Design Charts For Small Element Precast Concrete Slab Pavements Using a Combined Finite Element Westergaard Approach

Small element precast concrete slab pavements through their use in urban areas where vehicular over-run is predominant have suffered severe failures which incurred a substantial public expenditure for their maintenance in the UK. This has created a need for the development of a rational design method that would lead to improved serviceability and extended design life. The finite element method and Westergaards' design theory have been adopted to calculate the critical stresses due to applied loads. Laboratory results obtained from tests conducted on both individual and groups of slabs have been incorporated into the design method and comments made on the performance of these pavements following full scale trials.