TRENDS IN THE USE OF ROLLER COMPACTED CONCRETE PAVEMENTS IN CANADA

Abstract

This paper covers the development and use of Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) pavements in Canada since its inception in 1976. The application of RCC in the pavement market has undergone a major expansion and transition since its introduction to the forestry industry in Western Canada (1). Unlike other traditional paving materials, RCC has proven itself as a superior structural pavement in the first instance and is now gaining favour with roadway agencies in the more common municipal arena. Along with specialty applications such as RCC inlays for intersections (Fast-Track RCC!), designers have also used this innovative construction technique for subdivision residential and arterial roadways (2). Examples exist where RCC has been used exclusively for reconstruction of truck lanes (3) on major routes as well as alleys for garbage collection. The first RCC overlay of an existing deteriorated asphalt parking area was completed in 1996. A brief review of RCC as a material will be presented. Construction methodology common to Canada will be covered and alternative construction equipment options will be suggested (4). Example projects will form the main body of the paper. Early applications from the resource based industries in Canada such as forestry, pulp and paper and composting (5) are used to lead into the transition RCC pavement is experiencing. A broad cross-section of roadway applications and commercial uses of RCC are presented to effectively illustrate the emergence of RCC paving as a viable option for today and the future.