CONCRETE PAVEMENT DESIGN: IT’S MORE THAN A THICKNESS DESIGN CHART

Abstract

Many aspects must be considered in developing an adequate concrete pavement design besides the selection of the pavement thickness. This paper examines some of these aspects of design and illustrates them with examples drawn from the author’s experience. Among the topics covered are: an understanding of the basis of existing empirical pavement design practices, effect of site conditions, awareness of the basis of design tools and equations, appreciation of the difference between design simplification and actual field complexity, the crucial role of pavement materials, and the impact of construction on pavement performance.