The CASE STUDIES OF PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENTS (CCP) IN INDIA

Abstract

India is constructing the maximum number of concrete pavements in the World. Various types of distresses develop while constructing CCP. The case studies reported in the paper are based on the authors’ personal experiences. The authors investigated the causes of premature distresses and rectified the same with the hope of no reoccurrence.

In the project of National Highway-16, 6mm wide central longitudinal joint opened to 20mm to 35mm width in 2013 after a few years of construction due to the laying of subgrade on slushy sea soil. The authors rectified the same in February 2013 by retrofitting 20mm dia tor steel tie bars to a new joint width of 12mm. The repaired joint has performed well without further distress for the last 10-years. A similar treatment was applied on a 10mm wide shoulder side joint, opened to 100mm wide on NH-65.

In the case study of NH-20, a longitudinal crack about 0.5m away from the saw cut central longitudinal joint had developed in PQC, continuously in 3.6km length. The reason was, longitudinal joint in DLC in the lower layer was not co-terminus with that of the PQC. Resultantly, the misplaced longitudinal joint in DLC reflected in the PQC. The authors, with a innovative technique rectified the same, affecting 60% cost savings.

In the same highway in 6km length where PQC had not yet been laid, the misplaced longitudinal joint in DLC was covered with 1’’x1’’ mesh made of 3mm dia steel before doing PQC.