After a successful trial where EdenCrete® demonstrated its ability to improve the interstate roadways strength, durability, and crack-resistance, the Georgia DOT revised their concrete specification for full-depth slab repairs on the highway to require EdenCrete® and allow for reduced content.
It was big a promise to make, but GDOT was willing to give it try. They selected two, 35 ft. long sections of I-20 West near the off-ramp to the State of Georgia’s Welcome Center. The “control” was poured using the standard GDOT Class 24-Hour Accelerated Concrete mix formula that contains 752 lbs. of cement per cubic yard. The same GDOT Class 24-Hour Accelerated Concrete mix was used with our carbon nanotube-enriched admixture. The crew also incorporated calcium chloride pellets into both mixes to ensure sufficient strength of the concrete, so the roadway could reopen only a few hours after placement.
After reading a news story about the crumbling highway system in Georgia, EdenCrete® approached the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) with an innovative proposal: Test our carbon concrete admixture on a stretch of highway. We believed EdenCrete’s® abrasive resistance properties, decreased permeability, and overall strength gains could potentially double the life expectancy of Georgia’s roadways.
EdenCrete® at 4 gal/yd3
EdenCrete® increased abrasion resistance of the concrete by 56% over the original mix design. Furthermore, EdenCrete® increased the compressive strength of the concrete by 33%. After review of data and field placement, GDOT has granted EdenCrete® the status of “Allowed for Use” for projects specified with either Class 24-Hour Accelerated or Class B concrete.
