Mitigation of Cracking in Florida Structural Concrete

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the possible beneficial effects of incorporating shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA), polymeric microfibers (PMF), and optimized aggregate gradation (OAG) in internally cured concrete (ICC) mixes. Two sets of test slabs using ICC mixes in concrete pavement slab application were also conducted. All the ICC and OAG mixes with or without incorporation of reduced cement paste content, SRA, or PMF were able to be produced to meet the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) specifications for Class I (Pavement), Class II (Bridge Deck), and Class V structural concrete with respect to slump, air content, mix temperature, and design and over-designed compressive strength. Based on visual inspection, the test slabs using ICC mixes had similar performance as the test slabs using a standard concrete mix, since all of them did not show any cracks at the end of the Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) loading. However, based on the results of critical stress analysis, all the test slabs using ICC mixes showed better performance than the test slabs using the standard mix. According to the predicted performance from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) pavement design equation, seven of the ten ICC mixes outperformed the standard reference concrete. The results of critical stress analysis showed the same conclusion the use of ICC and OAG improved the predicted performance of the concrete mixes. The incorporation of SRA and PMF did not improve the predicted performance according to both analysis methods. The cracking ages of concretes incorporating OAG, ICC, and SRA were extended when evaluated with the restrained shrinkage ring test, especially for high cementitious content and low w/cm mixes. When the ICC mixes did not incorporate SRA or PMF, the unit cost of the ICC mixes was generally lower than that of the conventional concrete mixes. It is recommended that ICC mixes incorporating OAG be used in concrete pavement application in Florida to bring about increased pavement life and cost effectiveness. The method of mix design as presented in this report can be used for design of these concrete mixes. It is recommended that ICC mixes incorporating OAG be tried out in some in-service pavement sections in Florida so that the performance of these mixes can be evaluated. The use of ICC mixes in Florida Class II and Class V concretes could result in some reduction of unit cost for the concrete. It is recommended that a few bridge decks be constructed with ICC mixes to evaluate their actual performance in service.

• Record URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv31-977-47-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv31-977-47-sum.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/55941
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Florida, Gainesville

  Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering
  Gainesville, FL  United States  32611-6580

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Tia, Mang
  • Subgranon, Thanachart
  • Chung, Hung-Wen
  • Han, Sangyoung
• Publication Date: 2020-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 270p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Aggregate gradation; Bridge decks; Cement content; Compressive strength; Cracking; Laboratory studies; Mix design; Pavement performance; Polymer concrete; Shrinkage
• Geographic Terms: Florida
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01741952
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 00124679
• Contract Numbers: BDV31-977-47
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 8 2020 2:15PM