PCA R&D Serial No.

2124a

Ultrathin Whitetopping: State-of-the-

Practice for Thin Concrete Overlays
of Asphalt
by J. W. Mack, L. D. Hawbaker, L. W. Cole

Transportation Research Board, No. 1610 Materials & Construction 1998

All rights reserved
Reprinted by permission of TRB
TRANSPORTATION RESEhRCH RECORD 1610
Ultrathin Whitetopping -~
State-of-thempractice for Thin Concrete
Overlays of Asphalt
JAMES W. MACK, AND LAWRENCE
LOND. HAWBAKER, W.
Ultrathin whitetopping (UTW) is a concrete overlay of a distressed
asphalt pavement, 50 to 100 mm thick. with close joint spacing. The
overlay is specifically bonded to the existing asphalt pavement. It may
or may not contain fibers. By bonding the UTW to the existing asphalt
surface, the UTW forms a composite pavement section with the under-
lying asphalt, which reduces the stresses in the concrete layer. This
composite pavement section delivers the longer life and durable perfor-
mance characteristicsofconcrete pavement and is cost competitivewith
ordinary asphalt. Many areas are discussed, but not all questions about
UTW are answered. A snapshot of the current state of the practice as it
now stands is presented.
Conventional concrete overlays of asphalt pavements (whitetop-
ping) are a well-established rehabilitation technique. The first one
was built in 1944 on an airfield at the U.S. Air Force Base in Offit,
Nebraska. Since then, over 189 documented whitetopping projects
have been built throughout the United States on all types of high-
way, street, county road, airport, and parking area pavements. The
state of Iowa alone has over 500 km of whitetopped county roads in
service (I).
Typically, conventional whitetopping has been used in heavy-truck
corridors to combat asphalt rutting. They generally have a minimum
thickness of 125 mm and are designed with conventional concrete
pavement theory that assumes no bond between the existing asphalt
and concrete.
Ultrathin whitetopping (UTW) is different from conventional
whitetopping because specific steps are taken to bond the overlay to
the underlying asphalt and short joint spacings are used. They have
been developed for low-volume pavements such as city streets; inter-
sections; general-aviation taxiways, runways, and aprons; and park-
ing areas, where rutting, washboarding, and shoving of the asphalt are
a problem. A number of local, state, and federally funded projects
have shown that UTW can withstand the loadings expected on these
low-volume roads and provide a durable wearing surface (2).
HISTORY
The first UTW experimental project in the United States was on a
landfill disposal facility near Louisville, Kentucky, beginning Sep-
tember 1991 (3).The overlay was constructed on an existing asphalt
access road that served 400 to 600 trucks per day, 5.5 days per week.
The existing asphalt pavement was milled to obtain a uniform p m
file. The experiment consisted of two concrete thicknesses-90 and
50 mm. The Wmm section had joints at 1.83 m. The 50-mm test sec-
tion had joints cut at 1.83 m in one area and at 0.61 m in another area.
American Concrete Pavement Association, 5420 Old Orchard Road, Suite
A100, Skokie, IL 60077-1059.
PCA R&D Serial No. 2124a 39
Reproduced with permission of the Transportation Research Board,
National Research Council, Washington, D. C.
COLE
This location was chosen because it was viewed as an accelerated
test location. The rate of truck loadings is 20 to 100 times greater
than on many lower volume roads, streets, and parking areas in the
United States.
Although the test section was monitored for only 13 weeks, it car-
ried truck traffic for approximately 1 year. Field, laboratory, and
theoretical study results of the test indicated that bond developed
between the underlying asphalt and the new overlay. It was found
that this contributed significantly to the structural capacity of the
new overlay. Some of the other significant findings (3-5) From the
Louisville UTW experiment included the following:
1. UTW 50 to 90 mm (2 to 3.5 in.) thick can carry traffic load-
ings typical on many low-volume roads, residential streets, and
parking lots.
2. Comer cracking was the predominant pavement distress.
3. Joint spacing has a significant effect on the rate of corner
cracking. Pavement with joints spaced at 0.61 m showed consid-
erably less cracking than pavement with 1.83-m joint spacing for
50-mm-thick whitetopping.
Since the Louisville project, there have been over 100 UTW proj-
ects built throughout North America. The vast majority of these
have been at intersections and other locations where starting and
stopping of traffk has quickly deteriorated the existing asphalt. All
indications are that UTW can withstand loadings that are expected
