U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Highway
Administration
Concrete Pavement Design Details and
Construction Practices
Participant’s Workbook
Prepared By:
Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.
1606 Willow View Road, Suite 2F
Urbana, IL 61802
National Highway Institute
May 1999
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This training course was developed by Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech) of Urbana,
Illinois under contract to the Federal Highway Administration. Questions regarding the course
or training materials should be directed to:
National Highway Institute (NHI)
4600 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 235-0500
Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.
1606 Willow View Road, Suite 2F
Urbana, IL 61802
(217) 384-0817
Throughout the development of the training course, guidance on the application of adult learning
principles to the course materials was provided by Pat Lees of NHI, and technical oversight was
provided by Mark Swanlund and Roger Larson of the FHWA. Keith Herbold of the FHWA and
Bob Packard of the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) also contributed through
technical reviews of the course material. In addition, slides and photographs were obtained from
other NHI training courses developed by the ACPA and Nichols Consulting Engineers, Chtd.,
and from reports and literature produced by BRE/Fugro, K. J. Law, and Soff Cut International.
Finally, the input and contributions of David Peshkin, Monty Wade, Adheer Bahulkar, and Mary
Bach of the APTech staff are greatly appreciated.
Kurt D. Smith
Kathleen T. Hall
May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................1
About the Course ....................................................................................................................1
Overall Course Objectives ....................................................................................................1
About This Workbook ............................................................................................................2
Course Schedule ......................................................................................................................2
Key Technical References .....................................................................................................4
Pavement Design Software ...................................................................................................5
For More Information ............................................................................................................7
SESSION 1—OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................9
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................11
Overview ..................................................................................................................................11
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................11
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................11
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................12
Key References ......................................................................................................................12
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................13
SESSION 2—CONCRETE PAVEMENT TYPE SELECTION
AND DESIGN FEATURES .................................................................................................21
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................23
Overview ..................................................................................................................................23
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................23
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................23
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................24
Key References ......................................................................................................................24
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................25
SESSION 3—SUBGRADE.......................................................................................................31
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................33
Overview ..................................................................................................................................33
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................33
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................33
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................34
Key References ......................................................................................................................34
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................35
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SESSION 4—DRAINAGE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ............................................45
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................47
Overview ..................................................................................................................................47
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................47
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................47
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................47
Key References ......................................................................................................................48
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................49
SESSION 5—BASE CONSIDERATIONS .........................................................................59
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................61
Overview ..................................................................................................................................61
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................61
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................61
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................62
Key References ......................................................................................................................62
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................63
SESSION 6—THICKNESS DESIGN ..................................................................................73
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................75
Overview ..................................................................................................................................75
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................75
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................75
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................75
Key References ......................................................................................................................76
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................77
SESSION 7—JOINT DESIGN ............................................................................................85
Cross Reference ....................................................................................................................87
Overview ..................................................................................................................................87
Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................87
Brief Outline ..........................................................................................................................87
Review Questions ..................................................................................................................88
Key References ......................................................................................................................88
Presentation Graphics ..........................................................................................................89
SESSION 8—SHOULDER CONSIDERATIONS............................................................101
Cross Reference ..................................................................................................................103
Overview ................................................................................................................................103
Learning Objectives ...........................................................................................................103
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Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Brief Outline ........................................................................................................................103
Review Questions ................................................................................................................104
Key References ....................................................................................................................104
Presentation Graphics ........................................................................................................105
SESSION 9—CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS ................................................111
Cross Reference ..................................................................................................................113
Overview ................................................................................................................................113
Learning Objectives ...........................................................................................................113
Brief Outline ........................................................................................................................113
Review Questions ................................................................................................................114
