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DESIGIT OF RIGID PAVEMENTS

OVERVIEW
Producing high-performance and long-lasting rigid pavements is a complex process that
integrates appropriate design and materials, quality eonstruction practices, timely maintenance,
and overall ac,:quate pavement management. The design of pavements requires more than
"thickness design" for carrying fle xural stresses. The pavement is subject to a range of loads
and stresses in<juceO by traffic loaclir'rg, climate, and environmental factors. The design process
balances many interacting factors and constraints to produce pavement systems that are
functional, sustainable, cost effective, and long lasting.

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Structural design is based on the concept of limiting stresses and deformations to
prevent excessive dermage and deterioration of pavements. Overstressed pavements due to
traffic loads and environmental effects will result in pavement distress such as fatigue cracking,
faultirrg, pumping punchouts, and curling and warping as shown in the figure below. The
objective of pavement design is to recommend a pavement structure and configuration,
including slab thickness, slab length, mix design, reinforcement requirements, joint details, and
foundation support.
 STRESSES DUH 1-O CURVATURE AND BENDING IN SLABS
/ westersaa r d (1 szz)a ppr ied pr,t* t;;"; I'l *t
r,, -"
and developed the relative stiffness expression "1", which is called the
#TIn#HIn?J,ffJjt".
'adrus of relative sfrffness.
The radius of relative stiffness expression depends on both slab and foundation prope(ies. 'l-he
value for l inc'eases with a st!ffer concrete, a thicker slab, and a weaker foundation.
This term is
useo in many stress and deflection eiquationrs derived for rigid pavements by
Westergaard anc
others.

{t-fr Eh3
(1- tP)k
Where

/t
E
= Radius of relative stiffrress, in or mm
= [t4odulus of elasticity of the pavement, psi or Mpa
h = Thrickness of the pavement, in or mm
u = Poisson's ratio of the PCC, in/in or mrn/mm
k = Modulus of subgrade reaction, pci or MN/m3

STRESSES DUE TO TEMPERATURE CURI.ING

A concrete slab will undergo volume changes and develop stresses due to changes in
tenrperature and moistut"e. During the day, as the air temperature ancj sun increase the
surfac;e
temperature of the concrete slab, the top of the slab will tend to expand relative
to the neutral
axis and the bottorn of the slab will tend to corrtract as it is insulated by the soil in
the base.
However, the weigkrt of the slab will prevent it from contraction or expansion, and compressive
sttesses will be induced in the top layer of the slab, while tensile stresses will be induced
in the
bottom layer.

BraCbury developed correction coefficierrts C, and C, to determine curling stresses

clue
to temperature ill a finrte slab. The maximum total stresses at the interior of the slab,
edge, and
corner'are given by the follcwing equations:

aLt
E

2 tw)
CEaAt
Edge Stress, O; =*
Z

EaAt
z(r-tt) rfl
 !\rkrere
E = Modulus of elasticity of the pavement, psi or Mpa
u = Poisson's ratio of the pCC, in/in or rnm/mm
o = Coefiicient of thermal expansion
C = c,,and c, are correction factors for ilre finite slab and are dependent on L,il
and Lrll
d = Radius of circular contact area applied at the corner

1.1

0"9

0,8

4.7

0.5
U
0,5

0.4

u.5

0.2

0.1

0
7
(a) LIL

STRESSES AND DEFLECTIONS DUE TO APPLIED LOADING

Loads frorn traffic will induce stresses in the concrete slab and will
determine the fatigue
iife of the pavement. Loads at the corner will contribute to corner
breaksand loads at the interior
and edge will contribute to ntid-slab transverse cracking. The magnitude
of the stress and
deflection will depend on the magnitude and location of the applied
load.
CORA/ER SIAA LOA,DIIVG

The corner loading stresses for a slab were originally developed

by Goldbeck
attd older and discussed recently by Huang. This solution is based
on the simple bending
stress equation.

o---MCI
/ It assumes a load "P" to be placed at the corner of the slab. lt is also assumed that the
/ slzrb has no subgrade support if the entire support layer is washed away or the slab is curling
away fronr the base. The desired stress plane occurs at a distance "x" from the corner with a
fallure plane of uridth "2x". Based on the slab thickness h, the mcment of inertia for the cracked
section becomes.

