Rigid Pavement

Design of Rigid Pavement

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Analysing of Concrete Pavement, Westergaard Theory
• The models are prepared based on the assumption of the foundation
• The foundation is considered to behave as springs (Slab over spring
foundation, Wrinkler foundation)
• Assumes no shear strength of subgrade
• The foundation is represented by a spring constant normally known as
Modulus of Subgrade reaction (k)
• K is calculated by plate load test experiment

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 Radius of relative stiffness of slab to that of
subgrade
• It is the parameter to express the relative stiffness of slab and
subgrade
• As the slab deflects, subgrade deflects with the pavement.
• A certain degree of resistance to slab deflection is offered by the sub-
grade. The sub-grade deformation is same as the slab deflection.
Hence the slab deflection is direct measurement of the magnitude of
the sub-grade pressure.
• To define the pressure of subgrade and deformation characteristics,
term radius of relative stiffness was introduced as

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Radius of relative stiffness
• 

• Where, l = radius of relative stiffness in cm

• E = Elasticity of concrete, kg/cm2
• = poisson’s ratio for concrete = 0.15
• K = Modulus of subgrade reaction = Kg/cm3
• h = thickness of slab in cm

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Stresses at different critical region of slab
• Three different regions are considered critical for which stresses are
given by Westergaard for wheel load
• Corner, interior and edge region of slab
• Interior – Position of the slab sufficiently away from all the edges
• Edge – On the edge away from the corners
• Corner – On the bisector of the corner angle

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Stresses
• Stresses at different locations in rigid pavement occurs due to
• Due to wheel load (traffic load)
• Temperature Stress
• Due to warping
• And friction between pavement and the subgrade
• The critical combination is taken for the maximum stresses at
different locations which should not exceed the strength of the
concrete
• The load location usually for critical combination is taken as edge

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1. Traffic Stresses
• On application of the traffic load, the slab tends to deflect like a beam
and flexural stresses comes into play
• Westergaard considered three critical loading
• Interior loading,
• Edge loading,
• Corner loading,
• At both the cases of interior and edge loading maximum tensile stress
is acted on the bottom of the slab
• For corner loading maximum tensile stress is acted on the top of the
slab
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 Location of tensile stresses generated for the
three critical wheel load postion

Interior loading with tension at underside

Corner loading with Tension on top of the surface

Edge loading with tension at underside

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1. Traffic Stresses
• 

• Maximum tensile stress at the bottom of slab at edge region

• Maximum tensile stress at the top of the slab at corner region

As being used by Kelly now being used by IRC method, the formula is

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•  Where,
• P = wheel load, kg
• h = slab thickness, cm
• a = radius of wheel load distribution, cm
• l = radius of relative stiffness in cm
• b = radius of equivalent distribution of pressure at the bottom of the
slab,
where, a>1.724 h, then b= a

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2. Frictional stresses in the pavement
• Due to the volumetric change in the concrete pavement and
restrained by the subgrade or the subbase by the friction
• It is caused by the average change in the temperature of the slab
• If the temperature rises in the slab, the resulting restrain provided by
the friction of the subgrade produces compression at the bottom
• If the temperature reduces in the slab, the friction at the face of the
slab and subgrade produces tension at the bottom of the slab

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 Slab expands

Subgrade restraints, Compressive stress

Slab contracts

Subgrade restraints, Tension stress

• The frictional mobilized is more at the end because of higher

movement at the end and zero at the centre as shown

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Calculation
 
•  Equating the friction load developed
due to the weigh of the half section
with the stress in the slab as:
L/2

ff And, , where, W is expressed in

kg/m3, L in metre and in kg/cm2

*For design of the plain cement concrete, the spacing of contraction joint is so
selected that the stresses due to friction do not cause crack to the concrete
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 3.Warping Stress (Temperature Stress)
• Temperature
  differential between the top and bottom of the slab causes curling
(warping) stress in the pavement
• If the temperature of the upper surface of the slab is higher than the bottom
surface then top surface tends to expand and the bottom surface tends to contract
resulting in curl downward, and vice-versa
• The restraint due to weight, friction provides restraint to the curling producing
stresses
• For interior region of the slab

• For edge region of the slab ,

• For corner region of the slab,

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• 

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• Upper compression and lower
tension

• Upper tension and lower

compression

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Temperature Differentials
• Maximum temperature differentials occur during the day in the spring and summer months.
• During midday of summer, the surface of the slab, which is exposed to the sun, warms faster
than the subgrade which is relatively cool.

• During night time the surface of the slab becomes cool when compared to the subgrade.

• Usually, night time temperature differentials are one half the day time temperature differentials.

• The actual temperature differentials depend on the location..

• Temperature differential is expressed as temperature gradient per mm of slab thickness.

• The temperature gradients vary between 0.067 to 0.1o C/mm

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4. Critical combination of stress
• During summer
At edges during mid day-
At the bottom fiber – load stress tension , warps downward resulting in
tension in bottom and frictional stress being compressive
So, critical combination at edge : Load stress + Warping stress –
Frictional stress

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4. Critical Combination of stress
• During winter
At edges during mid day will be the most critical combination where
At the bottom fiber – load stress tension , warps downward resulting in
tension in bottom and frictional stress being tensile
So, critical combination at edge : Load stress + Warping stress +
Frictional stress

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4. Critical combination of stress
• At corner
It occurs at night
At the top load stress at corner is tensile and warping stress when
warping upward (facing upward) tensile stress is at the top
Most critical combination at corner – load stress + warping stress

[Here, frictional stress is not developed at the corner]