on residential and low-volume roads.
Behavior of UTW and how it works; thickness, materials, and
joint design procedures and practices; construction aspects; and
some performance information are discussed in the remainder of
this paper.
HOW UTW PAVEMENTS WORK
The following three basic factors are required for UTW overlays to
perform (6):
1. Bond between UTW and existing asphalt pavement,
2. Short joint spacing, and
3. Appropriately thick asphalt layer.
Bond
Bonding allows the concrete and asphalt layers to perform as a com-
posite section. This causes the layers to act monolithically and share
the load. With bonding, the neutral axis in the concrete shifts from
40
Edge Stress
Unbonded Bonded
Stress = 8.49 MPa Stress = 2.90 MPa
75 mrn Concrete, 100 rnrn AC, K=81 Mpa/m, Ec = 27,580 Mpa, Eac = 2,758 MPa
FIGURE 1 Effects of bonding on concrete stresses.
the middle of the slab down toward the bottom of the concrete slab.
The shifting down of the neutral axis lowers the stresses at the bot-
tom of concrete and brings the stresses into a range the concrete can
withstand (3-6).
The composite section has opposing effects on the comer stress.
There is a decrease in the concrete stresses because the whole pave-
ment section is thicker. However, because the comer behaves as a
cantilever, its maximum stresses occur at the top of the slab, and the
shifting down of the neutral axis increases the distance between the
extreme fiber and the neutral axis. Essentially then, the comer
stresses decrease because the bonding action creates a thicker sec-
tion, but they increase because the neutral axis shifts away from the
top surface.
If the neutral axis shifts low enough in the concrete, the critical load
location may move from the edge to the comer depending on the
materials and layer characteristics. This explains why many of the
UTW projects have developed comer cracking. Therefore, to deter-
mine the critical load location, the designer must look at both the edge
and the comer. Figure 1 indicates how bonding decreases on slab
stresses for a 75-mm UTW over 100 mm of asphalt concrete (AC).
To estimate where the critical load location may be, the stiffness of
the concrete layer can be compared with the asphalt layer. Stiffness of
a layer, D, is defined as
Eh3
D=-
12(1- p')
For a fully bonded system, when the stifhess of the asphalt is approx-
imately 20 percent of the stiffness of the concrete (DJD,= 0.20). the
critical loading shifts from the edge to the comer for a fully bonded
system. However, according to Wu et al. (7). these systems are only
0.6 m 0.6 m
-.- 0.6 m
---
- A
I I
Short joint spacing allows the slabs to deflect instead of bend.
This helps reduce slab stresses to reasonable values.
FIGURE 2 Effects of joint spacing.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1610
Comer Stress
Unbonded Bonded
Stress = 6.12 MPa Stress = 3.68 YPa
partially bonded systems. Consequently, as bond decreases, the
asphalt carries less load and the asphalt-stiffness to concrete-stiffness
ratio (DJD,) needs to be even higher for the critical load location to
remain at the comer. If bond is ever lost, the critical load location will
be the edge.
One question that many people have raised is about the develop-
ment of shear stress at the concrete-asphalt interface. Shear stresses
are maximum at the neutral axis and, for this reason, some designers
have questioned whether the development of high shear stresses will
detract from performance. To date, this has not appeared to be a prob-
lem. There have been no failures due to shearing at the concrete-
asphalt interface. Still, this may cause problems in the future and
should be fiuther investigated.
Joint Spacing
All pavement systems must absorb the energy of the applied load by
either bending or deflecting. Traditional concrete pavements are
designed to absorb the energy by bending and thus are made thick
enough to resist stresses induced by bending. With UTW, short joint
spacings are used so that energy is absorbed by deflection instead of
bending. The short joint spacing reduces the moment arm of the
applied load and minimizes the stresses due to bending. The short
joint spacing also minimizes stresses due to curling and warping by
decreasing the amount of slab that can curl or warp.For the UTW
overlays, the short joint spacing, in effect, forms a minipaver block
system, which transfers loads to the flexible pavement through
deflection instead of bending (Figure 2) (2,3).
Typical joint spacings that have performed well on UTW projects
are somewhere between 0.6 and 1.5 m. It is recommended that the
3.0 m
Mack et al.
maximum joint spacing for UTW be 12 to 15times the slab thickness
