InTrans / Jan 21, 2025
CP Tech Center releases Concrete Overlay Repair and Replacement Strategies guide
As concrete overlays have become a more widely adopted and cost-effective pavement management solution, the question of how to handle repair and replacement as these overlays wear or fatigue was one of the last in need of an answer.
The recent release of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center’s (CP Tech Center’s) Concrete Overlay Repair and Replacement Strategies guide addresses this final question.
The guide, authored by Gerald Voigt of Square One Pavement Consulting LLC, presents preservation and repair solutions tailored to concrete overlay distresses and discusses end-of-life strategies that will enable agencies to preserve their investment for the longest possible time.
“With this guide, a comprehensive set of repair procedures and end-of-life strategies is now available to ensure that concrete overlays continue to serve as a renewable and cost-effective pavement asset,” Voigt said.

Included in the guide are comprehensive details on several concrete overlay repair and preservation methods, including pressure relief cuts, full-depth and partial-depth repairs, dowel bar retrofits, cross-stitching, and diamond grinding. Additionally, it discusses end-of-life strategies such as overlay replacement, partial and full inlays, and reconstruction.
“As the guide points out, there is no blanket solution to address concrete overlay repair,” Voigt said. “The circumstances of each project are unique and influence the specific deterioration mechanisms and the rate of deterioration leading to necessary repairs or upgrades.”
Thus, the guide includes guidance on the types of distresses, associated repair or preservation options, and how those options impact the end-of-life implications for the pavement. It also addresses solutions for four concrete overlay types: concrete on asphalt–bonded, concrete on asphalt–unbonded, concrete on concrete–bonded, and concrete on concrete–unbonded.
“We are excited to officially release this new guide,” said Dan King, CP Tech Center research engineer. “Not only does it provide a lot of valuable information for planning and implementing a large variety of techniques and strategies for concrete overlay repair and replacement, it completes a fully comprehensive set of technology transfer resources on concrete overlays available from the CP Tech Center, covering the entire life cycle of a concrete overlay project.”
The guide—intended for engineers, contractors, and others interested in concrete overlay solutions—was published with funding from and as part of the Federal Highway Administration cooperative agreement Advancing Concrete Pavement Technology Solutions.
This guide and other publications produced as part of the cooperative agreement are available on the project page, and additional resources are also available on the CP Tech Center’s concrete overlays website.
In its Additional Resources section, the guide also includes links to specific publications and guides, many of which were published by the CP Tech Center, that provide additional guidance on the design and construction of concrete overlays.