ACPA Quarter 2 2016

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Concrete Pavement Progress 4
E d i t o r i a l
In this issue of CONCRETE PAVEMENT PROGRESS,
we are pleased to present a story about a commem-
oration of the oldest concrete street in America.
Held in Columbus and Bellefontaine, Ohio, the
event celebrated the construction of the first con-
crete section placed in 1891 on Main Street in
Bellefontaine.
According to an event flyer prepared by the Task
Force on the Preservation of Artifacts fromHis-
torical Concrete Pavements, it all started when
George Bartholomew, founder of Buckeye Port-
land Cement, settled in Bellefontaine in 1886.
Bartholomew established a laboratory in the rear
of Butler’s Drug Store, where he experimented
with limestone and clay from local sources.
Several years of lobbying the city to approve the
use of “artificial stone” followed. Finally, city of-
ficials accepted his proposal to construct a short,
experimental section, provided that he submits
a $5,000 bond and that he warrant it for five
years. Bartholomew, along with J.C. Wonders,
Bellefontaine City Engineer, andW.T.G. Snyder,
a principal road builder in Bellefontaine, “opened
the doors to a new product and a new era of paved
surfaces,” according to the task force flyer.
After success with the original test section ofMain
Street, the city paved all four streets surrounding
the Logan County Courthouse between 1893 and
1894. The approximately 7,700 SY of pavement
attracted a lot of positive publicity, as well as atten-
tion fromengineers throughout theUnited States.
A slab from the 1891 concrete section was exhib-
ited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (officially,
theWorld’s Columbian Exposition), where it was
awarded first place for Engineering Technology
Advancement in Paving Materials.
This commemorative event on April 25 was the
perfect opportunity for ACPA to unveil its new
Historic Concrete Pavement Explorer, also fea-
tured in this issue. The explorer is a web-based
resource that will chronicle concrete pavements
that have been in place 75 years or more, as well
as those that represent “firsts” in type of facility,
use of new technologies, etc.
The common thread that connects the Bellefon-
taine pavement with the other concrete pave-
ments both old and new is that these and other
pavements represent the bold spirit of innovation
and commitment to quality that is prevalent
among the dedicated contractors, materials and
equipment suppliers, consultants, and of course,
the agencies/owners.
These pavements are also much more than high-
ways, airports, streets, roads, and industrial facili-
ties—they are the links to business and commerce,
personal mobility, and the quality of life somany
people enjoy. From the humble beginnings in
Bellefontaine, the original test strip launched
an industry; a national trade association that is
today singularly focused on concrete pavements;
andmany technological improvements that have
followed over the years.
The Bellefontaine pavement and those to be fea-
tured in the ACPAHistoric Concrete Pavements
are not just reminders of our past—they also serve
as a guidepost to the quality, technological ad-
vancements, and excellence that can be found in
concrete pavements now and in the years ahead.
Celebrating the First Concrete Pavement
ConCrete Pavement P roGreSS
Historical
Pavement
Reaches
125 Years
of Service
Also inthis issue:
Concrete Selected for
GeneralAviationProject
after Life-CycleCostAnalysis
ConcreteHeadlines
Major Interchange
Redesign inWisconsin
Quarter 2 | 2016
Bill Davenport
Vice-President of Communications
American Concrete Pavement Association
P.S. The story about the Bellefontaine event was
written just prior to the event. For additional infor-
mation, please visit