CONSTRUCTION OF A

RIGID PAVEMENT
Edited by
Miss Anne 2015

INTRODUCTION

A rigid pavement is constructed from cement concrete

or reinforced concrete slabs. Grouted concrete roads
are in the category of semi-rigid pavements. Rigid
pavements consist of a subgrade/subbase foundation
covered by a slab constructed of pavement quality
concrete.

LOAD DISTRIBUTION

The design of rigid pavement is based

on providing a structural cement
concrete slab of sufficient strength to
resists the loads from traffic.

The diagram shows that the main

layer that supports applied load is the
surface itself. A main difference
between a flexible pavement and rigid
pavement is the bitumen in flexible
pavements deflects load downward
while concrete deflects forces
outwards. Thus a rigid pavement must
be designed where its surface layer
has sufficient strength to support
traffic load.

LAYERS OF A RIGID PAVEMENT

The difference in layers between a flexible pavement and a
rigid pavement is for rigid pavement, the Subbase and base
layer may be combined as only 1 layer, making it optional
for a subbase layer. This is due to the fact that the traffic
load is supported mostly by the surface layer, the concrete
of the rigid pavement.

SUBBASE
The subbase course is the portion of the pavement structure
between the base course and the subgrade. It functions primarily
as structural support but it can also:
Minimize the intrusion of fines from the subgrade into the pavement
structure.
Improve drainage.
Minimize frost action damage.
Provide a working platform for construction.

The subbase generally consists of lower quality materials than

the base course but better than the subgrade soils. Appropriate
materials are aggregate and high quality structural fill. A subbase
course is not always needed or used or combined with the base
layer

BASE

The base course is immediately beneath the surface course. It provides

Bases also help prevent subgrade soil movement due to slab pumping. Base
courses are usually constructed out of:
Aggregate base:

additional load distribution,

contributes to drainage and frost resistance,
uniform support to the pavement and
a stable platform for construction equipment (ACPA, 2001).

A simple base course of crushed aggregate has been a common option since the early
1900s and is still appropriate in many situations today.

Stabilized aggregate or soil :

Stabilizing agents are used to bind otherwise loose particles to one another,
providing strength and cohesion. Cement treated bases (CTBs) can be built to as
much as 20 - 25 percent of the surface course strength (FHWA, 1999). However,
cement treated bases (CTBs) used in the 1950s and early 1960s had a tendency
to lose excessive amounts of material leading to panel cracking and settling.

SURFACE COURSE
The surface course is the layer in contact with traffic loads and is
made of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC).
It provides characteristics such as friction, smoothness, noise
control and drainage.
In addition, it serves as a waterproofing layer to the underlying
base, subbase and subgrade.
The surface course can vary in thickness but is usually between
150 mm (6 inches) (for light loading) and 300 mm (12 inches) (for
heavy loads and high traffic).

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FLEXIBLE &

RIGID PAVEMENT
Flexible Pavement
It consists of a series of 4 layers with the highest
quality materials at or near the surface of
pavement.

Rigid Pavement
It consists of 3 layers, one layer Portland cement concrete
slab or relatively high flexural strength.

It reflects the deformations of subgrade and

subsequent layers on the surface.
Its stability depends upon the aggregate interlock,
particle friction and cohesion.
Pavement design is greatly influenced by the
subgrade strength.
It functions by a way of load distribution through
the component layers

It is able to bridge over localized failures and area of

inadequate support.
Its structural strength is provided by the pavement slab itself
by its beam action.
Flexural strength of concrete is a major factor for design.

6.

Temperature variations due to change in

atmospheric conditions do not produce stresses in
flexible pavements.

Temperature changes induce heavy stresses in rigid

pavements.

7.

Flexible pavements have self-healing properties

due to heavier wheel loads are recoverable due to
some extent.

Any excessive deformations occurring due to heavier wheel

loads are not recoverable, i.e. settlements are permanent.

1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

It distributes load over a wide area of subgrade because of

its rigidity and high modulus of elasticity.