. bh3 2x(tls)
a2 12

The rnaximum moment produced at a distance x along the bisector from the corner is
"Px", and thus

MC ,,(:) _ sP
I ,m**
This solution, which shows that the stress produced decreases with the square of the
sl,:l: thickness, is very conservative. lt assumes no subgrade support under the slab, which is
unlikely, and assumes a point load at the corner instead of the load being distributeci over a
circular tire contact area, which would produce a lesser moment and stress,

Westergaard developed an updated equation based on a method of successive

ilerations, which was later modified by loannides et al. and discussed by Huang.

l-he corner sh'ess o" and corner deflection A" based on a circular applied load at the slab
are given by

.,:#[,-(+)"]

o,=#lrr-rtr(+)]
Where

P = Concentrated ioad applied over a circular contact area with a contact radius "a"
c -- a.lZ is the side length of a square contact area
I = Radius of relative stiffness
k - Modulus of subgrauo leaction

The maximum moment occurs at a distance from the corner = 2.3}..lal; note that the stress
equation reduces to o=3P/h2 when the contact radius a=0. Therefore, Westergaard's updated
stress equation urill always proJuce lower stress than the Goldbeck equation with the point load
applied at tlre corner.
 INTERIOR SIAE LOADING

Itg$lglgga-rd developed'trri'equation for the stress in the interior of a slab

subjected to a circular loaded area with a csntact radius,,a,,.

**3(I+u)pr.
oi
t t
= -T#-ltn u+
o'61sel

When a<1.7?-4h,

'q= VT3;2T77 - o.67sh

1-he equation can be simplified (see later) when using a value of poisson's
ratio of concrete of
0.15:
0.3L6pr rlt r
at =-
-TF-labo b/ * 1.06e1

The deflection equation is based on Westergaard:

o,=
#{, + }p" G) - o 6.r,f(;)'}
F.DGESLAB LOADING

The equations for edge slab loading were presented by Westergaard and
reviewed by loannides et al. and Huang. The simplified equation for p=g.15
ane presented here
for a circular and semicircular lcraded area:

ou =e!#l*"n (*) + 0.666(f) - o.os+] @ ror a circre

o" =v'fflnrrn (\ + olsl(f) + o.oso] ror a@nicircre ',

n,= ffF[r - o,az (f)@.,*,"

L",=
ry- [r - o.:+o (;)]r",. a semiea,@

Prepared by: RHV

 ttidwE JhtcL, anvy*ed *o a fup,r'lrn
i

o 6syy6+Jt
(ob 3Df+ ! lr$ ay\d hg,*on\al
[uiqdor
K= auo Peu ^,rA t= gxro-b */y - E= 4xtou peu , il =o,IE.
0t lo'F. Aseurv,,ng

h,{*"rn*t jho YYlrtlc'm'* r'urrtrlg bf\.{46 h {tv i*rr.t a *t {dgs oi th ulat' '
t
f=
tl
Ilr 0-^,') '
(qx ro')(8)'
EGo,,.')Grg
--
"9,
30.s7 n

!l = 30f+ (W
{a*lavlo: G=
;ou-
{ gp.t?rn

- ll.7!
Lv =
a 6>)
-r+
.o,-9 * 1av\o, t' oo
= r.l,ltt
ilr're^r" (1ue

l,Ug + O,tg (r,,n

'l- o,t!'
1
fuJ" clws<
0r= Gtrc-nt 11, .
2
:''r'q (qrP'Xs,o;{6'i
''- 0ry'r6-P1V:,
2-L
e
= &b
6, = A4 psi,
 A tmu..,\e slat, is ar,rbluh/ fr a orv.ra^ tuadrry as shov.irr r, for* 3'q" -Wo irlab -thrik,ogs h-- 4 r,, ,

k= lo FL, 0 = 6th , ad P-- 1b00 lu. 6- {y lou /'o'ts

1o (prvrnr tOc^drry
d,oEg ana cf4ttudrivr r,Urrg mU e4i,OiotU '
kt. *,,\ -$re mortrmr,,tn
dr,,re

P=9cm\u
f'=LL'
h'1h
"*& tf)'J
K--
0=?.
A'2
=
f-----
1f
u
{Ytou (q7 .
'Y['&)!
l,G-areJ(r$,
- 3s.tg v !t, d
*=fu[,, ,-($]
= 4r* f /t.r
ffir}- '.F*)]
k-= 0,o4tc m

i i i: :it:r.- i::
::1.:1..::::::.
'' i,5ii'{l:
 P=gccelu

fttnrr,* jh rnfu.,nor klh( and doflerrirurr flr tlt oor/\\re\t

l+2qh -- Faq(a) - lg ge r'n

i< r<-
r = ffi4 +h' or ulch
E= Ll)tlut
-
W-q., - orrrlg-(al

b= E" fr
$' =+rfuu(+ r'ouqJ
)-
,+po*[r',(S+,,,{

\. = J- ,**[,^ (9,-)-u*\tLoY \
{

=o&,0 o b73l(#JI
{,,**L#*l
@tu

h"1,h
Wlgpot

e*ffi1.-og>(+)1
= 9,qe10'q[-4-
g{yL'
,''ffi)J
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