Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) Case Study Titusville FL Intermodal Facility

Contents:

Project Overview: Conversion of a portion of the Auto Ramp to an Intermodal Facility A Contractors perspective on Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Advantages/Limitations/Production Characteristics Please email charlesd@polivkaintl.com for extensive video of this application and detailed information on its ROI.

Project Outline: Conversion of Auto Ramp to Intermodal Facility

Project scheduled for 153 days. Civil/Site: o 18 acre site with 83,000 CY excavation o 2,300 feet for packer pad and 3,800 TF from turn-out to turn-out. o 4,000 LF of drainage pipe installation with jack & bore o 35,000 SY of Roller Compacted Concrete from 8 to 16 in width Landscape o 3 acres seeding/sod, irrigation system, trees and shrubs Architectural o Pre-fabricated Guardhouse, Admin. and Maintenance Buildings Mechanical & Piping o 2,000 gallon oil/water separator, 1,000 gallon gasoline storage tank, 3,000 gallon diesel storage tank, 500 gallon hydraulic fluid tank, grinder pump and all piping. Electrical o Install new CCTV and security network, monitors and cameras. Install all new lighting. Install new diesel emergency generator set.

Advantages of RCC:
Save Money - 25-50% less costly than convention concrete placement. Less manpower needed for project. Range is dependent on cost of aggregate, cementing material used and the quantity of RCC placed.

Save TimeNear continuous production possible with no forms, joints, dowels or finish work needed. Zero Slump. Time saved in placing and vibratory compaction.
Make Money- Project finished sooner and value delivered quicker. Quality over Asphalt- Resists rutting, spans soft/poor sub-grades, will not soften/deform under heavy loads or high temperatures, handles chemical spills without breaking down. Between 2/06 to 2/07, hot mix asphalt pricing rose 37% while concrete rose 6%. In some areas of the country, RCC has a lower price than asphalt. At the least, RCC is now very competitively priced while the net cost is lower based on lower maintenance costs involved and higher utility gained.

Limitations of RCC:

Surface texture and uniformity. Coarse aesthetics Low speed for traffic-Under 35 mph Need for standardized mix of RCC-Production run rate dependent on one mix. Continuous runs. Complex construction procedures not advisable. The fines and moisture content needs to be managed tightly as a 1% change can make the mix unworkable. Large area needed for RCC equipment set-up and stock piles of aggregate.

RCC Characteristics

RCC needs to be dry enough to support vibratory roller yet wet enough to permit adequate compaction and distribution of paste. Same basic ingredients used as conventional concrete: Cement, water and aggregate. Moisture content for this project will be 7%, Aggregate will be 5/8 inches to 4 inches, 17.5% Portland Cement Type II at 540 pounds per cubic yard RCC Compression strength in 4,000 10,000 psi range.This project: 5,000 psi @ 28 days RCC Flexure Strength in 500 1,000 psi range. This project: 650 psi @ 28 days RCC Modulus of Elasticity in 3,000,000 5,500,000 psi range. This project: 3,500,000 @ 28 days RCC is not air-entrained with lower water and paste contents but larger fine-aggregate content than standard concrete. RCC is inherently freeze-thaw resistant making it ideal for northern climates. Joints can be sawed to control and manage cracking.

Batching & Mixing RCC Production:

Continuous Pug Mill: Great for high volume applications with excellent mixing efficiency of dry materials. Erected on site with run rates of 250 to 500+ tons/hour. We are using a pug mill for this project. Central Concrete Batch Plant: Provides very accurate proportioning. Has smaller output capacity with longer mix times than conventional concrete and needs frequent cleaning. Transportation: Important to minimize transport time. Five Rear-dump trucks will be used for this project. Placing: Layer thickness of RCC minimum 4 inches to 10 inches maximum with heavy duty pavers. Multiple lifts placed within 60 minutes for strong bonding and adjacent lanes placed within 60 minutes for a fresh joint. RCC production should match paver capacity with continuous forward motion for best smoothness. Surveying: Accurate surveying important during placing stage for all offsets.

Placing Equipment:

High density ABG pavers : They provide very high initial density of 90-95% reducing subsequent compaction. They are capable of high volume placement of 1,000 to 2,000 CY per shift and yield the smoothest RCC surface. We are using these pavers for this project. Conventional Asphalt Pavers: They provide some initial density of 80-85% and yield a relatively smooth surface. They may need modification and increased cleaning/maintenance . Compaction: Proper compaction is critical for strength and durability. Compaction needed to 98% Modified Proctor with vibratory, rubber-tire roller or non-vibratory steel wheel.

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