Reliable Early Opening Strength for Concrete Pavements and Patch Work

The requirements for opening concrete pavement repairs to traffic vary greatly around the country. The reasons states and their transportation departments specify these different requirements includes traffic opening requirements, environmental conditions, and locally available materials, among other things. This project reviewed the practices and requirements for early-opening-to-traffic concrete used by other state DOTs. The transportation agency has a need to specify the most efficient and effective early opening strengths and would benefit from understanding the latest thinking and practices adopted by similar agencies. Knowing the best approach to take can lead to dependable concrete, increased use of travel lanes, and a reduced cost of the materials and construction methods. A comprehensive literature review of state specifications and rehabilitation policy was completed. Current and former research on the use of high early strength concrete in pavement rehabilitation was reviewed as well as various material and equipment requirements specified by states in pavement rehabilitation. This report also reviewed responses from a recent National Concrete Consortium state survey which compiled responses on opening and rehabilitation criteria from states across the country. The current Louisiana opening specification for full-depth corner patching, full-depth jointed concrete patching, partial-depth patches of jointed concrete pavement, and continuously reinforced concrete pavement is an opening strength of 3000 psi. The state of Louisiana also allows the use of the maturity method to determine concrete strength on a project by project basis, with the approval of the Chief Construction Engineer. The current specifications are based solely on compressive strength and are not necessarily based on the mechanics of materials. The authors recommend changing the 3000 psi requirement for early opening to traffic to the SHRP-206 findings of 2000 psi. To gain the maximum benefit of early opening, the authors also recommend full adoption of the maturity method for estimating in-place strength.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2018/FR_589.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2018/ts_589.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/30890
• Corporate Authors:

  Louisiana Transportation Research Center

  4101 Gourrier Avenue
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70808

  Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development

  P.O. Box 94245
  1201 Capitol Access Road
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70804-9245

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Collier, Zachary
  • Raghavendra, Amar
  • Rupnow, Tyson
• Publication Date: 2018-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 32p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; High early strength cement; Patching; Pavement maintenance; Rehabilitation; Strength of materials
• Geographic Terms: Louisiana
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01667814
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/LA.17/589
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 2018 5:21PM