A test pavement located on part of State Route 2 near Vermilion, Ohio, was built in 1975 with sections designed to investigate the role of pavementdesign and materials variables that include aggregate source and size, subbase drainage systems, pavement joint design, subbase materials, joint sealants, cement, type of cure, and joint spacing on D-cracking. In 1998, this study was initiated to better understand concrete durability among thedifferent composition variables of the pavement sections after 23 years of performance. This study established a methodology to analyze the pavement sections, gathered data, and analyzed the data using SAS statistical software. Significant findings on the variables affecting the performance of pavement sections were obtained. Key findings show the impact of aggregatesource and size, joint sealants, and vapor barriers on pavement D-cracking performance and overall pavement performance. Based on the findings of this research, the requirement to use larger size aggregate in concrete pavement was incorporated into the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) 1997 Construction and Material Specifications. Also, the 2009 ODOT specifications will eliminate the requirement for joint sealing in new concrete pavement based on in part on the findings of this study.
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