Pavement Evaluation & Lifetime Assessment Services
Whitestone completed visual pavement evaluations and surface mapping, performed evaluations of the site subsurface conditions, and developed rehabilitation plans and project specifications for rehabilitation or improvement to existing Wal-Mart distribution center and retail store sites located throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States.
This site serves as a major food distribution hub for Wal-Mart in upstate New York. Existing site pavements experience severe loading from multi-axle trucks while the underlying subgrade is subjected to an above average number of freeze-thaw cycles. Whitestone and Bohler were tasked by Wal-Mart to evaluate the existing conditions and subsequently develop a reasonable rehabilitation plan to extend pavement life cycle. Whitestone’s scope of the exploration and analyses included a site visit to document failing pavement areas; a subsurface exploration; field testing and sampling; laboratory analysis, a geotechnical engineering analysis and evaluation of the subsurface materials, and development of pavement rehabilitation recommendations. Whitestone developed recommendations for both full depth asphalt and rigid pavement repairs, milling and overlay, and localized repairs. Whitestone and Bohler worked with the facility manager to maximize available capital budgets and develop and an Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Rehabilitation Costs to focus repair on critical areas. Recommended repairs were identified on site plans and in project specifications that were distributed to contractors for bidding. Whitestone performed construction phase services, including submittal review and approval and review of on-site testing agency.
This Wal-Mart store site is located in a mixed-use retail complex. The project consisted of a pavement evaluation in the Wal-Mart portion of the site and development of a five-year Pavement Maintenance Plan. The parking field was evaluated using the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration’s “Distress Identification Manual for Long-Term Pavement Performance Program” (Publication No. FHWA-RD-03-031 issued in June 2003). Pavement areas were categorized by high traffic areas, such as drive aisles and entrance ways, and parking areas. A maintenance plan with recommendations provided for years 1, 2, and 3 through 5 were developed along with an Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Rehabilitation Costs.
Year 1 repairs included demolition of existing pavements, crack sealing, saw cutting and patching severely distressed areas, and overlaying other areas. Recommendations and costs for subsequent years included routing and crack sealing as well as an application of a seal coat to satisfy the Wal-Mart store manager’s requests.