Winter Highway Construction

Abstract

This report focuses on the feasibility of extending the highway construction season further into the winter season than is currently practiced in Alaska. It reviews the literature of research and project experience in accomplishing several elements of succssful highway construction in the winter. It summarizes the cold weather sections of highway construction specification s from 18 states, provinces, and foreign countries. It reports on personal interviews and survey questionnaires with 24 Alaskan contractors who have been engaged in building highway elements in the winter. The report concludes that additional inter highway construction should be permitted in Alaska and urges the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to revise its specifications, on a trial basis, for selected projects in order to permit construction of embankments and asphaltic concrete pavements at below-freezing temperatures. Further research on "cold" concrete, additive materials in embansments and construction productivity is suggested