Key References ....................................................................................................................114
Presentation Graphics ........................................................................................................117
SESSION 10—SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR
REINFORCED PAVEMENTS ............................................................................................129
Cross Reference ..................................................................................................................131
Overview ................................................................................................................................131
Learning Objectives ...........................................................................................................131
Brief Outline ........................................................................................................................131
Review Questions ................................................................................................................133
Key References ....................................................................................................................133
Presentation Graphics ........................................................................................................135
SESSION 11—SUMMARY AND WRAP-UP ...................................................................145
Cross Reference ..................................................................................................................147
Overview ................................................................................................................................147
Learning Objectives ...........................................................................................................147
Brief Outline ........................................................................................................................147
Review Questions ................................................................................................................148
Key References ....................................................................................................................148
Presentation Graphics ........................................................................................................149
INTRODUCTION TO COURSE WORKSHOPS ..............................................................153
Objectives ............................................................................................................................153
Introduction .........................................................................................................................153
Overview ................................................................................................................................153
Design Problems ..............................................................................................................155
Being Assigned to a Group ............................................................................................155
Getting Started ..............................................................................................................156
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reporting ..........................................................................................................................156
Supporting Workshop Material ...................................................................................156
WORKSHOP 1 SELECTION OF DESIGN K VALUE ..................................................157
Objective ..............................................................................................................................157
Available Information ........................................................................................................157
Soil Borings ......................................................................................................................157
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) .....................................................................................158
Deflection Data ...............................................................................................................160
What To Do ..........................................................................................................................161
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................161
Helpful Design Tables and Charts ...................................................................................162
Workshop 1 Results ............................................................................................................163
WORKSHOP 2 SELECTION OF BASE TYPE AND DRAINAGE FEATURES .....165
Objectives ............................................................................................................................165
Available Information ........................................................................................................165
What To Do ..........................................................................................................................165
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................165
Helpful Design Tables and Charts ...................................................................................166
Workshop 2 Results ............................................................................................................169
WORKSHOP 3 PRELIMINARY THICKNESS DESIGN ..............................................171
Objective ..............................................................................................................................171
Available Information ........................................................................................................171
What To Do ..........................................................................................................................171
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................171
Helpful Design Tables and Charts ...................................................................................172
Workshop 3 Results ............................................................................................................174
WORKSHOP 4 FINAL CONCRETE PAVEMENT DESIGN ........................................175
Objectives ............................................................................................................................175
Available Information ........................................................................................................175
What To Do ..........................................................................................................................175
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................175
Helpful Design Tables and Charts ...................................................................................176
Workshop 4 Results ............................................................................................................179
WORKSHOP 5 COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DESIGN FEATURES ......................183
Objective ..............................................................................................................................183
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Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Available Information ........................................................................................................183
What To Do ..........................................................................................................................184
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................185
Workshop 5 Results ............................................................................................................186
GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................187
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
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Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
About The Course
This training course on Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices presents
current guidelines and recommendations for designing and constructing durable, long-lasting
concrete pavements. A Technical Digest reference manual has been prepared that summarizes
the most current design and construction recommendations. This training course presents the
information contained in that document in a series of eleven sessions, each focusing on a specific
topic:











Session 1—Overview
Session 2—Concrete Pavement Type Selection and Design Features
Session 3—Subgrade
Session 4—Drainage Design Considerations
Session 5—Base Considerations
Session 6—Thickness Design
Session 7—Joint Design
Session 8—Shoulder Considerations
Session 9—Construction Considerations
Session 10—Special Considerations for Reinforced Pavements
Session 11—Summary and Wrap-Up
The focus of the course is on the design and construction of jointed plain concrete pavements
(JPCP). However, a separate session on special considerations for reinforced pavements (both
jointed reinforced concrete pavements [JRCP] and continuously reinforced concrete pavements
[CRCP]) is included.
As part of the course, a series of five workshops will be conducted. In these workshops,
participants, working in groups, will walk through an entire concrete pavement design, applying
the concepts and guidelines described in the presentations.
Overall Course Objectives
The overall objectives for this training course are:
1. Recognize the effect of critical concrete pavement design details on overall concrete
pavement performance.
2. Identify critical pavement construction practices that impact performance.
3. Select appropriate concrete pavement design details to enhance the performance of the
pavement for given specific design conditions.
