PCCP THICKNESS

DETERMINATION

Leah T. Torrefiel

Portland Cement Concrete

Pavement

A rigid pavement made of concrete,

composed of coarse and fine
aggregates, and portland cement, and
usually reinforced with steel rod or mesh.

4 DESIGN FACTORS
(Thickness Determination)
1.) Flexural Strength of Concrete
2.) Strength of the Subgrade
3.) Traffic Loads
4.) Design Period

Flexural Strength of Concrete (fc)

ability of a beam or slab to resist failure of

bending

flexural strength is expressed as Modulus

of Rupture (MR) in Mpa or psi

Strength of the Subgrade

(k)

How strong is the ground upon which we

are going to build the road?

California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

strong subgrade (high CBR reading) =

less thick pavement

weak subgrade (low CBR reading) =

thicker pavement

Traffic Loads

the weights, frequencies, and types of

truck axle loads that the pavement will
carry

Design Period

it determines how many years, and thus

how many trucks, the pavement must
serve

the life of the concrete pavement

References

Packard, R. (1995). Thickness design for concrete highway

and street pavements. Chapter 2: Design Factors, 5.
Retrieved from
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/dzollinger/CVEN-637-Fall
%202004/EB109.PDF

Alberta Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. Concrete Tech Tip

#16, 1. Retrieved from
http://www.armca.ca/uploads/files/Tech%20Tips/16%20Tip.pdf

Summers, C. J. (2005). Guide to highway maintenance.

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Road Pavement Design.
Retrieved from
http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/cbrtext.htm