Movement of Unanchored Terminus of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

The longitudinal displacements of the terminus of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) without the terminal anchor lug system were measured and analyzed to investigate the maximum terminal joint width and the necessity of the anchor lug system. The terminal movements under environmental loads were measured at the CRCP sections that had different lengths and different bond characteristics between the concrete slab and underlying layers. The measurements were taken for about a year. The results of the study showed that once the CRCP was over a certain length, the movements of the free end termini seemed to converge. This implies that the maximum movement of the terminal joint width is not a function of and independent of the length of the CRCP once the length is over a certain value. The terminal movements per unit temperature change were different depending on the size of the measurement period. The results also showed that the bond characteristics at the interface between the slab and underlying layer affected the terminal movement of the CRCP.