Florida Turnpike Expansion Reflects Regional Growth

Upon completion of the project, Ranger is required to warranty its work and the quality of pavement it placed under FDOT's "Value Added Asphalt Pavement" specifications. The warranty covers both the asphalt concrete structural course and the asphalt concrete friction surface course. Remedial work covered by the warranty includes:

• Rutting — Remove and replace the distressed areas to full depth of all layers and full lane width.
• Ride — Remove and replace the friction course for the full length and the full lane width of the distressed area.
• Cracking — Remove and replace the distressed area to the full depth of all layers and to the full lane width.
• Raveling and/or delamination affecting the friction — Patch the distressed area to the full distressed depth and to a minimum surface area of 150 percent of each distressed area.
• Pot holes and slippage areas — Remove and replace the distressed area to the full distressed depth, and to a minimum surface area of 150 percent of each distressed area.
• Bleeding — Remove and replace the distressed area to the full distressed depth, and to a minimum surface area of 150 percent of each distressed area.

Ranger is not responsible for remedial work under the warranty if it is determined that:

• The original pavement design thickness is deficient.
• The Accumulated ESALs (Equivalent Single Axle Loads) in the design lane have increased by 25 percent or more over the Accumulated ESALs used by FDOT for design purposes for the warranty period. In calculating ESALs, the Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) will be obtained from the Department's traffic count data and the T24 (Percent Heavy Trucks during a 24 hour period) will be obtained by the Department's traffic classification survey data.
• The deficiency was due to the failure of the existing underlying layers that were not part of the contract work.
• The deficiency was the responsibility of a third party or its actions, unless the third party was performing work included in the contract.

Long-lasting flexible pavement

Hernandez is confident the approximate 108,000 tons of new hot mix asphalt (HMA) placed on the turnpike expansion project will meet all warranty requirements outlined by the FDOT contract. The new travel lane and full-depth shoulder lane is constructed on a stabilized 12-inch subgrade. Approximately 10.5 inches of lime rock base was placed on top of the stabilized subgrade prior to placement of the new asphalt roadway.

The two 2-inch structural asphalt lifts were constructed with a Traffic Level D mix design at 440 pounds per square yard (based on a 4-inch thick pavement) using a 12.5mm nominal aggregate. The two structural lifts were follwed by a 1.5-inch Traffic Level D course consisting of PG 76-22 polymer modified asphalt binder at 150 pounds per square yard using a 12.5mm nominal aggregate and a ¾-inch open-graded friction wearing course (FC with rubber additive) applied at 80 pounds per square yard.

On the milled existing travel lanes, a new 1.5-inch structural Level D polymer modified overlay was placed, followed by the ¾-inch open-graded friction course.

Ranger's paving crew used a Roadtec RP190 paver to place the various lifts on the project, along with several Hypac C 778B, Ingersoll Rand and Caterpillar rollers to achieve compaction.

"Our crews have been doing a great job placing the different mix design and achieving the compaction density required," Hernandez says. "When we're finished, FDOT will have a very good, long-lasting pavement that will handle the projected traffic volume increases it was designed to handle."