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PAVEMENTS
RIGID PAVEMENT
• The pavements which possess flexural
strength, are called as rigid pavements.
• The rigid pavements are generally made of
Portland cement concrete and some times
called as ‘CC Pavements’.
• The cement concrete used for rigid
pavements is called as ‘Pavement Quality
Concrete (PQC)’.
• The CCpavement slabs made of PQC are
generally expected to sustain up to 45kg/𝑐𝑚2
of flexural stresses.
• The rigid or CCpavements are designed and
constructed for a design life of 30 years.
WHERE RIGID PAVEMENT NEEDED?
• Rigid pavements are usually provided
under the circumstances:
❖ Very heavy rainfall
❖ Poor soil conditions
❖ Poor drainage
❖ Extreme climatic conditions
❖ Combination of some of these
conditions which may lead to
development of cracks in
pavements.
STRUCTURE OF RIGID PAVEMENT
COMPONENTS OF RIGID PAVEMENTS
• It is possible to determine the stresses developed due to wheel loads, warping and
contraction of CC slab and it not possible estimate the magnitude of stresses as result
of volumetric changes in subgrade.
WHEEL LOAD STRESSES
• Westergaard gave theoretical formulae to determine the stresses caused due
to wheel load applying on the rigid pavements.
• Westergaard’s equations for stresses due to wheel load applied at the three
critical locations of interior, edge and corner as given below:
CONTD.,
• Load stress, Si due to interior loading,
0.316 P
Si = 4log 10 (l ) b+ 1.069
h2
• Load stress, Se due to edge loading,
0.572 P
Se = h2
4log 10 (l ) b+ 0.359
• Load stress, Sc due to corner loading,
0 .6
3𝑃 𝑎2
Sc = ℎ2
1−
𝑙
Here,
h = slab thickness,cm
P= Wheel load, kg
a = radius of wheel load distribution, cm
l = radius of relative stiffness, cm
b = radius of resisting section
CONTD.,
• Maximum stress produced by a wheel at corner does not exist around the load, but it
occurs at some distance X along the diagonal. This distance X from the corner is given
by the relation
X = 2.58 𝑎𝑙
Here,
X = distance from apex of slab corner to section of maximum stress along the
corner bisector or diagonal, cm
a = radius of wheel load distribution, cm
l = radius of relative stiffness,cm
CONTD.,
Radius of relative stiffness:
• Westergaard defined, ‘radius of relative stiffness’, l which is expressed by the equation,
1/
𝐸ℎ 3
l= 4
12𝐾 1 −µ 2
Here,
l = radius of relative stiffness,cm
h = slab thickness, cm
E= modulus of elasticity of cement concrete,kg/cm2
µ = Poisson’s ratio for concrete = 0.15
K = modulus of subgrade reaction, kg/cm3
CONTD.,
Equivalent radius of resisting section:
• According to Westergaard, the equivalent radius of resisting section is approximated,
in terms of radius of load distribution and slab thickness,
b= 1.6a 2 + h 2 −0.675h
Here,
b = equivalent radius of resisting section, cm when ‘a’ is less than 1.724h
a = radius of wheel load distribution, cm
h = slab thickness, cm
When ‘a’ is greater than 1.724h, b = a
TEMPERATURE STRESSES
• Two types of stresses are produced due to temperature variations in
concrete pavements:
a) Warping stresses due to temperature differential between the
top and bottom of the pavement as a result of daily variation in
temperature at the location and
b) Frictional stresses due to over all increase or decrease in
temperature of the pavement slab as a result of seasonal variation
in temperature at the location
WARPING STRESSES
• Warping stress at interior, 𝑆𝑡(𝑖)is given by,
𝑬𝒆𝒕 𝑪𝒙+µ𝑪𝒚
𝑺𝒕 (𝒊) =
𝟐 𝟏−µ𝟐
• Warping stresses at the edge, 𝑆𝑡(𝑒)is given by,
𝑪𝒙 𝑬𝒆𝒕 𝑪𝒚 𝑬𝒆𝒕
𝑺𝒕 (𝒆) = or (whichever is higher)
𝟐 𝟐
• Warping stresses at corner, 𝑆𝑡(𝑐)is given by,
𝑬𝒆𝒕 𝒂
𝑺𝒕 (𝒄) =
𝟑(𝟏−µ) 𝒍
CONTD.,
Here,
𝐿𝑥
𝐶𝑥 = coefficient in direction X which depends on the ratio,
𝑙
𝐿𝑦
𝐶𝑦= coefficient in direction Y which depends on the ratio,
𝑙
FRICTIONAL STRESSES
𝑆𝑓 = 𝑊𝐿𝑐𝑓 / 2 *10 4
Here,
𝑠𝑓 = stress developed due to inter-face friction in cement concrete pavementper
unit area, kg/cm2
W = unit weight of concrete (about2400 kg/cm3)
f = coefficient offriction at the interface (maximum value is about 1.5)
Lc = spacing between the contraction joint = slab length, m
B = slab width
DESIGN OF RIGID PAVEMENT
• The design wheel load is first decided on relevant axle load studies and analysis.
• Based on the locality where the pavement is to be constructed, the temperature
differentials for pavement thicknesses are estimated.
• The supporting layers of the rigid pavement such as subgrade, sub-base layer and
base course layers are decided and the subgrade modulus is either determined or
estimated.
• The spacing between the longitudinal joints, Lc to provided, during the initial period of
curing.
• A trial thickness of pavement is first assumed, the load and warping stress values at
pavement edge are determined using the appropriate stress equations. If total value of
stress exceed the permissible limit, the trial is repeated assuming a higher pavement
thickness.
• The factor of safety of the trial thickness of the pavement is worked out by taking the
ratio of flexural strength to flexural stresses.
CONTD.,
• Design life should be estimated.
• If the stress ratios exceeding 0.44 due to the higher loading are noted
and then fatigue analysis is carried out based on the number of
repetitions during the design life.
• If the assumed thickness is failed, the next trail is made after suitably
revising the thickness.
• The total of the edge load stress due to the heaviest load and the edge
warping stress on summer mid day is calculated, if the total thickness is
less than flexural strength of CC (45 kg/cm2), the design is accepted;
otherwise the thickness is further revised until the highest possible total
stress value does not exceed the flexural strength.