LARGE PROJECT OF THE YEAR LARGE PROJECT OF THE YEAR WESTERN ROCK PRODUCTS – I-15 BLACKRIDGE TO IRON COUNTY STAKER PARSON MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION – I-80 IN WENDOVER, (MP 10.46 TO MP 20) NOMINEE NOMINEE The project location was on I-15 from MP-27 to 44 (New Harmony to the Toquerville exits). The elevation change from the bottom of the project to the top of Blackridge was just under 2,000 feet. Southbound semitrucks had difficulty slowing down, and northbound semi-trucks had difficulty gaining speed back after slowing down. Typical projects of this size and tonnage start early spring; however, standing water on the southbound lanes caused several semi-truck slide-offs. The undesirable roadway conditions influenced starting midseason instead. Water sitting on the surface caused traction loss, and the trucks would slide as if they were on an ice-covered roadway. The project used fiber-strand reinforced HMA, SMA and open-graded asphalt. (UDOT used open-graded asphalt to drain the water from the surface of the freeway to mitigate the issue with standing water.) FSR HMA and SMA Lifts were placed below the open grade for strength and stability. All work had to be done at night. The open-grade asphalt was placed on the southbound lanes in 2020 to alleviate the standing water issues before winter. The timing of the project late in the 2020 season caused shorter work times due to nighttime temperatures. The shorter work schedule also required more cold joints and shorter runs. The project addressed several safety issues. The team installed over 16,468 linear feet of cast-in-place Concrete Constant Slope Barrier. They also addressed guard rail issues, installed marking tape and epoxy for enhanced visibility, gabion baskets and Riprap for drainage, added additional drain boxes and reconstructed existing boxes. After a change order, the team added 12,677 cubic yards of untreated base course to bring the existing slopes into federal compliance (typically 4:1 or flatter). 3 The project called for ten miles of I-80 SMA overlay and an experimental single 6-inch lift of HiHMA mixed design for the Wendover port of entry. In all, the team placed 41,836 tons. They rotomilled the freeway in both directions to a depth of 1.5 inches and paved back a 1.5-inch depth of SMA with a PG-70-28 binder. That accounted for 41,459 tons. The team also relined existing culverts and installed new end sections. Upon completion, the road was shouldered, and new delineators and rumble strips were placed. At the port of entry, the team removed six inches of concrete and asphalt by roto mill, then paved back a single lift of six inches of PG 76-34 HiHMA. This experimental operation involved years of preparation and study by UDOT, ensuring the 6-inch one-lift paving method would be successful. (This issue of On the Road has a separate article about the thick lift.) SMA paving always presents challenges to produce, transport, and place. With a two-hour haul from the plant to the job site, paving personnel had to handle the SMA correctly to keep it flowing through the Material Transfer Vehicle (MTV) and paver, without chunks or material loss. To limit risk, they kept a spare MTV, asphalt paver, and truck tire repairman on the project as well. The project was one of two UDOT projects on the same stretch of highway. Staker Parson’s contract was to overlay 10 miles of I-80 while another contractor was on the same roadway placing a cable barrier on the shoulder. The teams were in constant communication. Their success is an example of effective partnering with two contractors and UDOT. 3 33
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw