CE 8604 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

Unit 3 ---- Differences between Flexible and Rigid Pavements

# Characteristic FLEXIBLE RIGID Pavement
Pavement FP RP
0 Name FLEXIBLE Pavement RIGID Pavement
1 Main Construction Tar / Bitumen / Asphalt RP Cement and other
Materials with Graded Aggregates Concrete making materials --
FA and CA
used for FP Fine and Coarse Aggregates
2 Composition FP consists of a series of RP consists of one layer of
layers with the highest Portland Cement slab with
compressive and flexural
quality materials at or strength
near the surface of FP
3 Cross-section

FLEXIBLE Pavement FP RIGID Pavement

Typical Cross-section of Typical Cross-section of

FLEXIBLE Pavement RIGID Pavement
# Characteristic FLEXIBLE RIGID Pavement
4 Need for Fine Fine Aggregates Fine Aggregates required
Aggregates – FA throughout
required only for Sub-
base layer and
FA not for required for
upper layers
5 Curing Time 12 hours ( ½ a day ) 7 to 14 or 28 days
6 Load Transfer Load is transferred by Load is transferred as a
whole by the slab by its
Grain to Grain to
bending to the soil below
Transfer within each
layer and from each
layer to another layer
7 Load Transfer FP transfers the wheel RP transfers the wheel load
over a wide area of subgrade
loads from one layer to
due to its high rigidity and
another layer below higher modulus of elasticity
over a very narrow area
of subgrade

8 Strength Comparatively LOWER Comparatively HIGHER

Strength
Strength
9 Structural Stability Strength and Stability of Strength and Stability of RP
depends on the pavement
FP depends on
slab concrete grade,
Aggregate Interlock, thickness and its beam /
Friction and cohesion slab action
# Characteristic FLEXIBLE RIGID Pavement
Pavement FP RP
10 Pavement CBR strength of the soil Thickness of RP depends
Thickness on the Modulus of
subgrade below decides
Subgrade Reaction of the
influenced by the thickness of FP soil below and the flexural
strength of concrete
11 Life Span / Shorter life span Longer life span
12 Durability Lesser Durability Longer Durability
13 INITIAL Lesser cost of HIGHER cost of
Construction Cost construction initially
construction initially
14 Maintenance Cost Higher maintenance Lesser maintenance costs
during its life span costs to be spent

15 Effect of FP reflects the RP is able to bridge over

deformations and deflections and the small failures and
cracks and deformations
failures in subgrade deformations of the and other inadequate
and lower layers subgrade and other supports in the subgrade
layers on the surface and layers below
16 Effect of Changes in atmospheric RP is subjected to severe
Atmospheric stresses due to atmospheric
temperatures do not
temperature variations
Temperature cause any significant
stresses in FP
17 Chemical Oils and certain No damage due to any
Resistance chemicals may damage kind of chemicals
the bituminous mix
18 Colour of Surface Black Grey or Silver White
# Characteristic FLEXIBLE RIGID Pavement
Pavement FP RP
19 Self Repairing or FP repairs/heals itself RP cannot repair itself
Self-Healing to a major extent the the failures, cracks,
failures, cracks, deformations due to
deformations due to overload /temperature;
damages are permanent
overloads, temperature
21 Fuel Consumption More Lesser
22 Glare in day time Lesser glare in FP More glare in RP
23 Visibility or Light FP absorbs more RP absorbs less (reflects
Loss in Night Time (reflects lesser) MORE ) lighting & so
quantum of artificial gives HIGHER /
lighting; lesser visibility BRIGHTER visibility
24 Heat Effect due to Bitumen and RP generates lesser
black colour- more radiation due to white
colour and hence heat –
radiation; FP develops island effect is not serious
higher temperature
causing Heat Island Effect
25 Noise Generation In FP, Wheel rolling and In RP, Wheel rolling
Riding is smoother and and Riding is slightly
hence lesser noise bumpier due to higher
SILENT Riding rigidity of concrete
surface and so louder
noise is generated;
Louder and Noisy Riding
26 Total Pavement Overall Thickness is Overall Thickness is
Thickness for a HIGHER Lesser and Thinner
given traffic load
27 Surface Continuity Surface is Continuous Surface is not
and Joints for Infinite length; continuous for longer
Joints NOT required lengths; Joints REQUIRED
at regular intervals in
both directions
28 Repairability Easier / faster and Costly and tedious to
cheaper to repair e FP repair the RP
29 Tractive Resistance FP offers higher tractive RP offers LESSER
& Fuel Economy resistance to wheels tractive resistance to
due to instantaneous wheels due to Higher
surface elastic deformation surface Rigidity and
& this leads to higher this leads to Lesser fuel
fuel consumption consumption
IRC IRC 37 IRC 58