Title: Mechanically Induced Cracking of Concrete Pavements

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Publication: CIA

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Date: 2/13/2011

Abstract:
By mechanically inducing cracks in concrete pavement contraction joints, early in the pavement’s life, joint maintenance costs are reduced, pavement life is extended, without increasing the cost of pavement construction. Pavement construction with single pours of up to 3000 square metres are on the increase, with the widespread availability of laser screeds to accurately and economically do so. Currently sawcuts are preferred as intermediate contraction joints for concrete pavements placed as a combination of large area pours. Spalling of sawcut edges by small diameter hard wheeled forklifts is common and expensive to repair. Steel reinforcement is often used in pavement construction, due to the inability of sawcuts to control the width of concrete cracks. Crack control achieved, by mechanically inducing cracks early in a pavement’s life, provides the opportunity to eliminate reinforcement and sawcut joints.