REVIEW OF ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE (RCC) PAVEMENT DESIGN METHODS

Abstract

Current RCC pavement design methods incorporate fatigue-based models that rely solely on exterior loading for the determination of stress. By neglecting variables such as the temperature gradients and load placement, these designs may be inadequate for the actual conditions the pavement endures. This paper summarizes some current RCC pavement design methods and describes the development of an alternative design method that incorporates temperature gradients and wheel wander in a fatigue-based design. This inclusion of temperature effects tended to increase the design thickness of RCC pavements. Although it was found that load transfer efficiency did not impact the critical slab tensile stress used for the alternative fatigue-based design, issues such as adjusting the thickness or increasing load transfer were investigated to limit the stress on the subgrade.