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Tyre Pressure
• The tyre pressure may be taken as 0.7 MPa
where a wheel load of 51 kN is considered and
0.5 MPa where a wheel load of 30 kN is
considered.
Design Period
• The design methodology given in these guidelines is
based on wheel load stresses. The repetitions of
wheel loads and the consumption of fatigue, which
form the basis of design in IRC:58-2012, need not be
considered for the very low volume of traffic
encountered on rural roads.
• Concrete pavements designed and constructed as
per the guidelines contained in this document will
have a design life of not less than 20 years, as
evidenced from the performance of roads
constructed in the past in the country.
Characteristics of the Subgrade
• The strength of subgrade is expressed in terms of
modulus of subgrade reaction, k, which is determined by
carrying out a plate bearing test, using 750 mm dia. Plate
according to 18:9214-1974.
• In case of homogeneous foundation, test values obtained
with a plate of 300 mm dia, k300, may be converted to
give k750, determined using the standard 750 mm dia.
plate by the following correlation:
k750= 0.5 k300... ... ... (1)
• Since, the subgrade strength is affected by the moisture
content, it is desirable to determine it during or soon
after the rainy season. An idea of the k value of a
homogeneous soil subgrade may be obtained from its
soaked CBR value using the following table.
Approximate k values corresponding to CBR values
Soaked 2 3 4 5 7 10 15 20 50
CBR%
K value 21 28 35 42 48 50 62 69 140
n/mm2/mm
Sub-Base
The provision of a sub-base below the concrete pavement has many
advantages such as:
• It provides a uniform and reasonably firm support
• It prevents mud-pumping on sub grade of clays and silts
• It acts as a levelling course on distorted, non-uniform and
undulating sub-grade
• It acts as a capillary cut-off
• Where the pavement is designed for a wheel load of 51 kN, a 150
mm thick sub-base of Water Bound Macadam (using 53-22.4 mm
aggregates), granular sub-base, gravel, soil-cement or soil-lime may
be provided. Where the traffic is light and the pavement is designed
for a wheel load of 30 kN, the thickness of the sub-base may be
reduced to 75 mm. The WBM and granular sub-base surface shall be
finished smooth.
• When the above type of sub-base is provided, the effective k value
may be taken as 20 per cent more than the k value of the sub-grade.
A plastic sheet of 125 microns thickness shall be provided over the
sub-base to act as a separation layer between the sub-base and
concrete slab
Concrete Strength
• Since concrete pavements fail due to bending stresses, it is
necessary that their design is based ;>n the flexural strength of
concrete. Where there are no facilities for determining the flexural
strength, the mix design may be carried out using the compressive
strength values and the following relationship:
• f= 0.7fc0.5
where,
f= flexural strength, N/mm2
f c = characteristic compressive cube strength, N/mm2
If the flexural strength observed from laboratory tests is higher than
that given by the above formula, the same may be used.
• For Rural Roads, it is suggested that the 90-day strength be used for
design instead of the 28-day strength as the traffic develops only
after the lapse of a period of time. The 90 day flexural strength may
be taken as 1.20 times the 28-day flexural strength or as determined
from laboratory tests. Heavy traffic should not be allowed for 90-
days
• The concrete mix should be so designed that the minimum
flexural strength requirement in the field is met at the desired
confidence level. For rural roads, the tolerance level (accepted
proportion of low results), can be taken as 1 in 20. The normal
variate, Z , for this tolerance level being 1.65, the target
average flexural strength is obtained from the following
relationship:
S = S1 + Zaσ
Where, S = target average flexural strength at 28
days MPa
S1 = charachteristic flexural strength at 28 days MPa.
