Title: Field Study of the Early-Age Behavior of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements

Author(s): G. L Chen, T. H. Schell, and J. G. Sweet

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 206

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 243-258

Keywords: concrete pavement, crack width, early-age properties, field study, friction, highway pavement, plain concrete, temperature

DOI: 10.14359/12256

Date: 4/1/2002

Abstract:
Field engineers have observed that Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP) exhibit irregular joint cracking patterns. Upon inspection, it was seen that most of the joints remain uncracked at early ages, while many of those joints that do crack experience excessively large crack widths. This results in a quicker localized deterioration of these joints, nd ultimately a shorter life span of the highway. This phenomenon, as well as many of the early-age mechanical properties of concrete, was investigated in this study. This paper describes the study of the early-age JPCP joint cracking. On-site highways. The pavements were monitored for slab temperature profile histories, ambient temperature histories, transverse joint crack developemnt and overall behaviors. The concrete temperature histories were obtained at selected locations for each investigation using embedded thermocouples and a contact infrared thermometer. Crack growth histories were obtained for each site by measuring the crack widths at each joint. A time and location dependent analysis was developed which gives an acceptable representation of the observed cracking pattern. The analysis is based on such factors as frictional forces between the JPCP and its underlying layers. The results of this study can be used to help control the locations of joint cracking and crack widths of early-age concrete pavements.