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
1
INTRODUCTION
About This Workbook
This Participant’s Workbook has been assembled to augment the formal presentations of the
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices training course. It has been
developed to assist participants in following the presentation of the course materials and to
facilitate the comprehension of the information. However, it is not intended as a replacement for
the Technical Digest reference manual, which provides more detailed information on the various
course topics.
This Participant’s Workbook contains a section corresponding to each training session. These
sections consist of the following items:

Cross reference information to the applicable pages of the Technical Digest.

A brief overview of the information to be presented in the session.

An outline of the information to be presented.

A list of review questions applicable to the session.

A list of key references for additional information on the topic.

A reproduction of the presentation graphics used in the session, presented in two-column
format to allow note-taking by the participants during the presentation.
The above information is provided for each of the eleven training sessions. Because of these
features, participants should have no trouble following along during the technical presentations
and will more easily recognize the key discussion points of each session. To further aid the
participant, a glossary of key technical terms used in the training course and in the Technical
Digest is found at the end of the Participant’s Workbook.
Course Schedule
This training course is intended to be completed over 2 days of instruction. A generic course
schedule for this training course is found on the next page. This schedule provides the
approximate starting and ending times for each session or workshop, as well as anticipated break
and lunch times. The actual times for each of these will undoubtedly vary depending upon the
flow of the course. The schedule also provides a cross reference to the document corresponding
to the specific activity.
Note that session 10 on reinforced pavements is an optional session. The presentation of this
session should be considered for agencies that construct reinforced pavements or have expressed
a specific interest in these pavement types.
2
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
INTRODUCTION
CONCRETE PAVEMENT DESIGN DETAILS AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES
Course Schedule
Time
Topic/Activity
Reference
Day One
1:00 –
1:45 p.m.
Course Introduction
Chapter 1, Technical Digest
1:45 –
2:30 p.m.
Introduction to PCC Pavement Types
Chapter 2, Technical Digest
2:30 –
2:45 p.m.
2:45 –
3:45 p.m.
Subgrade
Chapter 3, Technical Digest
3:45 –
4:45 p.m.
Workshop 1: Selection of Design k-value
Participant’s Workbook
8:00 –
8:15 a.m.
Review of Day 1
None
8:15 –
9:15 a.m.
Drainage Design Considerations
Chapter 4, Technical Digest
9:15 –
10:00 a.m.
Base Considerations
Chapter 5, Technical Digest
10:00 –
10:15 a.m.
10:15 –
11:00 a.m.
BREAK
Day Two
11:00 – 12:00 noon
BREAK
Workshop 2: Base and Drainage Selection
Participant’s Workbook
Thickness Design
Chapter 6, Technical Digest
12:00 –
1:00 p.m.
1:00 –
2:15 p.m.
2:15 –
2:30 p.m.
2:30 –
4:00 p.m.
Joint Design
Chapter 7, Technical Digest
4:00 –
4:45 p.m.
Shoulder Considerations
Chapter 8, Technical Digest
8:00 –
8:15 a.m.
Review of Day 2
None
8:15 –
9:15 a.m.
Workshop 4: Final Pavement Design
Participant’s Workbook
9:15 –
9:30 a.m.
9:30 –
10:15 a.m.
Construction Considerations
Chapter 9, Technical Digest
10:15 –
11:00 a.m.
Design Considerations for Reinforced
Pavements (optional)
Chapter 10, Technical Digest
10:15 –
or
11:00 –
11:00 –
or
11:45 –
11:00 a.m.
Workshop 5: Cost Effectiveness of
Design Features
Participant’s Workbook
Summary and Wrap Up
None
LUNCH
Workshop 3: Preliminary Thickness Design
Participant’s Workbook
BREAK
Day Three
11:45 a.m.
11:15 a.m.
BREAK
12:00 noon
Instructors:
Instructor A
Instructor B
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
3
INTRODUCTION
Key Technical References
The Technical Digest serves as the primary source of information for this training course. It is a
good summary of the state of the practice in concrete pavement design, but because it is a
synthesis, it does not contain extensive details or supporting data. A complete annotated
bibliography is included within the Technical Digest for those who seek more information on a
particular topic. Moreover, the following “short list” of references is provided to identify what
are believed to be the most useful and applicable sources of current information for the concrete
pavement practitioner; these references cover in much greater detail the various aspects of
concrete pavement design.
1. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 1993.
AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC.
See also:
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 1998.
Supplement to the AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures, Part II—Rigid
Pavement Design and Rigid Pavement Joint Design. American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC.
2. Christopher, B. R. and V. C. McGuffey. 1997. Pavement Subsurface Drainage Systems.
NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice 239. Transportation Research Board, Washington,
DC.
3. Darter, M. I., K. T. Hall, and C. M. Kuo. 1995. Support Under Portland Cement Concrete
Pavements. NCHRP Report 372. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
See also:
Darter, M. I., K. T. Hall, and C. M. Kuo. 1995. Support Under Portland Cement Concrete
Pavements—Appendices. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Hall, K. T., M. I. Darter, and C. M. Kuo. 1995. “Improved Methods for Selection of k Value
for Concrete Pavement Design.” Transportation Research Record 1505. Transportation
Research Board, Washington, DC.
Hall, K. T., M. I. Darter, T. E. Hoerner, and L. Khazanovich. 1997. LTPP Data Analysis,
Phase I: Validation of Guidelines for k-Value Selection and Concrete Pavement Performance
Prediction. FHWA-RD-96-198. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
4. Darter, M. I., H. Von Quintus, Y. J. Jiang, E. B. Owusu-Antwi, and B. M. Killingsworth.
1997. Catalog of Recommended Pavement Design Features. Final Report, NCHRP Project
1-32. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
5. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 1992. Drainable Pavement Systems, Participant
Notebook. FHWA-SA-92-008. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
4
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
INTRODUCTION
6. Laguros, J. G. and G. A. Miller. 1997. Stabilization of Existing Subgrades to Improve
Constructibility During Interstate Pavement Reconstruction. NCHRP Synthesis of Highway
Practice 247. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
7. McGhee, K. H. 1995. Design, Construction, and Maintenance of PCC Pavement Joints.
NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice 211. Transportation Research Board, Washington,
DC.
8. Portland Cement Association (PCA). 1984. Thickness Design for Concrete Highway and
Street Pavements. EB109.01P. Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL.
9. Smith, K. D., M. J. Wade, D. G. Peshkin, L. Khazanovich, H. T. Yu, and M. I. Darter. 1998.
Performance of Concrete Pavements, Volume II—Evaluation of Inservice Concrete
Pavements. FHWA-RD-95-110. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
10. Tayabji, S. D., P. J. Stephanos, J. S. Gagnon, and D. G. Zollinger. 1998. Performance of
Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements, Volume III: Analysis and Evaluation of Field
Test Data. FHWA-RD-94-180. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
11. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). 1995. WSDOT Pavement
Guide, Volume 2—Pavement Notes. Washington State Department of Transportation,
Olympia, WS.
12. Yu, H. T., K. D. Smith, M. I. Darter, J. Jiang, and L. Khazanovich. 1998. Performance of
Concrete Pavements, Volume III—Improving Concrete Pavement Performance. FHWA-RD95-111. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
See also:
Smith, K. D., M. J. Wade, H. T. Yu, and M. I. Darter. 1997. “Design Considerations for
Improved JPCP Performance.” Proceedings, Sixth International Purdue Conference on
Concrete Design and Materials for High Performance. Purdue University, West Lafayette,
IN.
13. Yoder, E. J. and M. W. Witczak. 1975. Principles of Pavement Design. Second Edition.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.
Pavement Design Software
Although not used in this course, there are several pavement design computer software programs
that participants may find useful in performing certain aspects of concrete pavement design. A
summary of a few applicable programs is provided on the following page, along with a
description of their capabilities and availability. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of
every available pavement design computer program, but merely a compilation of a few useful
software programs of particular interest to participants in this course.
