Concrete Overlays: Decision for the Well Informed

Ed Bartels, P.E., PLS, the assistant engineer for Johnson County, IA, has written an article appearing in the May 2013 edition of Roads & Bridges magazine that testifies to his county’s success using PCC overlays for road reconstruction that they first explored after the big run-up of oil prices in 2008. With severe funding challenges at that time, concrete overlays were considered because they "appeared to offer a number of benefits in terms of economy, sustainability and cost volatility." With numerous successful projects now in place, Bartels concludes that "PCC overlays provide a cost-effective and time-tested method for maintaining our county roads network."