in each direction (8.9). For example. for a 75-mm UTW project,
joints should be cut into concrete at 0.9- to 1.125-m squares.
Asphalt Thickness
After surface preparation. there needs to be enough asphalt present
to form a sufficient composite section that can carry the load. There
must be enough asphalt to protect the concrete (minimize stresses),
and enough concrete must be placed to protect the asphalt (minimize
strains). It is recommended that the minimum asphalt thickness after
milling be greater than 75 mm.
The thicker asphalt pavement section improves the load-canying
capacity of the system because it creates a thicker final UTW pave-
ment structure. The thicker asphalt section also decreases the criti-
cal concrete stresses because it carries a larger portion of the load.
As stated above, the bonding action between the asphalt and UTW
overlay shifts the neutral axis down in the concrete, which decreases
the concrete stresses. Along these same lines, the thicker the asphalt
section, the more load it carries, and the farther down the neutral axis
shifts. This is indicated in Figure 3. As the asphalt layer gets thicker,
it carries more load, and the neutral axis shifts downward (5,6).
CONSTRUCTION OF UTW PAVEMENTS
Construction of a UTW consists of four fundamental steps (2,10):
1. Prepare surface by milling and cleaning, water, or abrasive
blasting.
2. Place, finish, texture, and cure by using conventional tech-
niques and materials.
3. Use early saw joints to prevent cracking.
4. Open to traffic.
A clean surface is required for proper bond. Milling the surface fol-
lowed by cleaning improves bond because it opens the pore surface
of the asphalt pavement. The milling basically creates a rough sur-
face that grabs the concrete and creates the mechanical bond
between the two layers. If milling is not done, the surface should be
cleaned with water or abrasive blasting. When water blasting is
used, the surface must be allowed to air dry so that the roughened
Stress = 5.73 MPa
75 mm Concrete, K=81 Mpalm, Ec = 27.580 Mpa, Eac 2.758 MPa
FIGURE 3 Effects of AC thickness.
41
structure of the asphalt surface can open and grab the cement paste
for bonding.
Once a surface is cleaned it is extremely important to keep it clean
until paving commences. This includes any dust, dirt, and debris that
falls or blows onto the surface to be paved. If the surface is cleaned
the day before paving, air cleaning may be required the day of
paving to remove any dust that settled on the surface overnight. If
traffic is allowed on the milled surface, the surface must be
recleaned before paving.
Paving a UTW is no different from paving any other concrete
pavement. Conventional slip-form and fixed-form pavers, as well as
handheld equipment such as vibrating screeds have all been used suc-
cessfully, without major modifications. The only real change is that
the concrete layer is thinner than normal. As on any other concrete
pavement, normal finishing and texturing procedures apply.
Proper curing is critical to avoiding shrinkage cracking and
debonding between the asphalt and concrete. Curing compound
should be applied at twice the normal rate (2.5 m2/L). Because the
overlay is a thin concrete slab, it has a high surface-area-to-volume
ratio and can lose water rapidly due to evaporation. The compound
must be applied to all exposed edges and the surface without running.
Care must be used during application to avoid spraying curing com-
pound on a prepared surface, which would decrease bonding. Joint
sawing should be accomplished with lightweight saws as early as pos-
sible to control cracking. These saws saw joints 3 mm wide that assist
in keeping incompressibles out of the joint. The saw depth should
be in the one-quarter to one-third depth range of overlay. Typically,
the joints are not sealed. They have performed well without sealant
because the compactness of the slabs minimizes joint movement.
Performance to date shows no benefit from sealant use (2.10).
Mix Design
The concrete mix selected for a particular project is matched to the
traffic conditions and opened-for-traffic requirements. A normal
mix design includes cementitious materials (cement and fly ash),
coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, air entraining agent, admixtures
(water reducers or plasticizers for a low water-to-cement ratio), and
synthetic fibers. The fibers are added to increase the postcrack
integrity of the panels. Fast-Track paving mixes typically use a
higher cement content and other adjustments in the mix to produce
compressive strengths over 20.7 MPa within 24 h.
Concrete
Tension
100 m m
A
Stress = 3.68 MPa
42 TRANSPORTATIONRESEARCH RECORD I610

