CONCRETE SLABS-SPAIN

SPANISH EXPERIENCE IN CONCRETE PAVEMENTS IS REVIEWED. THE TEST SECTION, 3,505 METERS LONG IS COMPOSED OF 2,329 M. OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE PAVEMENT AND 1,176 M. OF NORMAL CONCRETE PAVEMENT, REINFORCED AND UNREINFORCED. THE ROAD, WHICH IS ONE OF THE EXITS OF MADRID, HAS VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH ALL TYPES OF VEHICLES. THE FIRST CONCLUSIONS OBTAINED ARE OF GREAT INTEREST, ESPECIALLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE LINKS IN PRESTRESSED CONCRETE. SPAIN HAS FEW ROADS OF PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE. IN 1964 THERE WERE 296.5 KM. (184.2 MILES). THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT SINCE THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR THE NECESSITIES OF RECONSTRUCTION HAVE OBLIGED SPAIN TO USE PRACTICALLY ALL OF THE CEMENT OUTPUT FOR OTHER PURPOSES, SUCH AS HOUSES, BRIDGES, AND DAMS. IN 1940, THE CEMENT PRODUCTION WAS 1,406,000 TONELADAS, (1,384,000 TON). THE INSTALLATION OF NEW WORKS, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING ONES HAS CAUSED THE 1965 PRODUCTION TO APPROACH 9,950,000 TONELADAS, (9,793,000 TON). THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHICH IS IN PROGRESS INCLUDES AN IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE ROAD NETWORK, BOTH IN LENGTH AND PAVEMENT, AND THE EXISTENCE OF THE ADEQUATE PRODUCTION OF CEMENT HAS MADE IT NECESSARY FOR THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF EMPLOYING RIGID PAVEMENTS. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WAS SMALL NOT ONLY DUE TO THE LACK OF EXISTING ROADS, BUT ALSO FOR THE LACK OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, THE RESULTS PRODUCED WERE POOR. THE PROBLEMS OF RIGID PAVEMENTS IN SPAIN HAVE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS WHICH HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED VERY CAREFULLY. THE INCREASE OF TRAFFIC IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AND PARTICULARLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE LORRIES, HAS CAUSED THE TRAFFIC INTENSITY AND THE LOADS CARRIED ON THE ORIGINAL SECTIONS TO BE VERY GREAT. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE LARGE TEMPERATURE VARIATION. IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF MADRID WHERE EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED, THE TEMPERATURE VARIATION OVER A PERIOD OF 24 HOURS HAS BEEN AS MUCH AS 23 DEGREES C. THE CLIMATE IN SOME PARTS IS SAID TO BE DRY. IN MADRID IT RAINS SOME 300 MM. (11.8 INS.) PER YEAR. ALL THIS CAUSED THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS, WHEN CONTEMPLATING STARTING AN EXPANDED PROGRAM, TO CONSIDER THE CONVENIENCES OF A LARGE SCALE TEST FROM WHICH THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GAIN EXPERIENCE OF THE BEHAVIOR OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RIGID PAVEMENTS AND COMPARE THEM WITH FLEXIBLE ONES. /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • No Iv-4, pp 2-12, 3 FIG
  • Authors:
    • Escario, J L
  • Publication Date: 1967

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  • Accession Number: 00206693
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 13 1994 12:00AM