Howie Burns, the soon-to-be retiring executive director of the Massachusetts Concrete & Aggregate Producers Association (MaCAPA), recently invited NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O’Neill to discuss the opportunities that exist for concrete overlays. "We wanted someone who has actually worked on these types of conversions before and Doug was able to provide that connection," Burns said.

In a marketplace like Massachusetts and Rhode Island where asphalt has been the only paving material considered by owners and designers, concrete overlays have somewhat of an identity problem, which is being addressed by the MaCAPA group. O’Neill was able to detail his experiences in New York with concrete overlays, showing that this type of application can be and has been used successfully in the Northeast (shown here), which is still a concern for those just now considering overlays as an option to promote. From bus lanes to intersections, to the NYS Thruway Authority’s use of overlays at most of its rest areas, concrete overlays have performed very well. Burns noted that MaCAPA Business Development Manager Michael Kane, P.E., has been contacting many local municipalities to discuss concrete options and overlays is now part of that discussion.