ICPI Foundation for Education and Research

Municipal ICP Performance Modeling - This project helps determine total life performance costs under various maintenance cost scenarios and comparing them to that for asphalt and concrete. This research identified specific situations where Interlocking Concrete Pavement has a lower life-cycle costs. These include: Moderate to high traffic loads and moderate to high soil subgrade support; Discount rates 3% or lower over a 50-year analysis period; Sidewalks; and Utility cuts and remaining pavement life.

Pedestal-Set Paving Slab Testing: The reason for this research is that C1782 Standard Specification for Segmental Concrete Paving Slabs was written for at-grade applications and may not be adequate for assessing the strength of slabs supported on their corners by pedestals. A Technical Committee task group has oversight of the slab testing by NCMA which established a center-point load testing method and a proposed acceptance criteria of at least 2,000 lbs before breaking. This breaking load correlates to the 725 psi required for flexural strength in ASTM C1782.

P4 Infrastructure Exhibit: Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement installation of the visitor parking lot of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Reston, VA was donated by the Foundation. An exhibit in the lobby of the building was funded by the foundation monitors and displays the rainfall, and level of water in the base to educate Civil Engineers on the benefits of permeable pavement.

Program Committee: Other expenditures that help to further accomplish the organization's exempt purpose and identify potential future research projects.

Tools for Schools: This project provides grants to schools who are authorized to teach the ICPI Concrete Paver Installer course to provide paver installation tools for hands on education to compliment the classroom course.

Open-Graded Base Over Interlocking Concrete Pavement Research: This addresses a disturbing trend in some regions of placing interlocking concrete pavement over open-graded base and using stabilized joint sand with the hopes that it will remain. The first phase of the project involved laboratory aggregate testing to see which open-graded aggregates layers and gradations offer better choking and stability characteristics for use in permeable pavements. Based on that assessment, a Construction Committee task group will recommend three pavement assemblies for construction subject to vehicular loading on which outside consultants will conduct condition surveys for two years.

Traffic Calming Research: A consulting firm has been engaged to identify sites and collect data comparing the speed of traffic using interlocking concrete pavements and comparing to similar roads paved with asphalt.

LWD Purchase: A light-weight defloectometer was purchased in February 2022 for ICPI staff to confirm compaction of the base aggregates in the Open-Graded Base Over Interlocking Concrete Pavement Research funded by the foundation. The unit will also be used for educational purposes.

Slab and Plank Full-scale Testing: Full-scale load testing of segmental concrete planks and paving slabs for partial validation of finite element modeling-based structural design tables. The full scale testing was completed in the Summer of 2021. A final report was delivered to the Technical Committee at the 2022 Annual Meeting. This led to the approval of Tech Spec 24: Structural Design of Segmental Concrete Paving Slab and Plank Pavement Systems.

Job Task Analysis: Nocti Business Solutions (NBS) conducted a task analysis of concrete paver installers from a gathering of experienced, ICPI contractor members as content experts. This project is completed. A psychometrician from Nocti Business Solutions worked with the content experts to develop a job task analysis and to write exam questions for the ICPI Concrete Paver Installer certification. The job task analysis has been completed and fully outlines the construction steps and skills needed for properly installing pavers. This work better positions certified concrete paver installation as a construction trade.

Oklahoma State University Research- Developing deflection acceptance criteria for compacted, open-graded aggregate bases for permeable pavements using lightweight deflectometers (LWDS): This project included an extensive literature review, laboratory testing in a large test bed with compacted aggregate, full-scale field testing on open-graded aggregate bases typical to Permable Interlocking Concrete Pavement was tested. This was accompanied by finite element modeling and a compaction control specification written in AASHTO format for eventual submission to AASHTO. Anticipate completion by June 30, 2023.

paveshare.org Website Rehabilitation: This 11-year old website has been completely reconstructed to a simpler, more modern and flexible platform to meet the expectations of students and educators, as well as a mobile-friendly, searchable format. Content from the previous website is being transferred to the new format. The project includes engaging landscape architecture students and educators across the United States and Canada to review the site and recommend any changes in content.

U.S. Geologic Survey Permeable Pavement Temperature Analysis: This analysis has been completed and a technical paper submitted to the Journal of Water for peer review. Six years of surface and subsurface temperature data was collected on a permeable pavement research installation managed by the USGS in Madison, WI. While impressive pollutant reduction data has been well documented via peer-reviewed technical papers, this temperature data was not yet been analyzed due to contract deliverables focusing on pollutant reductions. The temperature analysis confirms other studies with less data, i.e., permeable interlocking concrete pavers, pervious concrete, and porous asphalt delay freezing due to heat from the earth. This has implications for management of snow and deicers during some or all of winter depending on the cold-weather climate, as well as for continued pollutant reductions during early and late winter.

ICP LCCA Study: This project involves surveying municipalities using interlocking concrete pavements (ICP) in streets and sidewalks for several years. The consultant will rely on cost information from previous and current municipal clients as well as a list of contacts provided by staff. The consultant developed and sent a survey requesting initial and maintenance cost information to these contacts. The survey is still proceeding and responses are expected.