Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a durable, economical and sustainable pavement solution, which gets its name from the heavy vibratory and rubber-tired rollers used to compact its final form. RCC is a heavy-duty pavement, used when large paved areas must stand up to heavy vehicle loads, abrasive environments and sharp turning movements, as well as, hydraulic and oil spills and specialized equipment.
Below is a table entitled Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) Performance identifying the features and benefits of RCC.
| Features | Benefits |
| High flexural strength (500 psi (3.35 MPa) to 1,000 psi 6.9 MPa) | Supports heavy, repetitive loads without failure and spans localized soft subgrade areas, which reduces maintenance costs and down time. |
| High compressive strength (4,000 psi (27.6 MPa)to 10,000 psi (69 MPa)) | Withstands high concentrated loads and impacts from heavy industrial, military, and mining applications. |
| High shear strength | Eliminates rutting and subsequent repairs. |
| High density, low absorption | Provides excellent durability, even under freeze-thaw conditions; eliminates seepage through pavement. |
| Low water content, low water/cement ratio | Increases strength, reduces permeability, and enhances durability and resistance to chemical attack. |
| Aggregate interlock | Provides high shear resistance at joints and uncontrolled cracks to prevent vertical displacement or faulting. |
| No steel reinforcing or dowels | Speeds and simplifies construction, reduces costs. |
| No forms or finishing | Speeds construction, reduces cost, minimizes labor. |
| No formed or sawed joints | Speeds construction, reduces cost. (To enhance appearance, joints can be sawn into RCC pavement.) |
| Hard, durable, light-colored surface | Resists abrasion, eliminates need for surface course and reduces cost. The light color reduces lighting requirements for parking and storage areas. |
Typical applications for RCC include industrial pavements and heavy-duty parking lots, in addition to several specialized uses in ports, intermodal yards, snow melt sites, scrap metal facilities, and dams.
- RCC Pavement Council
- PCA Roller Compacted Concrete Overview
- CP Tech Center: Guide for Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements (August 2010)
- ACI 330.2R-17: Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Site Paving for Industrial and Trucking Facilities
- RCC Pave (now a part of pavementdesigner.org)
- Roller Compacted Concrete Pavements— A Study of Long Term Performance
- Thickness Design of a Roller-Compacted Concrete Composite Pavement System
- Effect of Density on Mechanical Properties and Durability of Roller Compacted Concrete
- Production of Roller-Compacted Concrete
- Norfolk International Terminal Selects RCC for Port Facility Expansion
- RCC Paving Council Projects page
- ACPA RCC Project Explorer
- ACPA Guide Specification for Roller Compacted Concrete as Exposed Wearing Surface
- FHWA Tech Brief on Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement
- ACI 327R-14 Guide to Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements
- Frost Durability of Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements
- Guide Specification for Construction of Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements
- Roller Compacted Concrete – PCA
- Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavements for Highways and Streets
- Automakers Drive Acceptance of Roller-Compacted Concrete
- Pavement Design for Roads, Streets, Walks and Open Storage Areas
In addition to conventional concrete the use of roller compacted concrete (RCC) is becoming a common method of building new dams and rehabilitating existing dams. RCC acts like armor plating to protect earthen dams from washing out or failing when overtopped by floodwaters. When used to build new dams, RCC offers strength, economy and rapid construction.
Listed below are several key resources and documents on RCC for water resources:
- Design Manual for Small RCC Dams
- Roller-Compacted Concrete Quality Control Manual
- Bonding Roller-Compacted Concrete Layers
- Facing Systems for Roller –Compacted Concrete Dams & Spillways
- New RCC Dam Replaces 70-Year Old Concrete Dam
- Design/Build Approach Big Success for Pine Brook RCC Dam
- Elkwater Fork Dam— A Reliable Source of Drinking Water
- Guide for Developing RCC Specifications and Commentary
- Roller-Compacted Concrete Density: Principles and Practices
- Erosion and Abrasion Resistance of Soil-Cement and Roller-Compacted Concrete
- Buttressing an Aging Gravity Dam with RCC to Remedy Flood Risk
- RCC Dam Saves City’s Sole Source of Water Supply
- Hickory Log Creek RCC Dam and Reservoir Will Supply Much Needed Water