Mechanistic-Empirical Design Concepts for Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements in Illinois

Beyer, Matthew; Roesler, Jeffrey R.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/13800 Copy

Description

Title

Mechanistic-Empirical Design Concepts for Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements in Illinois

Author(s)

• Beyer, Matthew
• Roesler, Jeffrey R.

Issue Date

2009-04

Keyword(s)

• CRCP
• Illinois pavements

Abstract

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) currently has an existing jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) design based on mechanistic-empirical (M-E) principles. However, their continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) design procedure is empirical and based on a modified AASHTO nomograph for jointed reinforced concrete pavement. The objective of this study was to develop and implement an M-E design procedure that IDOT could use for routine CRCP design. The proposed procedure is based on mechanisticempirical design principles taken largely from the models presented in NCHRP 1-37A and on work completed by Dr. Dan Zollinger of Texas A&M University. The equations for calculating the mean crack spacing and the number of punchouts per mile at the end of the design life for a given traffic volume, pavement layer and CRC slab geometry, shoulder type, and layer material properties have been implemented in a user-friendly spreadsheet. Several new developments in the proposed design process are fatigue damage accumulations at the critical top and bottom location in the CRCP slab, equations for calculating the equivalent damage ratio for several shoulder types and crack stiffness values, application of a strength reduction factor to the concrete stress ratio calculated at the surface of the CRCP, and a new logistic-type punchout prediction model. Due to the numerous measured and assumed input variables in this CRCP design framework, the mechanistic analysis was calibrated against CRCP field performance data from Illinois and CRCP accelerated pavement test data completed at the University of Illinois.

Publisher

Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT)

Series/Report Name or Number

FHWA-ICT-09-040

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/13800

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

ICT-R57

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