DETERIORATION OF THE PENTAGON NETWORK OF ROADS

THE PENTAGON BUILDING IS SERVED BY 30 MILES OF ACCESS HIGHWAYS, INCLUDING CLOVER LEAF RAMPS, OVERPASSES, AND BRIDGES. THE ROADS WERE CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE U.S. BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS, WHICH RETAINED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR MAINTENANCE UNTIL 1965, WHEN THIS RESPONSIBILITY WAS ASSUMED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS. CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE ROAD SYSTEM DETERIORATED SEVERELY AND IN AN INORDINATELY SHORT TIME SHOWED EXCESSIVE CRACKING, SCALING, AND LOOSENING OF THE AGGREGATE. IN ORDER THAT THE CAUSE OF THE DETERIORATION MIGHT BE ASCERTAINED, SEVERAL CORES WERE REMOVED FROM THE PAVEMENT BEFORE THE ROADS WERE RESURFACED IN 1957. THE CORES CONTAINED HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL CRACKS, CRUSHED AGGREGATE, DETERIORATED PASTE, AND VOLUMINOUS DEPOSITS OF SILICA GEL. ALTHOUGH THE EVIDENCE OF AN ALKA-SILICA REACTION WAS ABUNDANT, THE DISTRESS THAT HAD DISRUPTED THE PAVEMENT SURFACE WAS HORIZONTAL CRACKING, WHICH WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF WATER IN THE CONCRETE DURING RECURRENT CYCLES OF FREEZING AND THAWING. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • HPR 0569
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Highway Research Council

  Charlottesville, VA  United States 

  Virginia Department of Highways

  Richmond, VA  United States  23219

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Walker, H N
• Publication Date: 1969

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access roads; Alkali aggregate reactions; Core samples; Defects; Deterioration; Freeze thaw durability; Highway maintenance; Pavement cracking; Pavement distress; Pavements
• Old TRIS Terms: Cores; Freezing thawing effects
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00206392
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Report/Paper Numbers: HPR 0569
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 9 1970 12:00AM