Design of Rigid

Pavements
• Westergaard assumed - rigid pavement slab as a
thin elastic plate resting on soil subgrade
assumed to be a dense liquid

• ↑ reaction α deflection i.e., p = kΔ

• Westergaard’s modulus of subgrade reaction

K = p/ Δ = p/0.125………kg/cm3
 Relative stiffness of slab to subgrade (l)
• Slab deflection will be resisted to a certain
degree by subgrade
• Deflection of slab results in deformation of
the subgrade - direct measure of subgrade
pressure
• ‘l’ gives relation between properties of
subgrade and CC Slab
l - radius of relative stiffness;
E - Modulus of elasticity of cement concrete…
kg/cm2;
h - slab thickness;
k - subgrade modulus, kg/cm3;
μ - Poisson’s ratio of concrete = 0.15
• Critical load positions:
1. Interior Loading - load applied on the interior part of the slab
2. Edge loading - on an edge
3. Corner loading - Centre of load application is on the bisector
of corner angle formed by 2 intersecting edges
• Equivalent radius of resisting section:
a) Interior loading - maximum bending moment occurs &
acts radially in all direction - radius of X-nal area
effective in resisting BM,
when a ≤ 1.724h
b = a………………………. when a > 1.724h;
b - equivalent radius of resisting Xn….. cm;
a - radius of wheel load distribution……cm; h - slab thickness…cm
• Corner loading- Maximum stress occurs at some
distance X along the corner bisector,

X - distance from apex of slab corner to Xn of

maximum stress along the corner bisector, cm
a - radius of wheel load distribution, cm
l - radius of relative stiffness, cm
Critical stress locations
Stresses on rigid pavement are:
1. Wheel load stress
2. Temp: stresses
Wheel load stresses
a. Goldbeck -concrete slab failed at corner
frequently, Stress due to corner load,
• SC = 3P/h2……………. Kg/cm2
P - Corner load assumed as a concentrated load, kg; h -
slab thickness
• Disadvantage - slabs with very high thickness
was required
b. Westergaard’s Stress eqn for wheel loads
• CC slab - assumed to be homogenous, thin elastic plate
with subgrade reaction being vertical and proportional
to the deflection
• Interior loading

• Edge loading

• Corner loading
Si, Se, Sc - Max stress at interior, edge and corner
loading, kg/cm2
h - CC slab thickness, cm;
P - wheel load, kg;
l - radius of relative stiffness, cm;
b - radius of resisting Xn, cm;
a - radius of wheel load distribution, cm

c) Modified - Stress at edge and corner are more

critical, IRC recommends modification in stress
@ edge & Corner
• Westergaard’s edge load stress formula, modified
by Teller and Sutherland for Se

• Westergaard’s corner load stress modified by

Kelley for Sc
• Graph
• The load stress at edge and corner are presented
in the form of IRC charts - for designing rigid
pavements for various trial of slab thickness
Temperature Stresses
• Daytime - top layer at high temp: in comparison
to lower layers - tendency to expand and hence
develops compressive stress - results in warping
& bend - results in warping stresses
• Figure
• Summer - pavements expand towards the expansion joint
- but slab movement is restricted due to friction between
bottom layer & soil - results in compressive stress at the
slab bottom
• Winter - pavements contract - results in tensile stress @
the bottom - frictional stress due to seasonal variation
a) Warping stress
• Bradbury’s eqn for Warping Stress at interior
• Warping stress at edge,

• Warping stress at corner,

• St(i) St(e) St(c) - warping stress @ interior, edge and corner…..kg/cm2;

• E - modulus of elasticity of concrete, kg/cm 2;
• e - Thermal coefficient of concrete /oC;
• t - temp: difference between top and bottom of slab (oC);
• Cx- coefficient based on Lx/l in the desired direction(X direction); Cy - coefficient
based on Ly/l in right angle to above direction;
• μ - poisson’s ratio (=0.15);
• a - radius of contact, cm;
• l - radius of relative stiffness, cm

Traffic Flow Ly
Lx
 Frictional Stress
• Stress developed in CC pavement …..kg/cm 2

• W - unit weight of the concrete, kg/cm3

(=2400kg/m3)
• L - length of the slab, m
• F - co-efficient of subgrade resistant (max value
= 1.5)
 Combination of stresses
1. Summer:
a. Due to loading, tensile stress is developed
b. During daytime, slab warps downwards - tensile
stress is developed @ the bottom
c. Frictional stress - compressive stress
• Load stress @ edge - higher;
• warping stress @ interior - higher
Critical combination of stress =
load stress + Warping stress - Frictional stress…@
edge region @ bottom fibre during mid day
2. Winter:

a. Due to loading, tensile stress is developed

b. During daytime, slab warps downwards - tensile
stress is developed @ the bottom
c. Frictional stress - tensile stress

Critical combination of stress =

load stress + Warping stress + Frictional stress…@
edge region @ bottom fibre during mid day
3. At corner region:

Critical combination @ the top fibre when slab

warps ↑during mid nights, no frictional Stress

Critical combination of stress =

load stress + Warping stress …@ top fibre during
mid night