DESIGN OF RIGID

PAVEMENT
Under
guidance of,
SHOBITHA MP

PAVEMENTS AND TYPES

Road pavement- a structure of super
imposed layers of selected and processed
material that is placed on a foundation /
sub grade to facilitate rapid, safe, reliable
& comfortable traffic movement.
Traditionally pavements are divided into
two categories flexible and rigid.
On the basis of how the pavement
responds to load and climate conditions.

RIGID PAVEMENT
Portland cement concrete slab with
or without base and placed over sub
grade.
Rigid pavement do not flex much
under
loading
like
flexible
pavements. They are constructed
using cement concrete. In this case
the load carrying capacity is mainly
due to the rigidity and high modulus
of elasticity of slab.

TYPES OF RIGID PAVEMENT

Two types of concrete pavements
commonly used, they are,
Continuously reinforced concreted
pavement (CRCP)
Jointed concrete pavement (JCP).
Plain jointed concrete pavement
(JPCP).
Pre stressed concrete pavement
(PCP).

PAVEMENT DESIGN
Pavement means surfacing layer
only.
In terms of highway design, it means
the total thickness of road including
surfacing, base & sub base if any.
Thus pavement includes all the
structural layers of road structure
lying on sub grade of the road.

COMPONENTS OF RIGID PAVEMENT

Sub grade course
The finished and compacted surface of earthwork on
which a road pavement rests is called sub grade or
formation.
Base course
A layer of boulders or bricks provided over the sub base
course or immediately over the sub grade in the absence of
sub base in a road pavement is called base course.
Surface course
Surface course is the layer directly in contact with the
traffic loads and generally contains superior quality
materials. They are usually constructed with dense graded
cement concrete.

INVOLVES THE STUDY OF

Pavement materials
Pavement structural analysis
Pavement design
Pavement maintenance and
rehabilitation
Pavement management system

Pavement are designed based on

serviceability.

Serviceability is an indication of
how good a ride the travelling public
gets.

 Design of pavements mainly consists

of two aspects
1. Design mix of materials
2. Pavement thickness

FACTORS FOR DESIGN OF

PAVEMENTS
Followings are responsible for pavement design:
1. Climate : rainfall, temp, frost action
2. Environment: ht. of embankment, foundation
cutting
3. Geometry:
4. Pavement materials: to resist climatic
conditions, durability, maintenance
5. Sub grade soil: decides thickness of pavements
6. Traffic: repetitions, speed, wheel loads, contact
pressure, volume of traffic, no. of vehicles/day.

DESIGN APPROACH FOR RIGID

PAVEMENT
Variables for design
1. Wheel loads
2. Design period
3. Traffic
4. Climate temperature differential
5. Sub grade conditions
6. Properties of cement concrete

DESIGN APPROACH
Cement concrete roads provides a highly rigid
surface and hence for the success of such
roads, following two conditions should be
satisfied:
1. They should rest on non rigid surface having
uniform bearing capacity.
2. The total thickness or depth of concrete
pavement & the non rigid base should be
sufficient area of sub base so that the pressure
on unit area remains with the permissible SBC
of the soil.

 Concrete slab has high modulus of

elasticity, high rigidity & flexural
strength, so wheel loads are
distributed over large areas of sub
grade this leads to small deflections
and also leads compressive stress
imposed on the subgrade.
This leads to fatigue damage in
concrete slab in form of development
of micro cracks, due to repeated
application of traffic loads,
This is arrested by limiting flexural
stresses and increasing the concrete

Design steps
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

Field survey and geometric design

Traffic parameters
Environmental parameters
Foundation strength k( modulus of sub grade
reaction) characteristics of sub grade and sub
base
Concrete characteristics ( IRC 58-2002)
Modulus of elasticity
Coefficient of thermal expansion
Design slab thickness

CHARACTRISTICS OF SUBGRADE
AND SUB BASE
Strength- in terms of k( modulus of
sub grade reaction) which is defined
as pressure per unit deflection of the
foundation determine by plate
bearing tests.
Separation layer between sub base
and pavement
Drainage layer

Characteristics of concrete
Design strength- based on flexural
strength of concrete
Modulus of elasticity ,E
Poissons ratio ,
Coefficient of thermal expansion,
Fatigue behaviour of cement
concrete

DESIGN OF SLAB THICKNESS

according to IRC:58 -2002
Critical stress condition:
Stress calculations
i.Edge stress
a) due to load
b) due to temperature
Ste = (EtC)/2
L = [(Eh3)/ (12 (l-2) k)] 0.25
= Poisson's ratio
h = thickness of the concrete slab, cm
k = modulus of sub grade reaction, kg/cm3

 Corner stress
Stc = 3P/h2[1-(ax20.5/l)1.2]
Where
Sc = load stress in the corner region,
other notations remaining the same as in the
case of edge load stress formula, kg/cm2
P = Wheel Load, kg
a = radius of equivalent circular contact
area, cm
The temperature stress in the comer region
is negligible, as the comers are relatively
free to warp and, therefore, may be ignored

JOINTS
Purpose of joins in concrete roads
1. to absorb expansion and
contraction due to variation in
temperature,
2. To avoid warping of slabs.
3. To grant facility in construction.

DESIGN OF JOINTS
Spacing and layout-( table 7 IRC 582002)
Traverse joints
i. Expansion joints
ii. Contraction joints
iii. Construction joints
and load transfer at traverse joints
. Longitudinal joints

 Design of dowel bars

Design of tie bars
according to IRC : 58- 2002

CHARTS USING
Charts showing stresses in Rigid
Pavements for Single Axles as well as
Tandem Axles

ADVANTAGES OF RIGID
PAVEMENT
i. Good Abrasion Resistance
ii. Withstand Extremes of Weather
iii. Exclusion of Water
iv. Skid Resistant
v. Used in Areas where soils have Poor
Engineering Properties
vi. Design Precision
vii.Good Foundation for Strengthening
viii.Fuel Saving

DIS ADVANTAGES OF RIGID

PAVEMENT
i. Problems of Underground Utilities
ii. Do not Permit Stage Construction
iii. Energy Content of Concrete
Pavements is high

FAILURES AND MAINTAINANCE

WORKS
Main failures and techniques to over come
i. Blowup (Buckling)
ii. Corner Break
iii. Durability Cracking ("D" Cracking)
iv. Faulting
v. Joint load transfer system deterioration
vi. Linear (Panel) Cracking
vii. Patching
viii.Polished Aggregate
ix. Pop outs
x. Pumping
xi. Punch out
xii.Reactive Aggregate Distresses

xiii.Shrinkage Cracking
xiv. Spalling