Interstate 80 (I-80) in California faces severe concrete pavement wear due to heavy truck traffic and winter tire chain use, especially through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This damage, called “wear depth,” differs from typical asphalt rutting, and has been difficult to control with previous repair methods.
In 2023, Caltrans initiated a pilot project near Donner Summit to evaluate polyester polymer concrete (PPC) inlays as a more durable pavement solution for high-wear conditions. These resin-based materials offer high strength, rapid curing, and strong resistance to cracking and extreme weather, making them well-suited for extending concrete pavement life without full reconstruction.
The project consists of multiple test sections, including control sections built with standard materials and experimental sections incorporating alternative formulations. The experimental approaches included the use of bauxite aggregate (selected for its superior hardness and finer aggregate size) blended with standard polyester resin, as well as an epoxy-based material known as Fastrac HPC. Data collection measured pavement wear depth using Face Dipstick Profiler
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