Targeted Overlay Pavement Solutions
Targeted Overlay Pavement Solutions (TOPS) is an innovative approach to road maintenance and rehabilitation that focuses on extending the lifespan of existing pavement infrastructure in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
TOPS is gaining popularity in the field of civil engineering and transportation because it offers a strategic and targeted solution for preserving and enhancing road surfaces. It's not only cost-effective but environmentally friendly, reducing the need for resource-intensive reconstruction projects. TOPS minimizes disruptions to traffic and extends the life of the existing pavement, helping transportation agencies make the most of their budget while providing smoother and safer road surfaces for the community.
Concrete Overlays: How to Get Started
September's TOPS newsletter focused on feasibility considerations and evaluation steps to help determine if a concrete overlay is the right solution for the problem. For October, FHWA is sharing five tips on how to get started as presented in a recent TOPS webinar:
- Start Simple: If new to concrete overlays, choose a project without complicated staging or tight completion requirements. This makes it easy to get started on your procedures and work out specifications.
- Build Confidence: Once started, evaluate the performance of your overlays. Build a few projects a year, establish a process for annual field reviews and performance data collection, and allow initial projects to build your confidence in the technology.
- Build Competency: Reference available technical manuals and training materials. Reach out to peer agencies to gain from their experiences. Consult FHWA for help.
- Collect Data: Integrate concrete overlays into your toolbox over time. Collect local cost and performance data from your projects and peer organizations to build a database. Make sure they're an option in your project scoping software.
- Pay it Forward: Tell others what you learned. “Sharing information is vital to advancing technology,” said Concrete Pavement Consultant Jerry Voigt. “That’s how it’s happened ... people sharing what they learned from concrete overlay solutions.”
Get more TOPS tips from this concrete overlay feasibility strategies webinar and the TOPS website. You can also email Robert Conway, FHWA Resource Center, or download this program flyer for more information
Every Day Counts
Every Day Counts (EDC) is a state-based model that identifies and rapidly deploys proven yet underutilized innovations that make our transportation system adaptable, sustainable, and safer for all.
FHWA works with state DOTs, local governments, tribes, private industry and other stakeholders to identify new innovations to champion every two years that merit accelerated deployment.
The EDC initiative is currently in its 7th round (EDC-7).
Asphalt Overlay
For professionals interesed in Asphalt Overlays, FHWA's how-to documents focus on five TOPS asphalt products:
- Crack attenuating mixture
- Highly modified asphalt
- High-performance thin overlay
- Open-graded friction course
- Stone matrix asphalt
These describe state transportation agency experiences and include considerations for project design and planning, mixture and material selection, and construction specifications.
