Effect of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Test Variability on Concrete Pavement Performance as Predicted by Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

2007 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jussara Tanesi ◽  
M. Emin Kutay ◽  
Ala Abbas ◽  
Richard Meininger
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
Pavement Design ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Expansion Test ◽  
Design Guide ◽  
Test Variability

Measurement and Significance of the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Concrete in Rigid Pavement Design

2005 ◽  
Vol 1919 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagannath Mallela ◽  
Ala Abbas ◽  
Tom Harman ◽  
Chetana Rao ◽  
Rongfang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Structural Design ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Fundamental Property ◽  
The United States ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
Pavement Design ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Opening And Closing

The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is a fundamental property of concrete. It has long been known to have an effect on joint opening and closing in jointed plain concrete pavement, crack formation and opening and closing in continuously reinforced concrete pavement, and curling stresses and thermal deformations in both types of pavements. However, it has not been included as a variable either in materials specifications or in the structural design of concrete pavements. Hundreds of cores were taken from Long-Term Pavement Performance sections throughout the United States and were tested by FHWA's Turner–Fairbank Highway Research Center laboratory, using the AASHTO TP 60 test procedure. The CTE values were then assimilated into groups on the basis of aggregate types, and the mean and range of CTE were calculated. These results were then used in the new mechanistic–empirical pavement design guide to determine the significance of the measured range of CTE on concrete pavement performance. The CTE of the concrete was found to vary widely, depending on the predominant aggregate type used in the concrete. Sensitivity analysis showed CTE to have a significant effect on slab cracking and, to a lesser degree, on joint faulting. Its overall effect on smoothness was also significant. Given that CTE has not been used before in routine pavement structural design, the conclusion is that this design input is too sensitive to be ignored and must be fully considered in specifications and in the design process to reduce the risk of excessive cracking, faulting, and loss of smoothness.

Improvements of Testing Procedures for Concrete Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

2005 ◽  
Vol 1919 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moon Won
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Coarse Aggregate ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Portland Cement Concrete ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Accuracy And Repeatability

The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of concrete has a significant effect on the performance of portland cement concrete pavement. Concrete with a higher CTE is more prone to cracking, additional warping, and spalling. To improve PCC pavement performance, several districts of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) currently limit the CTE of concrete. To support this policy, efforts have been made to improve the accuracy and repeatability of the testing procedures for CTE. The current AASHTO Test Method TP 60 has been evaluated, its shortcomings identified, and improvements made. The improvements include CTE determination from regression analysis of temperature and displacement measurements. The effects of a number of variables on concrete CTE were investigated. The effect of the rate of heating and cooling is negligible. Concrete age and specimen size also have a negligible effect. Coarse aggregate content in the concrete mix has an effect on the test results. This test procedure was used to evaluate coarse aggregates from 32 sources in Texas. The results show that coarse aggregate type has a significant effect on concrete CTE. The proposed testing procedure for concrete CTE provided more accurate results than the AASHTO TP 60. TxDOT plans to implement this test procedure and to develop appropriate steel design standards for continuously reinforced concrete pavement and other construction-related requirements such as different curing methods for concrete with varying CTEs. This implementation should result in better concrete pavement performance.

Impacts of variability in coefficient of thermal expansion on predicted concrete pavement performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
pp. 711-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Myers McCarthy ◽  
Jagan M. Gudimettla ◽  
Gary L. Crawford ◽  
Maria C. Guercio ◽  
Douglas Allen
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
Pavement Performance

Jointed Plain Concrete (JPC) Pavement Variability and Method to Complement JPC Design with 3D Pavement Data

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812199782
Author(s):  
Georgene Malone Geary ◽  
Yichang (James) Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Crack Detection ◽  
Plain Concrete ◽  
Pavement Design ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Local Calibration ◽  
Design Guide ◽  
Unique Method ◽  
Departments Of Transportation ◽  
Transportation Agencies

3D pavement data are increasing in use and availability and open up new opportunities to evaluate variability in pavements. The majority of information we currently have on existing pavements is the result of the Long Term Pavement Performance Program (LTPP). While the program is comprehensive and the data are immense, the study sections are typically only 500 ft in length, which limits the ability to accurately gauge the variability of the distresses in a pavement over a longer length, especially cracking in Jointed Plain Concrete (JPC) slabs. 3D pavement data already collected by transportation agencies have the opportunity to complement LTPP data to analyze variability and improve the use of LTPP data. This paper presents a unique method to complement LTPP data using 3D pavement data, consisting of four steps: (1) crack detection using 3D pavement data; (2) categorize detected cracks by orientation and extent by slab using 3D slab-based methodology; (3) convert categorized slab level cracking into mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide cracking; and (4) perform local calibration with the 3D converted input values. The method uses 3D pavement data to provide a non-discrete value for percent cracking in GPS-3 LTPP sections for the purposes of local calibration. The proposed method is shown to be feasible using 3D pavement data and two JPC LTPP sections in Georgia. The method could be extended to any of the state Departments of Transportation that have active LTPP sections and are now or will shortly be collecting 3D pavement data.

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