Swapping asphalt at near-side stops for 10-inch concrete pads cut rutting and stop-and-go shockwaves on our BRT corridor; on 3rd Ave, average travel time dropped 8% after six months because buses weren’t bogging down in ruts. Curious if others have specs they like (joint spacing, dowels) that balance durability with quick nighttime installs.
And we swapped to “10-inch” pads at near-side stops too: 12 ft panels with 1.25 in epoxy-coated dowels at 12 in c/c in the wheel paths, and a CSA rapid-set mix so lanes reopened by 5 a.m.; the rutting shockwaves were gone in about six months. Small caveat: if the subgrade’s iffy, spend one extra night on a lean concrete base or you’ll be chasing corner breaks; preformed joint seals shaved a few minutes per panel.
But quick example: we used 10-in precast pads at near-side stops — 12-ft panels, FRP 1.5-in dowels only in the wheel paths, thin bedding grout — and could reopen by 5 a.m.; we saw a similar “about 8% after six months” bump once the ruts disappeared. Small caveat: leave a 2-in sacrificial asphalt header on the approach so future milling doesn’t chew the concrete, or you’ll be chasing spalls all season, @ethan_carter77.