The Sisseton School Board in Sisseton, SD, recently selected concrete for a new 180,000 square-foot parking lot after comparing the concrete’s life-cycle benefits to those of asphalt. The South Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association and local producer, NRMCA member GCC Ready Mix worked together to successfully present concrete’s benefits and life-cycle costs to the school board. The initial project bid was for a 5-inch reinforced concrete section or a 5-inch asphalt section. Because the reinforcement, specified by the local engineer due to expansive soils, added cost to the concrete pavement, a clear understanding of concrete life-cycle benefits was necessary for the project to proceed.

With project low bids coming in at $859,724 for concrete and $564,292 for asphalt, the Sisseton School Board voted to award the parking lot contract to the concrete low bidder. The project is complete and ready for returning students this fall.