2016 Cold-In-Place Recycling Project

Location

Southern portion of Bayshore Boulevard in Brisbane, CA

City or County Responsible for Project

City of Brisbane

Category

Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects.

Author

Karen Kinser, PE

Organization

City of Brisbane

Address

50 Park Place, Brisbane, CA 94005

Phone

415.508.2133

Project Description

The City of Brisbane and its residents care deeply about a wide variety of sustainability issues. Work is being done by the government, citizens, and businesses to lower the environmental impact of our activity and preserve natural habitat. The City is committed to providing a safe community which is ecologically sound and fiscally prudent; these priorities are highlighted as two of five goals in the Council-adopted Community Goals. Additionally, the City has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with AB32 through the Climate Action Plan adopted in 2015; work to update the plan for increased emissions reductions to align with SB32’s 2030 goal is expected to begin in 2018. Bayshore Boulevard, a principle arterial through the City of Brisbane, CA had a pavement condition concern, with rutting, pot-holes, cracking, and base failure. The PCI prior to the project was 51. Staff investigated the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly methods of repair and determined that the area was a good fit for Cold-In-Place Recycling (CIR). Staff estimated cost savings for this single project of approximately 12% compared to conventional methods. These savings were realized and the 12% saved on this project represent nearly 40% of the city’s annual road maintenance budget, allowing the City to stretch its limited dollars significantly further. Staff prepared a new specification that allowed for either the Emulsion Method or the Expanded Asphalt Method, to ensure competitive pricing. The project included the cold-in-place asphalt recycling of existing roadway to 3” depth, including lowering of utility frames and covers, cold planing asphalt concrete, AC overlay, and striping. The project covered 4.5% of the City’s centerline lane miles, encompassing the southern portion of Bayshore Boulevard, including two lanes each in the northbound and southbound directions, as well as portions of the median, for a total area of 245,619 sq ft. This project achieved the following impressive environmental benefits: -60% Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) usage, recycling 4,605 tons of existing asphalt assets which would have otherwise gone to landfill; -Elimination of 175 heavily loaded trucks both exporting from and importing materials to the project site, for a total of ~12,075 vehicle miles saved, along with the associated wear and tear on roads, traffic congestion, fuel, oil, energy usage, and emissions; -Estimated Greenhouse Gas reductions of approximately 457,000 lbs. As the City of Brisbane was the first local government in the county to use the CIR method, staff invited engineers from throughout San Mateo County to learn about and observe the project, with staff from the City of San Bruno participating. In conclusion, the project improved the road system in a cost effective and environmentally responsible way—reducing energy use, waste to landfill, GHG emissions, and cost—and served as an example for other local jurisdictions.