Latest Findings on the Construction Type Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

In 1920, the first Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) was constructed in the USA. In Europe, this type of construction was first applied in Belgium in 1948. Since then, more than 50.000 km of CRCP have been built in more than 30 countries. These implementations have shown increased driving comfort, better performance, and longer life when compared to standard German roads constructed of jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP) with slab lengths of 5m. These results indicate CRCP as being a very economic, long-lasting structure with low maintenance costs which is exactly what is needed as Central European traffic loads increase, particularly those with a high heavy-traffic component. There is no history of CRCP in Germany; CRCP has not been an option for a variety of reasons. As a result, the experience with CRCP design and construction is limited. Over the last 12 years, however, the use of CRCP has been gaining momentum. Three CRCP routes have been completed and more are in the design stage. In an effort to learn more about CRCP, 17 sections of CRCP were investigated and compared. These sections were located along 10 different routes and in six different countries: Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada and Germany. Results and findings of this investigation along with recommendations for future CRCP applications are presented here.