Planning and Dimensional Analysis of Block and Slab Pavements for Heavy Traffic Loads

Block or slab pavements with concrete or natural stones are mainly used for communal areas, where a variety in creation is welcome, but also the lifespan of the pavement is very important. At pedestrian precincts, which are also trafficked by trucks, often high vertical and horizontal loads occur. If the layers of the pavement were not properly designed, the pavement often suffers damage and an expensive renewal is necessary. In Austria, pavements with blocks or slabs for areas with light or medium traffic loads were designed according to the national regulation RVS 03.08.63. In this regulation the thickness of the pavement layers are determined, depending on a given design traffic load and a chosen pavement type. For block pavements an analytical model was developed and fatigue criterions were compared. As slab pavements have a different load behaviour it was necessary to examine the bearing capacity of a single slab first. For the structural design of slabs existing methods, e.g. according to Eisenmann, German natural stone association DNV or Austrian standards ÖNORM, are suitable, but often give divergent results. For heavy traffic areas the design of block or slab pavements with finite elements methods should be preferred, which allow to simulate the whole superstructure, traffic loads and thermal stress.