Experimental evaluation of load transfer efficiency of non-dowelled concrete pavements

Generally, joint performance in concrete pavements is evaluated in laboratory by applying dynamic loads that require large scale experimental setups. In order to propose a simplified laboratory test, a comprehensive literary review of the fundamentals of load transfer at joints is made, and the load transfer efficiency obtained via a reduced...

Laboratory characterization of the load transfer-crack width relation for innovative short concrete slabs pavements

Aggregate interlock is the dominant load transfer mechanism in non-dowelled Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements, as the innovative short concrete slabs. Although the Load Transfer Efficiency of this pavement innovation is based on that mechanism, the structural design methods do not relate the Load Transfer Efficiency by aggregate interlock with...

Joint faulting behaviour of innovative short concrete slabs

Pavements are one of the largest assets of a city and their functional condition (ride quality) is priority for their clients. In jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCPs), the presence of joint faulting (JF) reduces the ride quality. Today, short slabs are available as a cost-effective JPCP innovation. The objective of this paper is to analyse...

Uncracked joints in plain concrete pavements: causes, effects and possibilities of improvements

During the construction of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCPs) in Chile, it was observed that joints remained uncracked. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate the effects of uncracked joints (UnCrJ) in JPCPs and to propose possible solutions or improvements to avoid or minimize this phenomenon. Considering low thermal amplitude as...

Functional thresholds for designmaintenance of urban pavements: Functional criteria for sustainable design of urban pavements

Functional criteria have been mostly defined in urban pavements using subjective methods, rather than by means of objective and repeatable procedures. The Whole<br/>Body Vibration, the Heart Rate Variability, and new technologies to determine the<br/>IRI (International Roughness Index), are nowadays available. For that, an analysis of<br/...

Innovations in concrete pavements for a sustainable infrastructure

Concrete pavements (CPs) are durable and they do not need periodic invasive maintenance interventions. Nevertheless, CPs are hardly chosen when only initial costs, instead of life-cycle costs, are considered in the evaluation. Nowadays, there are innovations in Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCPs) that reduce initial costs about 25% with...