Smaller communities need innovative ways to lengthen the life of their roads but are not in a financial position to risk implementing non-field tested technology. They often hold back on implementing new technologies until larger agencies can gain and share their experiences. Escambia County, in typical good neighbor fashion, voluntarily invested their time and talent to share their pavement preservation experiences both successes and failures. Representatives from 20 local road agencies and five consultants came together April 1-3, 2003 in Pensacola to examine and evaluate Escambia County's pavement preservation program.
Escambia County Administrator George Touart welcomed participants. Senior Construction and System Preservation Engineer for the Federal Highway Administration Jim Sorenson presented the status of the Pavement Preservation System program nationally and, through case studies, reinforced the long- and short-term benefits.
Escambia County Engineering Project Manager Wes Moreno gave an extensive overview of the county. Moreno illustrated the department's journey from a reactive resurfacing policy to a consistent pavement preservation system and how PPS became the foundation of their five- and ten-year plans.
The county's Infrastructure Management Specialist Cooper Saunders and Mike Marshall and Farrukh Sohail of CarteGraph explained the reasoning behind selecting their software provider, the package, the features chosen and the overall long-term adaptability and functionality of the software.
Over the three-day Showcase, critical aspects of the PPS were discussed openly with the agency and contractors, participants visited sites where treatments had been in place for a time to evaluate results and live demonstrations of the field applications were conducted. Each day ended with an interactive discussion of the day's events.
Reclamite is a specially formulated cationic emulsion of petroleum fractions designed to reconstitute and prolong the life of asphalt pavements. Moreno handled the agency presentation and Pavement Technology President Colin Durante addressed the technical properties of Reclamite. Moreno and Durante guided the site visits and field application demonstration.
Hot In-Place Recycling is a rehabilitation alternative. Moreno handled the agency portion and Bob Hall, Cutler Repaving, provided background on the three types of Hot In-Place recycling: surface recycling, surface repaving and remixing. Hall and Moreno led the finished site tour and guided the group through the application process demonstration.
Crack Relief: Florida Department of Transportation Aggregate and Geogrid. Moreno provided the agency background data, Mike Long, Panhandle Grading and Paving, explained the bituminous crack relief process and Mike Clements, Huesker, explained the properties and benefits of HaTelit C40/17, an ultra-lightweight non-woven geotextile. Long, Clements and Moreno guided the in-use site visits and field demonstrations.
Open Graded Cold Mix and Open Graded Hot Mix - Program Manager Rich Andrews in the county's Construction Management Division covered the advantages, specific application use and cost benefits the agency receives from each treatment. Mike Long, Panhandle Grading and Paving, and Tom Moore, Koch Pavement Solutions, accompanied Andrews and Moreno as they guided us through each application demonstration.
A bonus demonstration of the Open Graded Cold Mix process using recycled pavements: Open Graded Overlay and Recycled Asphalt Pavements (RAP) was also provided.
NovaChip is an ultra-thin bonded wearing course. Moreno and Chris Evers, E. J. Breneman, shared the history and technical data aspects of the NovaChip process. Evers and Moreno provided more background during the in-use site visits and the NovaChip paving demonstration.
As the Showcase drew to a close everyone agreed that the showcase format is a powerful way to exchange information. Showcases give decision makers the confidence they need when supporting implementation of a new technology, product, or process.
Attendee M. L. Aust Jr., a P.E. from Summerdale, Alabama, flatly stated, "This is the best workshop I have ever attended. Young engineers are fortunate today I wish we had this format 40 years ago!"
All Showcase handout material is available on loan from the Florida T² Media Center. The Federal Highway Administration is preparing a videotape of this three-day event. When available, the tape will be distributed at no charge to any public agency. If you wish to reserve a copy of the video or borrow the presentation materials, E-mail Tiffany Wise, or call the Media Center at (352) 392-2371 ext. 237.
Showcase Participants also viewed and learned about the Ditch Paver Express, a machine designed, built, and patented by Escambia County Field Supervisors Ron Weaver and Tommy Vance. This cost saving invention lays continuous concrete ditches in a fraction of the time required by the conventional method.
A very special thank you to Escambia County's Engineering Department, their entire administration and management team, engineering staff and expert paving crews, and in particular, Wes Moreno. They are true professionals, one and all. Without their enthusiastic commitment to share experiences and their program so others may learn, this Showcase would not have been possible. Throughout the 12 months of preparation with the Escambia County team, we were constantly reminded that the American tradition of neighbors helping neighbors is still very much alive and well!
Also, thank you to our industry partners from CarteGraph, Cutler Repaving, E. J. Breneman, Huesker, Koch Pavement Solutions, Panhandle Grading and Paving, and Pavement Technology. Their unqualified support and professional expertise were invaluable to the process. During the one year developmental process, each continually demonstrated the devotion to quality and timely performance that ultimately earned the respect of Escambia County's public service professionals. They were true partners in this Showcase.
