As part of a major research project to evaluate the performance and rehabilitation of rigid pavements in the u.S., An experimental pavement project in clare, michigan, was the subject of an in-depth field survey and evaluation. Different pavement designs were evaluated, including jointed reinforced concrete pavement with aggregate bases, and jointed plain concrete pavement (jpcp) with aggregate, permeable asphalt-treated, and dense-graded asphalt-treated bases (atb). Other variables included in this experiment were skewed joints and perpendicular joints, doweled and non-doweled sections, and sections with and without edge drains. Extensive field testing, including condition surveys, deflection testing, and coring/boring, was performedon the project. The results of this study reveal a notable difference in performance of the different sections. The worst-performing sections were the non-doweled jpcp constructed on a dense-graded atb, which retained moisture and accelerated the deterioration of the underside of the concrete slab. The best performing section had a permeable atb. This pavement section was designed so that no excess moisture was available to accelerate moisture-related distresses. Epoxy-coated dowels, edge drainage, and joint sealant appeared to have had a beneficial effect on pavement performance. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1227, Rigid and flexible pavement design and analysis: unbound granular materials, tire pressures, backcalculation, and design methods.
Abstract