Expedited Construction Using Precast Prestressed Concrete Pavement in California

Faced with shorter and shorter windows for reconstructing deteriorating pavements in urban areas, transportation agencies are continually searching for new and innovative techniques for rapid pavement construction. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is one such agency, often limited to 7-hour nighttime construction windows in the Los Angeles and other metropolitan areas. One innovation recently examined by Caltrans is precast concrete pavement. A 76 m (248 ft) section of precast, prestressed concrete pavement was constructed on Interstate 10 in El Monte, California, adding 8 m (27 ft) of traffic lanes and 3 m (10 ft) of shoulder to the existing pavement. The majority of the work was completed at night when lane closures were permitted on Interstate 10. The precast panels were pretensioned during fabrication and then post-tensioned in place to enhance the performance of the pavement. The successful completion of this project provided Caltrans yet another tool for rapid pavement construction in one of the busiest urban areas in the world.