Evaluation and Improvement of the Current CRCP Pavement Design Method.

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Pavement Engineering

Background:

• Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) is a key pavement type characterized by continuous steel reinforcement.
• Existing design methods like AASHTO 86/93 have limitations, necessitating more advanced approaches.
• Pavement condition is assessed using indices such as the Highway Pavement Condition Index (HPCI) and International Roughness Index (IRI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for CRCP design.
• To assess the performance of MEPDG models for predicting CRCP distresses like punchout, crack width, and spacing.
• To develop a calculation tool and conduct sensitivity analyses for CRCP design optimization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the MEPDG method, incorporating interactions between geometrics, pavement structure, materials, subgrade, traffic, and environmental conditions.
• Evaluated MEPDG punchout, crack width/spacing, and load transfer efficiency (LTE) models against field data from European test sections (2019-2021).
• Developed a calculation tool and performed sensitivity analyses on various input parameters influencing punchout.

Main Results:

• MEPDG predictions closely matched measured crack spacing and width.
• Model evaluations showed good agreement with European test section data.
• Sensitivity analyses identified key parameters affecting punchout development.

Conclusions:

• The MEPDG method is more reliable for CRCP design compared to AASHTO 86/93.
• CRCP design can be enhanced by considering factors like crack formation time and crack width/spacing correlation.
• Incorporating base layer influence, shoulder type, heavy traffic, and deflection effects is crucial to mitigate erosion and pumping.