NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PAVEMENT JOINTING

HISTORY IS BRIEFLY REVIEWED ON CONCRETE PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION IN MICHIGAN. CHANGES IN PAVEMENT JOINT CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED IN THE 1940 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS REFLECT CONCLUSIONS REACHED FROM STUDIES ON THE PREVIOUS BEHAVIOR UNDER LOAD AND ALSO THE STRUCTURAL EFFECTIVENESS OF TYPICAL LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE JOINT DESIGNS. A STUDY OF FAILED JOINTS DISCLOSED THAT THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE RESTED ON TWO OR THREE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: (1) MISALIGNMENT OF THE DOWEL BARS VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY DUE TO BASKET WEAKNESS, (2) LOCKING OF JOINTS BECAUSE OF IMPROPER COATING OF BARS PRIOR TO PLACEMENT, (3) LOCKING OF JOINTS CAUSED BY INFILTRATION OF WATER, (4) CARELESS PLACEMENT OF THE DOWEL ASSEMBLY DURING CONSTRUCTION, AND (5) INFILTRATION OF SOIL INTO THE JOINT OPENING AT THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE SLAB DUE TO THE RUPTURING OF THE SUBSTITUTE BASE PLATE MATERIAL. IN 1952, A DOWEL BASKET ASSEMBLY WAS FABRICATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A MODIFICATION OF AN ASSEMBLY SUPPLIED BY THE BETHELEHEM STEEL COMPANY. THIS BASKET DESIGN MADE PROVISION FOR THE CENTER WIRES OF THE BASKET TO STRADDLE THE BASE PLATE PARTING STRIP AND HOLD IT IN PROPER POSITION DURING CONCRETE PLACEMENT. DOWEL ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN GREATLY IMPROVED AND DELAYS IN PAVING OPERATIONS TO PERMIT CORRECTION OF IMPROPERLY PLACED BASKET ASSEMBLIES ARE NEGLIGIBLE. ANOTHER DESIGN CHANGE SUBSTITUTED SAW LONGITUDINAL JOINT CONSTRUCTION IN PLACE OF THE PRE-MOLDED TYPE LONG USED. TESTS ARE REPORTED ON SEALING COMPOUNDS. STYROFOAM AND CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD WERE TESTED TO FORM CONTRACTION JOINT GROOVES. THE STYROFOAM METHOD APPEARED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR SAWED TRANSFER JOINTS AT REASONABLE COST AND WITHOUT THE RISK OF RANDOM CRACKING. PROBLEMS NOW UNDER STUDY ARE: FREEZING OF JOINTS DUE TO BOND BETWEEN THE CONCRETE AND LOW TRANSFER BARS, AND EROSION OF CONCRETE AROUND THE LOW TRANSFER BAR.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/162/162-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 162, pp 8-12 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:
  • Laird, C B
• Publication Date: 1957

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 5p
• Monograph Title: Concrete pavement construction and winter construction of bridges
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 162
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Canal lock operations; Concrete pavements; Concrete placing; Construction management; Contraction joints; Corrugations (Defects); Design; Dowels (Fasteners); Erosion; Failure; Freezing; Infiltration; Joint sealers; Joints; Location; Longitudinal joints; Paving; Plastic foams; Reviews; Soils; Transverse joints
• Old TRIS Terms: Baskets; Joint; Paperboard; Placement
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215121
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 28 1994 12:00AM