TYPES OF JOINTS IN RIGID PAVEMENT

Joints are provided in a pavement slab in order to allow for
movement caused by changes in moisture content and temperature.
Transverse joints across the pavement at right angles to its
centreline permit the release of shrinkage and temperature stresses.
In other words, Transverse Joints run perpendicular to the pavement
length (across the lane) and serve different functions depending on
the pavement type.
The greatest effect of these stresses is in the longitudinal direction.
Longitudinal joints, on the other hand, deal with induced stresses
most evident across the width of the pavement. Longitudinal Joints
run parallel to the pavement length (along the lane) and serve to
control longitudinal cracking.

TYPES OF JOINTS

TRANSVERSE
JOINTS

LONGITUDINAL
JOINTS
CONTRACTION
EXPANSION
CONSTRUCTION
ISOLATION

CONTRACTION JOINTS

Contraction occurs when water is lost or

temperatures drop. Expansion occurs when
water is absorbed or the temperature rises.
The insertion of contraction and expansion
joints permit movement to happen.

Contraction allows induced stresses

to be released by permitting the
adjacent slab to contract. Thereby
causing a reduction in tensile
stresses within the slab. The joint
reduces the thickness of the concrete
slabs, inducing a concentration of
stress and subsequent cracking at
the chosen appropriate location.

EXPANSION JOINTS
Progressive or even large seasonal
contraction joint openings cause a
loss of load transfer particularly so
for joints without dowel bars.

An expansion joint is placed at a specific

location to allow the pavement to expand
without damaging adjacent. However,
expansion joint are not typically used today
because their progressive closure tends to
cause contraction joints to progressively
open (Sutherland, 1956).

ISOLATION JOINTS
An isolation joint is used to lessen
compressive stresses that develop at Tand unsymmetrical intersections, ramps,
bridges, building foundations, drainage
inlets, manholes, and anywhere
differential movement between the
pavement and a structure (or another
existing pavement) may take place
(ACPA, 2001). They are typically filled
with a joint filler material to prevent water
and dirt infiltration.

WARPING JOINTS

A warping joint is a longitudinal or transverse joint, with bonded steel or

tie bars passing through it, with the sole function of permitting warping
of pavement slabs when moisture and temperature differentials occur in
the pavement.

CONSTRUCTION JOINTS
A construction joint is a joint between
slabs that results when concrete is placed
at different times, or during the
construction process of a rigid pavement.
Workers manually insert dowel bars into
the construction joint at the end of the
work day. Construction joints should be
planned so that they coincide with
contraction joint spacing to eliminate extra
joints.

DOWEL BARS
Dowel bars are typically 32 to 38 mm (1.25
to 1.5 inches) in diameter, 460 mm (18
inches) long and spaced 305 mm (12
inches) apart.

Dowel bars are short steel bars that provide a mechanical

connection between slabs without restricting horizontal joint
movement. They increase load transfer efficiency by allowing the
leave slab to assume some of the load before the load is actually
over it. This reduces joint deflection and stress in the approach
and leave slabs.

TIE BARS
Tie bars are typically used at longitudinal
joints (see Figure 5.11) or between an
edge joint and a curb or shoulder.
Typically, tie bars are about 12.5 mm (0.5
inches) in diameter and between 0.6 and
1.0 m (24 and 40 inches long).

TYPES OF RIGID PAVEMENTS

Mass concrete or Unreinforced Concrete (URC)
Jointed reinforced concrete (JRC)
Continuous reinforced concrete (CRCP)
Pre-stressed concrete (PSC)

Mass concrete or Unreinforced Concrete (URC)

Mass Concrete is also known as Unreinforced

Concrete Pavement (URC) or Jointed Plain
Concrete Pavement (JPCP). This type of
pavement relies solely on the ability of the
concrete material to bear and support loads
without the assist of reinforcements. This means,
a huge amount of concrete, dowel and tie bars
must be used to ensure tension failure is
covered.

Mass Concrete is the most common type of rigid

pavement. It controls cracks by dividing the
pavement up into individual slabs separated by
contraction joints. Slabs are typically one lane
wide and between 3.7 m (12 ft.) and 6.1 m (20
ft.) long.

