In January 1998, an innovative concrete pavement surface treatment was successfully undertaken in Adelaide South Australia, as the first of six proposed trial sites. Located at the signalised intersection approach of Osmond Terrace and Magill Road, the concrete inlay replaced the asphalt surfacing layer which had developed severe shoving and rutting due to the combined effects of standing and slow moving heavy traffic during hot summers. This paper describes the design methodology and construction processes of the polypropylene fibre reinforced thin concrete inlay treatment applied to Osmond Terrace. Details of the adaptation of technology developed in the USA, commonly referred to as Ultra Thin Whitetopping (UTW) are provided, together with an evaluation of the structural and functional performance of the treatment during the initial 5 months of service. The treatment costs and the refinements to design and construction details which are proposed for future trial sites are also discussed. (A)
Abstract