A Case History of CRCP Rehabilitation on the E403 Motorway Near Bruges – Belgium

The section of the E403 (A17) motorway between Bruges and Kortrijk was built in continuously reinforced concrete in the early nineteen eighties. The construction work was carried out in four phases with substantial differences between the phases with respect to the width of the pavement, the sub-base and the position of the longitudinal construction joint. For reasons of economy no intermediate bituminous layer between the pavement and lean concrete base was provided in any of the four sections. A combination of unfavourable conditions in the third section, between Ruddervoorde and Torhout, resulted in the systematic appearance of punch-outs over the entire length of the longitudinal joint in the right hand lane. A definitive and overall approach was needed for the restoration of the damaged zone. This paper describes the history of the E403 (A17) motorway, the evolution of the damage, the principles of the rehabilitation and the sequence of the works that were carried out in the summer of 2007.