National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

This project will evaluate the performance of a mineral-blended polymeric microsphere powder used to construct concrete pavement test sections at MnRoad. The microsphere concrete mixtures will be compared with a reference mixture that contains conventional air entrainment and existing mixtures evaluated at MnRoad. Performance will be monitored over a 3-year period. The three-fold objectives for evaluating the microsphere mixtures are as follows: (1) determine the reductions in cement content that can be achieved with typical pavement concrete mixtures in which air-entraining agents are replaced with the microsphere-powder blend; (2) develop test data on strength and freeze-thaw durability for selected concrete mixtures to support application of the microsphere concrete mixtures in pavement construction; and (3) quantify the sustainability benefits of use of microsphere concrete in lieu of conventional air-entrained concrete mixtures.