Description: This report summarizes the work and findings from the WA-RD 744 series. This work consisted of four separate efforts related to best practices for portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement design and construction: (1) a review of past and current PCC pavement, (2) an analysis of PCC pavement studded tire wear on the WSDOT network, (3) a life cycle assessment (LCA) of PCC pavement rehabilitation options and (4) an analysis of the effects of loop detector installation on PCC pavement life.

Key findings are: (1) outstanding issues to resolve with PCC pavement include the impact of smaller maximum aggregate size, new dowel bar materials, and shorter joint spacing, (2) there is no effective means to mitigate studded tire wear, (3) stud wear is typically in the range of 0.04-0.09 mm/yr but tends to occur more quickly early on in pavement life, (4) excessive stud wear problems are limited and not a widespread issue, (5) an aggregate hardness program like Alaska’s can help ensure stud wear does not become a major issue on newly constructed pavements, (6) life cycle assessment (LCA) can be a useful information tool and tends to show that crack, seat and overlay rehabilitation of aged PCC pavement provides many environmental advantages, and (7) current loop embedment practices do not seem to affect pavement life in the same way previous practices may have.

Full Report (pdf 0.39 MB)

• Date Published: August, 2010
• Publication Number: WA-RD 744.1
• Last Modified: July 20, 2011
• Author: Stephen T. Muench.
• Originator: Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC)
• # of Pages: 27p.,196 kb (PDF)
• Subject: Portland cement concrete, Best practices, Pavement design, Life cycle analysis, Pavement maintenance, State of the art reports.
• Keywords: Concrete, pavement, best practices, studded tires, wear, rutting, life cycle assessment, loop detectors, life cycle cost.
• Related Publications: A Brief History of Long-Life WSDOT Concrete Pavements (WA-RD 744.2) 
  Studded Tire Wear on Portland Cement Concrete Pavement in the Washington State Department of Transportation Route Network (WA-RD 744.3)
  Life Cycle Assessment of Portland Cement Concrete Interstate Highway Rehabilitation and Replacement (WA-RD 744.4)
  Effects of Loop Detector Installation on the Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Lifespan: Case Study on I-5 (WA-RD 744.5)
  
  

This abstract was last modified January 22, 2013