Cracking and Debonding of a Thin Fiber Reinforced Concrete Overlay

Previous field studies suggested that macro-fibers incorporated in thin overlay pavements will result in reduced crack opening widths, vertical deflections, and debonding rates compared to that of unreinforced overlays. A simple finite element (FE) model was developed and utilized in this study to investigate how fracture energy can affect the cracking and debonding of thin concrete overlays subjected to environmental loads. It was confirmed that crack opening width, vertical lift-off, and debonding rate all decrease as the fracture energy across a joint increases or as the interfacial tensile bond increases. The developed FE model also used to make a comparison between fiber-reinforcement and dowel-bar reinforcement across a joint. With larger amounts of reinforcement across the joint, either by higher fiber contents or by larger diameter dowels, the crack opening width, vertical lift-off and debonding rates were all reduced. Experimental tests were carried out to measure the tensile and shear bond strengths of an interface between an aged concrete and a newly cast fiber reinforced mortar overlay. It was found that the tensile interfacial energy increased with fiber-reinforcement; however, the interfacial fracture occurred through the overlay mixture and was proportional to the number of fibers which intersected the fracture path near this interface. It was confirmed that no statistical trend could be found between the tensile or shear bond properties and the addition of fibers. Overall, a reduction in debonding exhibited in the field was explained because the fiber-reinforcement reduced curling-induced lift-off, according to the finite element results.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=872
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32244
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32243
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  122 South Central Campus Drive
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kim, Min Ook
  • Bordelon, Amanda Christine
• Publication Date: 2017-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 55p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete overlays; Cracking; Debonding; Dowels (Fasteners); Fiber reinforced concrete; Field studies; Finite element method; Fracture mechanics; Strength of materials
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01635062
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC 17-319
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 22 2017 2:46PM