EXPERIMENTAL PRESTRESSED CONCRETE HIGHWAY PROJECT IN PITTSBURGH

THIS PAVEMENT, 5 IN. THICK BY 12 FT WIDE BY 530 FT LONG, WAS CONSTRUCTED IN PITTSBURGH, PA., NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL DATA ON THE STRUCTURAL ACTION OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE RELIABLE INFORMATION ON THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE RELATIVE ECONOMICS INVOLVED. ALMOST A YEAR WAS OCCUPIED IN WORKING OUT THE ENGINEERING PROBLEMS. CONSTRUCTION WAS STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 1956 AND THE FINAL PRESTRESSING OPERATIONS WAS COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY 1957. VALUABLE EXPERIENCE WAS DEVELOPED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OPERATION, WHICH GENERALLY WORKED STATISFACTORILY. AMONG SOME OF THE UNANTICIPATED PROBLEMS WAS A FAILURE RESULTING FROM PRESTRESSING BEFORE ADEQUATE CONCRETE STRENGTHS WERE OBTAINED. OTHER DESIRABLE CHANGES IN PRACTICE ARE A REDUCTION IN MAXIMUM SIZE OF AGGREGATE AND SOME REFINEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AT THE ENDS OF THE SLAB SECTIONS. A UNIQUE SOLUTION TO THE AGE-OLD EXPANSION JOINT PROBLEM WAS DEVELOPED. THE JOINT, WHICH CONSISTS OF LAMINATIONS OF RUBBER AND STEEL RESTING ON A LONG FLEXIBLE SILL, HAS PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY TO DATE. AN EXTENSIVE TEST SERIES WAS CARRIED OUT WHICH INCLUDED BOTH STATIC TESTING AND MOVING LOAD TESTS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIME AND COST INVOLVED NO TRAFFIC LOAD TESTING WAS INCLUDED. RESULTS WERE CONSIDERED EXCELLENT AND THE STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF A 5 IN. THICK HIGHWAY PAVEMENT WITH LONGITUDINAL PRESTRESSING ONLY APPEAR TO BE ENTIRELY ADEQUATE FOR MODERN HIGHWAY LOADS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/37/37-010.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 37, pp 150-193, 36 FIG, 14 TAB, 10 REF. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Moreell, B
  • Murray, J J
  • Heinzerling, J E
  • Melville, P L
• Publication Date: 1958

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 6-10, 1958
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 37
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Concrete pavements; Construction; Costs; Dynamic loads; Elastomers; Expansion joints; Experiments; Highway engineering; Laminates; Longitudinal reinforcement; Paving; Prestressed concrete; Static loads; Steel
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aggregate size; Construction costs
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209475
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 3 1971 12:00AM