a feasible solution to pavement problems in Tennessee.
The first
project was built near Memphis in August with Lehman Roberts
Company serving as the prime contractor. It consisted of an
overlay course of gap-graded asphalt-rubber followed by a final
lift of an asphalt-rubber open-graded friction course.
The section
of US 70 was originally constructed with Portland Cement Concrete
and had been overlayed with asphalt concrete prior to this project.
The asphalt-rubber binder was selected to retard reflective
cracking. About 10,700 tons of gap-graded material and 4,900
tons of open graded material was used.
The second
project was built near Dickson in September, with Eubank Asphalt
Paving & Sealing as the prime contractor.
This was
another section of US 70 of similar construction. It used 12,800
tons of gap-graded material and 6,500 tons of open-graded material.
It also required the use of a shuttle buggy which is credited
with excellent rideability measurements.
Unlike the
first project, which is on a divided highway, this is a two
lane road. However, early concerns for extraordinary traffic
control were unfounded. Both contractors reported that dealing
with asphalt-rubber required a learning curve, but that the
transition was not a problem.
FNF Construction
mobilized a crew to set up the plant nearly 1,800 miles from
our home base in Arizona, the farthest away we had ever worked.
Within a week of the second project's completion, the plant
and crew were back in Arizona working on a highway in Mesa.