Jointed reinforced concrete (JRC)

Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement (JRC or JRCP)

controls cracks by dividing the pavement up into individual
slabs separated by contraction joints. However, these slabs
are much longer (as long as 15 m (50 ft.)) than Mass
Concrete slabs, so JRC uses reinforcing steel within each
slab to control within-slab cracking.

Jointed reinforced concrete pavement uses contraction

joints and reinforcing steel to control cracking. Transverse
joint spacing is longer than that for JPCP and typically
ranges from about 7.6 m (25 ft.) to 15.2 m (50 ft.).

Temperature and moisture stresses are expected to cause

cracking between joints, hence reinforcing steel or a steel
mesh is used to hold these cracks tightly together. Dowel
bars are typically used at transverse joints to assist in load
transfer while the reinforcing steel/wire mesh assists in load
transfer across cracks.

Continuous reinforced concrete (CRCP)

This type of rigid pavement uses reinforcing steel

rather than contraction joints for crack
control. Cracks typically appear ever 1.1 - 2.4 m
(3.5 - 8 ft.) are held tightly together by the
underlying reinforcing steel.

Continuously reinforced concrete pavement does

not require any contraction joints. Transverse cracks
are allowed to form but are held tightly together with
continuous reinforcing steel.

Research has shown that the maximum allowable

design crack width is about 0.5 mm (0.02 inches) to
protect against spalling and water penetration
(CRSI, 1996). Cracks typically form at intervals of
1.1 - 2.4 m (3.5 - 8 ft.). Reinforcing steel usually
constitutes about 0.6 - 0.7 percent of the crosssectional pavement area and is located near middepth in the slab.

Pre-stressed concrete (PSC)

PSC also known as Post Tensioned Concrete Pavement. Normally place in specialized locations
such as airports. The concept for precast pavement incorporates prestressing. prestressing not only
improves the durability of the pavement, but also permits a significant reduction in slab thickness by
inducing a precompressive stress in the pavement that must be overcome before tensile stresses
that lead to cracking can occur.

Prestressing in both the longitudinal (in the direction of traffic flow) and transverse (normal to traffic
flow) directions is essential for prestressed pavements.

Figure 5.15 shows a typical precast panel assembly. The panels are installed transverse to the flow
of traffic, incorporating both traffic lanes and shoulders if possible. The panels are pretensioned
lengthwise (transverse to the flow of traffic).

Method for constructing a rigid

Pavement
STEP

PROCESS

1.

Production And Handling Of Concrete

2.

Placing And Finishing

i.
Placing in Fixed form (Hand Placing)

DETAILS
This process includes the production of concrete, transportation and consistency of concrete to be placed in
construction site.

i.

Slip Form Placement (Mechanical

Paving)

In fixed form paving, side forms are used to hold fresh PCC in place at the proper grade and
alignment until it sets and hardens. These forms may also serve as tracks for various pieces of
placing and finishing equipment.
Fixed form paving is most appropriate for small jobs, complicated geometry pavements or variable
width pavements.
Advantages of Fixed Form Paving:
Tight tolerances and side clearances.
Custom geometry.
Better construction staging.
Less expensive equipment and mobilization.

Slip form paving is defined as a process used to consolidate, form into geometric shape and surface
finish a PCC mass by pulling the forms continuously through and surrounding the plastic concrete
mass by mechanical means.
Slip form paving is most appropriate for larger jobs that require high production rates.
Advantages of Slip form paving:
Uses low-slump PCC.
High productivity.
Smooth riding surface.

3.

Construction of Joints

Joints are constructed and located as detailed on the drawings. Joints are straight and plumb and
normal to the longitudinal joints, and continuous from edge to edge of the pavement throughout all paving
slabs that are connected in a single paved area.

4.

Curing and Protection

Concrete must be cured by protection against loss of moisture and rapid temperature changes for a period
of not
less than 7 days from the completion of the finished operations.
Curing shall comprise:

membrane curing; or

initial curing followed by moist curing and impermeable blanket curing.

THANK YOU

NHMK 2015