LONGITUDINAL CRACKING OF CONCRETE PAVEMENTS ON STATE HIGHWAYS 13 IN CLARK AND TAYLOR COUNTIES, WISCONSIN

THE CRACKING OF CONCRETE PAVEMENT ON STATE TRUNK HIGHWAY 13 IS EXCESSIVE AND HAS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BOTH TRANSVERSELY AND LONGITUDINALLY. THE LONGITUDINAL CRACKS OFTEN EXTEND FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET, SOMETIMES ON ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE CENTER PARTING STRIP AND SOMETIMES ON BOTH SIDES. THE CRACKS FOLLOW A REGULAR COURSE FROM 2-1/2 TO 4-1/5 FT. FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE PAVEMENT. THE PAVEMENTS ARE 9-6-1/2-9 IN. SECTION, 20 FT. WIDE, WITH TIE BAR ACROSS THE CENTER JOINT AT 2 FT. OR 4 FT. CENTERS. THE EXCESSIVE CRACKLING IS CONFINED TO AN AREA OF COLBY SILT LOAM SOIL. THIS SOIL IS AN EXCEEDINGLY FINE-GRAINED SOIL, DENSE, PLASTIC AND SUBJECT TO EXCESSIVE FROST HEAVING. THE AMOUNT OF CRACKING IS MUCH REDUCED WHERE THE ROADBED IS ELEVATED ABOVE THE SURROUNDING LAND ON FILL MATERIAL TAKEN FROM WIDE DITCHES. CRACKING IS ALSO LESS IN THE REINFORCED SECTION THAT IT IS IN PLAN CONCRETE SECTIONS. THE THEORY IS ADVANCED THAT THE TIE BARS STIFFENED THE CENTER SECTION OF THE PAVEMENT AND THAT THE UNEVEN HEAVING BY FROST THEN CAUSED THE SLABS TO CRACK LONGITUDINALLY AT A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE ENDS OF THE BARS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/15/15-010.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 15, pp 157-169, 9 FIG, 6 TAB. 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:
  • Janda, H F
• Publication Date: 1936

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. December 4-6, 1935
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 15
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; Frost heaving; Longitudinal cracking; Reinforced concrete; Silty loams; Transverse cracking
• Old TRIS Terms: Frost heave
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207162
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 11 1971 12:00AM