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Joints
• Three types of joints are used in cement concrete pavement namely
• Expansion joints
• Contraction joints and
• Construction joints
• To reduce the effects of temperature stresses joints are introduced
• To relieve the stresses produced in the pavement
• To relieve the stresses produced due to variance in the volume of
either of subgrade or slab
• It is provided in transverse as well as longitudinal direction

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Requirements of joints
• It must permit movement of the slabs without restraint
• Joints shouldn’t structurally weaken the slab and load transfer
between slabs has to be effective
• Proper sealing of joints is essential
• Shouldn’t impair riding quality

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1. Contraction Joint
• The slab contracts due to the fall in the slab temperature and due to
shrinkage
• At the section a saw cut is made and a zone of weakness is created
where crack propagates through out the joint
• The load is transmitted to the slab through granular interlocking or
dowel bar (in transverse direction) or tie bars (in longitudinal
direction)

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Design of contraction joint
• The spacing of contraction joint is equal to the length of each slab
• The length of each slab is selected as per the frictional drag due to the
subgrade to the concrete
• The stress produced in the concrete should not exceed tensile stress
of the concrete (0.8 kg/cm2 which is very low tensile stress)

 𝜎 h ∗ 𝐵 ∗ h

Lc /2
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Design of contraction joint
• 
And hence,
Where, W = unit weight of concrete in kg/cm3 = 2400 kg/m3
= allowable tensile stress = 0.8 kg/cm2
h = depth of slab in cm
f= coefficient of friction
B and Lc are the dimension of the slab in m,
Lc is also the spacing of contraction joints

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Design of contraction joint
•  When reinforcement is provided
• It can be also designed if the total frictional stresses is assumed to be
taken by the steel across the slab width
• The design for the contraction joint spacing is calculated by the stress
taken by the steel

s is the allowable tensile stress in steel= 1400 kg/cm 2

As is the area of the steel provided

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2. Expansion Joint
• It is provided to permit expansion of volume of slab and to relieve
stresses due to temperature increase and compressive stresses
• Sufficient width or gap is provided which is sealed properly
• Dowel bars are provided to spread load across the slab where
expansion cap is provided to one of the end to permit space for
expansion

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Design of expansion joint
•  The gap is not recommended to be more than 2.5 cm
• The expansion joints spacing should not exceed 140 m for rough
interface layer
• The joint filler provided can be compressed to its half. So, the joint
thickness has to be double then the required expansion of the slab
• Such that, if is the required expansion, then the thickness of the joint
has to be 2

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Design of expansion joint
• 
• Where, is taken as per the gap, joint width
• C is thermal expansion coefficient of concrete = 10*10-6 per
• Where thermal expansion is considered to take place because of the
rise in temperature
• Le is the spacing required between the expansion joint

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3. Construction Joint
• The joint formed between slabs casted in different times. The
construction joints are planned to match with transverse contraction
joint.
• It can be of butt joint or key joint
• Header is used while paving up the slab and then removed. The next
day, paving will start with the new concrete butted up against the old
concrete

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Reinforcement in slab
• Reinforcement in slab is not for flexural strength
• It’s important role is to control the opening of the cracks
• It also counteract against the shrinkage and contraction due to
change in temperature
• The placement/position is not that important for the reinforcement
so generally its placed 50 mm below the surface (considering the
place for generation of crack)

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• 
• L is the length of the slab along the longitudinal for Longitudinal
reinforcement and along the transverse for transverse reinforcement
• f is the coefficient of friction
• S = allowable working stress in steel = 1400 kg/cm2
• As is the area of the reinforcement

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IRC recommendations for Design of
Concrete Pavements (Indian Road Congress)
• 
Design traffic intensity, Ad
Adjustment in design
Traffic Classification (no. of vehicles of wt>3 thickness of cc pavement,
tonnes per day at the end cm
of design life)
A 0 – 15 -5
B 15 – 45 -5
C 45 – 150 -2
D 150 – 450 -2
E 450 – 1500 0
F 1500 – 4500 0
G >4500 +2

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IRC Recommendations
2. Temperature Differentials
The mean daily and annual temperature cycles are collected. The
recommended temperature differentials between top and bottom of
cement concrete slabs of different thickness at various states and
regions in India is provided which is used to calculate the warping
stress.
3. Subgrade reaction K
It is measured using standard plate of 75 cm diameter and to a
deflection of 0.125 cm. A minimum of 5.5 kg/cm2 is required for
concrete pavement
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IRC recommendations
•3.  Strength of the concrete
• Flexural strength not less than 40 kg/cm2
• Compressive strength at 28 days > 280 kg/cm2
• Modulus of Elasticity (E) = 3 x 105 kg/cm2
• Poisson’s ratio = 0.15
• Thermal coefficient = 10 x 10-6 per °C
4. Calculation of stresses
Calculation of wheel load stresses and temperature stresses is carried
out. (At edges and corner)
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IRC recommendations
 (spacing of contraction joint) Length of the slab

5. Design of Slab thickness

𝐶 𝑥 𝐸 𝛼𝑡 𝑡 𝐶 𝑦 𝐸 𝛼𝑡 𝑡
• The lane width is adopted  
𝜎 = 𝑀𝑎𝑥 ( , )
2 2
• Length of the slab is adopted as per the spacing of contraction joint
• Trial thickness of slab is taken and the warping stress at the edge is
calculated. Thus calculated stress is subtracted to flexural strength of
the concrete to produce residual strength for load stress
• The load stress is calculated and checked for the adequate factor of
safety as per the residual strength of the concrete in flexure. Suitable
trials are made

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IRC recommendations
• Again the stress at the corner due to wheel load and warping stress is
calculated and checked for flexural strength of concrete
• The design thickness is adjusted for the traffic intensity as per the
table shown in table

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