Za = normal variate, having a value of 1.65, for a
tolerance factor of 1 in 20.
a = expected standard deviation of field test samples,
MPa
Table 2: Expected values of standard deviation of compressive strength
(a) Due to load: The load stress in the critical edge region may be
obtained as per Westergaard analysis as modified by Teller and
Sutherland from the following correlation (metric units):
P I σle = 0.529 —(l+0.54fi)(41og 10 +log ]0 b-0.4048) ... ... (3)
where, σ le = load stress in the edge region, MPa
P = design wheel load, N
h = pavement slab thickness, mm
µ = Poisson's ratio for concrete
E = Modulus of elasticity for concrete, MPa
k = Modulus of subgrade reaction of the pavement foundation
(b) Due to temperature: The temperature stress at the critical edge
region may be obtained as per Westergaard's analysis, using Bradbury's
coefficient from the following correlation:
σte = Eα x Δt
Corner stresses: The load stress in the corner region may be obtained
as per
Westergaard's analysis as modified by Kelley, from the following
correlation :
where,
Σlc = 3P/h^2[1-{a(2)^1/2/l}^1.2]
Σlc = load stress in the corner region, other notations remaining the
same as in the case of the edge stress formula.
The temperature differential graph is shown below:
RECOMMENDED TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIALS FOR CONCRETE SLABS
k value
From Table 1, the k value corresponding to a CBR value is 4 is
35×10-3 N/mm2/mm.
Sub-base
Provide a 75 mm thick WBM course.
Effective k Value
Since a sub-base is provided, the k value can be increased by 20% (para 2.5).
Effective k value = 1.20×35×10-3 = 42×10-3 kg/mm2/mm.
Concrete Strength
Adopt a 28 day compressive strength of 30 Mpa.
Flexural strength ff = 0.7√fc = 3.834 Mpa.
So, 28 day flexural strength = 3.834 Mpa.
90 day flexural strength = 1.20 × 3.834 Mpa
= 4.6 Mpa
Thickness
Try a thickness of 150 mm.
E = 3 × 104 N/mm2
h = 150 mm
µ = 0.15
k = 42×10-3 N/mm2/mm
Temperature Stress
From Table 3, the temperature differential for U. P. for a slab thickness of 200 mm is
13.1°C.
Radius of relative stiffness l =
Corner Stress
From fig. 5, corner load stress for wheel load of 51 kN,
k = 42×10-3 N/mm2/mm and slab thickness of 190 mm
Corner stress, σlc = 2.9 Mpa.
Since the corner stress is less than 4.6 Mpa and hence the thickness of 190 mm
is SAFE.
IRC SPECIFICATIONS FOR
INTERLOCKING CONCRETE BLOCK
PAVEMENTS
Scope
• Interlocking concrete block pavements have
been used extensively in a number of countries
for quite sometime.
• Considering their advantages and potential for
use, the guidelines have been prepared for
design and construction of such pavements,
giving the suggested applications, design
catalogues, construction practices and
specifications for their use.
Applications
• Footpaths and side walks • Intersections
• Cycle tracks • City streets
• Residential streets • Truck parking areas
• Car parks • Industrial floors
• Fuel stations • Urban sections of highways
• Rural roads through villages • Urban sections of highway
• Highway rest areas • Road repairs during Monsoons
• Toll plaza • Container depots
• Bus depots • Port wharf and Roads
• Approaches to railway level • Roads in high altitudes areas
crossings
Advantages
• Since the blocks are prepared in the factory, they are
of a very high quality, thus avoiding the difficulties
encountered in quality control in the field.
Category A:
• Dentated units are designed to key into each
other on all four faces and which, by their plan
geometry when keyed together, resist the
widening of the joint.
• Length/Thickness : ≥4
COMPOSITION OF BLOCK
PAVEMENT
Commercial traffic Axle Load Repetitions 20-50 msa Block 80-100 80-100
Arterial Streets Sand Bed 20-40 20-40
WBM/WMM 250 250
Base WBM/WMM Base 150 150
DLC over it 75 75
Granular Sub-base 200 250
Notes:
1. Thickness of layers given above are in mm.
2. Granular sub-base should have at least 150 mm layer at the bottom which is
drainable.
3. A typical cross section is given in Fig 6.
4. If subgrade of soil has a CBR of less than 5, it should be improved by suitable
stabilisation technique to bring the CBR value to 5.
5. msa denotes repetitions in million standard axles.