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.