At the first day of World of Concrete, the American Pavement Association (ACPA) outlined its role in assiting Departments of Transportation (DOTs), owners, and other decision makers meet recurrent industry challenges along the lines of inflation and recent federal funding structures.
In 2024, the association said it will build on its 2023 white paper, "Concrete Pavement’s Role in a Sustainable, Resilient Future,” with the addition of tools and resources that help decision-makers meet global challenges while making dollars go further in a high inflation market.
As an organization that offers market development and technical services not only to members and chapter/state affiliates but direct to agencies, ACPA’s focus in 2024 will be strategies that help owners and agencies meet funding criteria while achieving sustainable, resilient and long-lasting infrastructure.
To kick off their year of consulting and education, the ACPA announced the following at World of Concrete:
- Release of a report titled, “How Agencies can Reduce Costs by Improving the Competitiveness of their Bid Environments.”
- ACPA’s participation in the Reduced-Carbon Concrete Consortium (RC3). The RC3 will disseminate funding information, facilitate application submission, provide technical assistance, and enhance contractor preparedness with critical next steps such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
- A growing library of long-life pavement case studies.
The press conference also covered the International Grooving & Grinding Association’s white paper titled “Diamond Grinding: A Safe, Sustainable, Quiet and Cost-Effective Solution to Better Roadways.” The paper is an important contribution to the industry’s knowledgebase because it highlights the gains to be made, both in terms of sustainability and cost savings, using proper pavement preservation and maintenance.
“It’s no secret that states are struggling to meet infrastructure and sustainability needs—and inflation isn’t helping. However, the ACPA has identified many opportunities to help states address these challenges." said Laura O’Neill Kaumo, president and CEO, ACPA, in a statement. "The solution is not to race to the cheapest material to meet short-term needs. There are other viable solutions, which are sustainable, resilient and long-lasting if they receive proper, eco-friendly maintenance and preservation."
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Source: ACPA
