Institute for Transportation

About the research

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) is a no-slump concrete having same basic ingredients as ordinary Portland cement concrete (PCC). While RCC has been used in commercial areas and for local streets and highways, its use for paving shoulders has not been studied in Iowa. The primary objective of this project is to develop mix design, construction, and maintenance/preservation specifications for using RCC in Iowa pavement applications. This will be achieved through execution of the following primary tasks: (1) literature review; (2) comprehensive laboratory assessment; (3) field demonstration construction and evaluation; (4) life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for quantifying cost effectiveness of various shoulder options; (5) facilitation of three workshops on RCC maintenance and preservation, life expectancy, recycling, and potential Iowa transportation infrastructure application types; and (6) Iowa RCC specification development. The successful outcomes of this research will be of great benefit when providing justification on the proper use of RCC as an alternative durable and strengthened material for the paving of shoulders and other applicable areas in Iowa transportation systems.