Construction Productivity and Constraints for Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation in Urban Corridors.

Abstract

A constructability analysis tool was developed to help the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) determine which rehabilitation and construction strategies were the most feasible in an urban environment to maximize production and minimize traffic delay. With the assistance of California concrete paving contractors, the constructabitity analysis explored the effects of the following parameters on the construction production of concrete pavement rehabilitation in California: pavement thickness, concrete material, curing time, number and capacity of resources, number of lanes to be paved, type of construction scheduling, and alternative lane closure strategies. The constructability analyses indicated that the proposed Caltrans strategy to rebuild 6 lane-km within a 55-h weekend closure period had a low probability of success. The analyses showed that the concrete curing time was not the most critical activity for the overall production. Material delivery resources, such as dump trucks for demolition and concrete delivery trucks, were the major constraints that limited production. An increase in the concrete slab thickness from 203 to 305 mm reduced the level of production by about 50 percent. A concurrent-construction working method was more productive than a sequential-construction working method. The number of lanes to be paved affected the production capability. Continuous closures were more productive and less inconvenient to the public than weekend-only closures.