Concrete pavement restoration (CPR) is a pavement rehabilitation strategy for portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. The method consists of a number of individual techniques, including slab stabilisation (subsealing), full-depth patching, partial-depth patching, load transfer restoration, subdrainage, shoulder restoration, diamond grinding, and joint resealing. These practices are designed to provide additional service life to the existing pavement. The FHWA noted growing concerns that both this entire rehabilitation strategy and the individual techniques were performing below expected levels or were not appropriate for actual project conditions. A plan was developed to conduct detailed reviews of completed CPR rehabilitation projects. In all, 26 CPR projects in 8 states were reviewed. It was found that proper preliminary engineering and timing of the individual techniques are critical to project performance. The reviewers found that when projects are properly designed and constructed, CPR will generally reduce pavement deterioration, thereby prolonging pavement life. Continued maintenance will be required, however, throughout the project design life. In addition, it was noted that pavement that have an accelerated rate of slab cracking will continue to have a high rate of slab deterioration immediately after completion of a CPR project.
Abstract