Experimental Validation of Rigid Road Structure Design

surfaces, which is a product developed by the BRRC (Belgian Road Research Centre) and Febelcem (Federation of the Belgian Cement Industry), it became clear that it would be necessary to conduct onsite validation in the area of rigid roads. In particular, the various hypotheses regarding the effectiveness and durability of the bond between the concrete surface and the lower layer of the road merited closer analysis and confirmation. The site selected is a new stretch of road, the N57, which will link the towns of La Louvière and Soignies in the province of Hainaut. The structures tested will be of different types depending on whether their wearing course is made up of continuous reinforced concrete (the N57 as such) or jointed concrete pavement slabs that are dowelled or undowelled (secondary roads located along the route). The structures to be used correspond to those commonly used and the difference from one to the other section is made by varying a single element of the structure (thickness, type, presence or not of a bituminous layer). The trials will relate to the characteristics of the materials before and after placing (bulk and cores, load-bearing), as well as to determining any distortion of the structures under standardised loads (strain gauges, elongation tests, deflection ranges by a Falling Weight Deflectometer). The entire trial will take place during the period 2000 – 2003.