The CRCP/BGBA Composite Structure for the Bassens Building Site (Gironde Department in France)

The continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP)/bituminous-bound graded aggregates (BBGA) composite structure has been chosen as a base solution for the conversion and development road works carried out in the industrial harbour area of Bassens in the Bordeaux Suburb (France). This structure, which was suggested by the Bordeaux City Administration Engineering Department, was selected with the agreement of all project partners. Those parties were especially keen on making it possible for companies active in the area to pursue their activities throughout the works and during the renovated roads maintenance operations taking place in the future. The satisfying progress of the works, which took place in 2006 and of those concerning two roundabouts in early 2007, show that in spite of the demands linked to a maintained traffic during the works, the CRCP/BBGA composite structure is indeed perfectly adapted to industrial sites (or urban this ), for this alternative has enabled three major demands coming from professionals running factories located near the roads to be renovated : 1- Maintaining a regular traffic during the works progress, which was made possible thanks to the BBGA foundation 2- A structure requiring a minimum maintenance throughout time guaranteed by the use of concrete (CRCP), better adapted to bear low and targeted traffics, as well as particular conditions inherent to roundabouts and their vicinity, while in service 3- An economical structure, obtained by the reduction of the CRCP thickness, made possible by taking the CRCP/BBGA interface gluing into account. The article describes the implementation of the works, on a 3-kilometer-long site, with 3 roundabouts also made of the CRCP/BBGA composite structure.