Table 1 indicates mix designs used for several recent projects in tionally, a composite numerical index from 0 to 100 is calculated.
the United States (2). This composite index is called the pavement condition index (PCI).
The PCI values and their general ratings are as follows:

PERFORMANCE OF UTW PAVEMENTS PCI General rating

In July-August 1995 and July-August 1996, nine projects in the
United States were selected for,pavementcondition surveys (11).
Most of these projects were built in 1992 or 1993. Upon site visits,
it was determined that two of the projects (1-85 Weigh Station and
Cusick Street) should each be separated into two projects because
of significant differences in materials (1-85 Weigh Station) or per-
formance (Cusick Street). Another project was excluded because it
was not a true UTW. It had all the underlying asphalt pavement
removed during construction. This resulted in 10projects for study.
These projects were selected for the following reasons:
1. They are some of the first UTW sections constructed in the
United States.
2. They are constructed with similar concrete mixes and similar
procedures.
3. They are located in relatively close proximity.
4. With one exception, the roadways are of similar use.
5. It was not necessary to stop traffic to conduct the pavement
condition survey.
The PAVER System (12) for determiningpavement condition iden-
tifies distresses that affect the pavement's structural integrity and
functional condition. In this procedure, the pavement is visually
observed for 19 separate concrete pavement distresses. The type,
amount, and severity of distress are observed and recorded. Addi-
86 to 100 Excellent
71 to 85 Very good
56 to 70 Good
41 to 55 Fair
26 to 40 Poor
11 to25 Very poor
Oto 10 Failed
All panels of all 1 1 projects were surveyed for 18 of the 19 PAVER
System concrete pavement distresses. Joint sealant damage was not
recorded because the joints were intentionallyleft unsealed. Distress
type and severity (high, medium, or low) were recorded individu-
ally for each panel. Most of the condition surveys were made in July
or August 1995 and again in July or August 1996 (11).
Table 2 indicates the location, concrete thicknesses, construction
dates, estimated traffic, and the PCI survey results for the surveyed
sites.
The most prominent distresses included comer cracking, linear
cracking, and divided slab. Except for the 28th Street project in
Chattanooga, Tennessee, most of the cracking was of low severity.
Excluding 28th Street, 94 percent of the cracks and divided slabs
were of low severity, 6 percent were of medium severity, and none
were of high severity in the 1996 condition surveys. On the Marbut
Road project, 97 of 260 panels contained shrinkagecracks that were
visible shortly after paving and have remained unchanged.
Although it is too early to predict the remaining pavement life
with much confidence, it is expected that these 10 UTW pavements,

TABLE 1 Sample Mix Designs

Material Proportions State Route

(One Cubic Meter) 21, Iowa. 1994

Cement (kg) 340

Fly Ash (kg)

Coarse Aggregate (kg) 986 1005 - 1008

Fine Aggregate (kg) 809 783 730

Water (kg) 145 133 166

Air Content (%) 6 6.5

WaterlCernent Ratio 0.43 0.37 0.35

Synthetic Fibers (kg) 0 or 1.36

' 0 or 1.36
' 1.36

Compressive Strength 24 hrs 20.69 (D) 20.69 (D) 34.48 (A)

(D=design),(A-actual)

State Route 21, Iowa, 1994- Normal mix for openingto n 5 7 days

Leawood. Kansas, 1995- Opening to traffic in 1-2 days

-
Tennessee 8 Dekalb Co.. GA Fast Track mix for opening to traffic 24 hours or less

sections without fibers used a s control sections

Mack et al.
TABLE 2 Location, Concrete Thicknesses,ConstructionDates, Estimated Traffic,and PCI
with no unexpected change in traffic loadings, will serve 8 to
12 years before the PCI drops below 55 (Good) (11).
SUMMARY
A snapshot of the current state of the practice for U l W is presented.
Although many areas are covered, this is not intended to be a trea-
tise that answers all questions about UTW. Instead, it is intended to
show the basics of how UTWs behave and how they are constructed
as well as to describe their initial performance.
UTW is a relatively new technique for resurfacing deteriorated
asphalt pavements. It involves placing very thin concrete slabs (50
to 100 mm thick) on old asphalt pavements to form bonded com-
posite pavements. The reduction in thickness is justified by the bond
between the concrete and the existing asphalt pavement, close joint
spacings, and use of high-quality concrete.
Construction of a UTW varies little from construction of a nor-
mal concrete overlay. The only extra step is that the existing asphalt
surface must be milled and cleaned to promote bonding between the
concrete and asphalt layers. The performance of UTW overlays to
date has been very encouraging. Current data suggest that UTW
overlays will provide long-lasung durable surfaces for low-volume
pavement applications such as city streets; intersections; general-
aviation taxiways, runways, and aprons, and parking areas.
REFERENCES
1. McGhee, K. H. NCHRP Synthesis 204: Portland Cement Concrete
Resurfacing-A Synthesis of Highway Practice. T R B , National
Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1994.
43
2. Ultra-thin Whitetopping Promotion Guide. Part of Product Num-
ber SP126P. American Concrete Pavement Association, Skokie, 111..
1996.
3. Risser, R. I., S. P. LaHue, G. F. Voigt, and J. W. Mack. Ultra-Thin Con-
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Fifh International Conference on Concrete Pavement Design and
Rehabilitation. Vol. 2, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., 1993,
pp. 247-254.
4. Cole, L. W., and J. P. Moshen. Ultra-thin Concrete Overlays on
Asphalt. Presented at 1993 Transportation Association Annual Confer-
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for Thin Concrete Overlays on Asphalt. In Transporration Research
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American Concrete Pavement Association, Skokie, Ill., 1997.
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Pavement Association, Skokie. 111.. 1997.
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12. Shahin, M. Y., and J. A. Walther. PavementMaintenanceManagement
f o r Roads and Streets Using the PAVER System. USA CERL TR
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Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Portland Cement Con-
crete Pavement Construction.