SUSTAINABILITY OF ULTRA-THIN CONCRETE PAVEMENTS IN LOW VOLUME ROADS

Abstract

Concrete pavements with optimized geometry slabs are designed with an innovative approach that reduces flexural stress in each slab, thereby decreasing damage caused by traffic. The key to this approach is designing pavement joints in a way that ensures no more than one wheel or set of wheels is on a slab at a time. This significantly extends the lifespan of the pavement and allows for a reduction in the required concrete thickness compared to traditional solutions.

An advanced application of this technology is the creation of ultra-thin concrete pavements composed of optimized geometry slabs, which can be directly placed on highly compacted granular roads due to historical vehicle and machinery traffic. These ultra-thin pavements have a thickness ranging from 8 to 12 cm of fiber-reinforced concrete and do not require a subbase underneath.

Over the years, it has been demonstrated that this solution has a high impact in combating climate change. On one hand, it reduces carbon footprint emissions during construction by requiring a smaller amount of materials compared to other methods. On the other hand, during the pavement's operation, it requires fewer interventions to maintain the road compared to a double asphalt treatment solution. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the reduction in CO2 emission, through the simulation using a carbon emissions calculation program.