CNCA PROJECT PROFILE
Jesus Maria Road Calaveras County, CA Construction of the Butte Fire Road Rehabilitation DEFINING THE PROJECT CHALLENGES
CREATING A LASTING IMPACT
The purpose of the project is to optimize the structural capacity of the road through a rehabilitation project with a limited budget. This project uses funds obtained from a settlement paid to the county due to damage done to their roads during and after the 2015 Butte Fire. Water availability and site soil conditions presented issues to overcome. The main challenges for this project are budgetary as the ideal buildout for this roadway is not affordable. A cost benefit analysis was done, settling on the optimized FDR-C. Traffic control, access, and material supply are construction-related challenges that are expected on Jesus Maria like most rural mountainous roadway projects.
INNOVATIVE FULL DEPTH RECLAMATION (FDR-C)
COLLABORATION IS KEY
Two primary competing solutions were considered against the selected FDR-C solution, a standard asphalt overlay was proposed, and a separate FDR solution with a competing binding agent. The cost savings of using cement binder as opposed to its competition (to achieve the same strength) is around 1/4th to 1/6th the cost. The asphalt overlay solution, while competitive on cost, provided significantly lower structural support in comparison, and did not address some of the underlying issues of the existing pavement failures.
This innovative solution was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Clay
The RFQ project solicitation concept was novel and quite progressive. The agency solicited external innovative approach proposals from industry, contractors, and suppliers. This acted to encourage competition and spur innovation which is exactly what they desired.
This process shows the validity of FDR-C as an economic pavement solution and a perfect candidate for projects of this nature. Due to its resiliency and being budget-friendly, it is likely to become the most popular rehabilitation solution moving forward. The project is currently out for bid with bids opening on May 21st. The construction is intended to occur summer 2020. Expected completion is end of summer to early fall 2020.
Slocum and Tyler Bodnar of CNCA, Marco Estrada and Sharon Groesbeck of PRS, Chantelle Garvin and Scott Anderson of Calaveras County.
This solution shows the validity of this economic pavement solution as a candidate for this project and others of this nature. It is likely to expand the use of FDR-C and provide a new budgetfriendly pavement solution.