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
5
INTRODUCTION
Some Available Pavement Design Computer Software
Program
Name
AASHTO 1998
Supplemental
Guide
DARWin
Format
Capability
Excel Spreadsheet  Seasonal k-value
 Rigid pavement slab
thickness design
 Joint spacing design
Computer
 ESAL calculation
Program
 Backcalculation
(Windows)
 Seasonal k-value
Basis or
Documentation
 1998 AASHTO
Supplemental Guide
Available
From
AASHTO
(800) 231-3475
http://www.aashto.org
 1993 AASHTO Guide AASHTO
(800) 231-3475
http://www.aashto.org
 Rigid pavement slab
thickness design
 Flexible pavement
design
 Life-cycle cost
analysis
DRIP
Computer
Program
(Windows)
 Water inflow
 Drainage times
 Permeable base
design
 Gradation analysis
 Outlet spacing
 Highway Subdrainage
Design (FHWA-TS80-224)
 FHWA Demo Project
87 (FHWA-SA-92008)
FHWA
Contact: Bob
Baumgardner
(202) 366-4612
EVERFE
Computer
Program
(3D finite element
program)
 Computes responses
in concrete pavement
under traffic and
environmental
loading
 Computes joint load
transfer
 Davis, Turkiyyah, and
Mahoney,
Transportation
Research Record 1629
University of Washington
Web Site:
http://www.ce.
washington.edu/~everfe
HIPERPAV
Computer
Program
(Windows)
 Computes potential
for development of
random cracking
 Determines
appropriate joint
sawing times
 McCullough,
Rasmussen, and
Zollinger (FHWA
Final Report)
FHWA
Contact: Steve Forster
(703) 285-2073
http://www.hiperpav.com
Integrated
Climatic Model
Computer
Program
(Windows)
 Computes variations  Climatic-Materialsin layer properties
Structures Model
with changing
(FHWA/RD-84/115)
temperature and
 Infiltration and
moisture contents
Drainage Model
 Computes
(FHWA/RD-84/116)
temperature gradients  CRREL Frost Heave
through slab
and Thaw Settlement
 Estimates water
Model (CRREL
infiltration and
Report 93-2)
outflow
 Computes frost heave
and thaw weakening
6
University of Illinois
Web Site:
http://www.staff.uiuc.
edu/~glarson/
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
INTRODUCTION
For More Information
To obtain more information on this course, to request specific technical documents, publications,
or computer software, and to secure additional information on a specific concrete pavement
design issue, interested participants may contact the following governmental, professional, and
industry associations.
Course Scheduling and Information
Technical Information
National Highway Institute
Federal Highway Administration
4600 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 800
Pavements Division, Concrete Group
Arlington, VA 22203
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
(703) 235-0500
Washington, DC 20590
http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov
(202) 366-1323
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov
Publications
AASHTO
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
P.O. Box 96716
5285 Port Royal Road
Washington, DC 20090-6716
Springfield, VA 22161
(800) 231-3475
(703) 605-6000
http://www.aashto.org
http://www.ntis.gov/index.html
Transportation Research Board
P.O. Box 289
Washington, DC 20055
(202) 334-3213
http://www.nas.edu/trb/
http://www2.nas.edu/trbbooks
(general)
(bookstore)
Concrete Pavement Industry Associations
American Concrete Institute (ACI)
American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA)
P.O. Box 9094
5420 Old Orchard Road, Suite A100
Farmington Hills, MI 48333-9094
Skokie, IL 60077-1083
(248) 848-3800
(847) 966-2272
http://www.aci-int.org
http://www.pavement.com
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI)
National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA)
933 North Plum Grove Road
900 Spring Street
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4758
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(847) 517-1200
(301) 587-1400
http://www.crsi.org
http://www.nrmca.org
Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook
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INTRODUCTION
Portland Cement Association (PCA)
5420 Old Orchard Road
Skokie, IL 60077-1083
(800) 868-6733
http://www.portcement.org
Professional Organizations
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
100 Barr Harbor Drive
P.O. Box 79404
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959
Baltimore, MD 21279-0404
(610) 832-9585
(800) 548-2723
http://www.astm.org
http://www.pubs.asce.org
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Concrete Pavement Design Details and Construction Practices—Participant’s Workbook