Evaluating Load Transfer Restoration

Since 1950, dowel bars have not been used in transverse joints in concrete pavement construction in California. The primary mechanism for load transfer across adjacent slabs has been aggregate interlock. Because of age and repetitive heavy loads, the aggregate interlock has diminished and load transfer has decreased. This has then resulted in pavement distress such as step faulting, transverse crackes, or corner breaks. Load transfer restoration is a rehabilitative strategy for increasing load transfer capability and extending the service life of concrete pavements. Dowel bar retrofit (DBR), which involves the installation of dowel bars across the transverse joints or cracks of existing pavement, is considered to be the most common technique used for load transfer restoration. This report describes a project which evaluated the effectiveness of DBR on two test sites in California: 1) on Route 80 near Colfax in Placer County, and 2) on Route 101 near Ukiah in Mendocino County. These sites were chosen because the pavement demonstrated low load transfer across transverse joints or cracks. The report presents the performance evaluations of DBR at each site. Evaluations showed that significant improvements in load transfer resulted from the retrofit installation of dowel bars. The study recommended that concrete pavements exhibiting an average load transfer of 60% or less should be considered as candidates for load transfer restoration.

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• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/5528
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/15919
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/85855339
• Corporate Authors:

  California Department of Transportation

  Materials Engineering and Testing Services
  5900 Folsom Blvd
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95819

  California Department of Transportation

  Office of Rigid Pavement and Structural Concrete
  5900 Folsom Boulevard
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95819
• Publication Date: 2002-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; Dowels (Fasteners); Evaluation; Live loads; Load transfer; Pavement joints; Rehabilitation; Retrofitting
• Geographic Terms: Mendocino County (California); Placer County (California)
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046859
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: CALTRANS, NTL, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 25 2007 1:47PM