Evaluation of Dowel Bar Retrofit for Long-Term Pavement Life in Washington State

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintains approximately 2,400 lane miles of concrete pavements, many of which are on the heavily traveled interstate highway network. Many of these concrete pavements have more than doubled their intended performance life. Due primarily to traffic disruption, WSDOT has long recognized the potentially costly rehabilitation and reconstruction needs of the aging concrete pavement network. In 1993, WSDOT began dowel bar retrofitting its faulted concrete pavements. Dowel bar retrofit has had varied success in the United States, primarily due to construction techniques. In Washington State overall, dowel bar retrofit has been successful and has been determined to be a cost effective rehabilitation treatment. What is still unknown are the most applicable time or condition level (i.e. faulting and cracking condition) for applying dowel bar retrofit, its long‐term performance, and its failure mechanism. The outcomes of this study include guidelines for dowel bar retrofit project selection and construction best practices, a summary of dowel bar retrofit performance in Washington State, and estimated dowel bar retrofit project costs.

• Record URL:
  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/727.1.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/37803
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Washington, Seattle

  Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC)
  1107 Northeast 45th Street
  Seattle, WA  United States  98105

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Research Office, Transportation Building, MS 47372
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504-7372
• Authors:
  • Pierce, Linda M
  • Muench, Stephen T
• Publication Date: 2009-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Research Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 571p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; Dowel bar retrofit; Pavement distress; Pavement maintenance; Pavement performance; Rehabilitation
• Geographic Terms: Washington (State)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01160000
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: WA-RD 727.1
• Contract Numbers: T2695, Task 90
• Files: NTL, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 2010 2:48PM