Concrete pavements U.S.A. : state of the art.

In this paper, the current state of the art of concrete pavement construction in the United States is described, and changes in pavement design that have been made to accommodate the increase in traffic volume and loading are examined. The history of traffic development on the interstate and other major highways is discussed, and the tremendous increase in traffic loading that accelerated the deterioration of the interstate and primary highway system is noted. This deterioration required some type of rehabilitation strategy to preserve the existing system, and thus a new era in highway construction began, with emphasis on preservation of the highway system through resurfacing, pavement restoration, reconstruction and recycling. The various types of concrete overlays are discussed, along with typical highway projects, and the different kinds of pavement designs used on the interstate and heavy duty primary system are examined. Typical designs used for the major hub, civil, and general aviation airports are considered, and concrete paving for container ports, parking lots, and truck terminals is discussed also. Developments in equipment over the past 30 years have resulted in major changes in PCC pavement construction methods that increased production to meet the needs of massive road-building programs during this period. Design changes that improve performance of PCC pavements are reviewed, along with examples of innovative technology.