Design Approaches for RCC Pavements

Most pavement design procedures typically focus on calculations related to the types of distresses that occur due to the effects of traffic load and climate variations. However, in the case of RCC (and jointed concrete in general), very few failures are purely fatigue related, especially since RCC is often placed on stiff or well-compacted subbase layers. Given the typical curing practices for RCC configured in this manner, cracking that develops in the pavement is likely caused by the induction of curling and warping stresses shortly after construction. Therefore, it is important to include climatic effects of this nature in the estimation of cracking distress, since it ties the effect of joint spacing, the concrete coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and the stiffness of the base layer to the design of the pavement thickness. Curing effectiveness could also be included in this list, as it affects the zero-stress state of a paved slab prior to the onset of curling and warping stress. The timing, season, and prevailing weather conditions during paving operations all can affect the performance of an RCC pavement.