The use of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars as an alternative to steel reinforcement has considerably increased over the past decade. Design-related information is now available and can be adapted into the Australian design and construction practice. The results of technological research and field implementation in concrete pavements carried...
Neoprene Joint Seals for Concrete Pavements
Australian concrete pavements are relatively unique in the world with the majority consisting of unreinforced jointed plain concrete. Joints are sealed to prevent ingress of incompressible particles that can cause premature failure. Over the past decade one of the most substantial short-term maintenance costs for plain concrete pavements has been...
More Durable & Thinner Steel Fibre Concrete Pavements
Steel fibre reinforced concrete has been widely used for pavement construction. The conventional pavement design methodology and that of adopted by the Australian pavement design guidelines are generally based on elastic theory. The addition of steel fibres to concrete enhances the post crack tensile strength and provides significant ductility. Consequently,...
Fracturing Concrete Pavement Technology
There are a large number of concrete pavements in Australia, with many dating back to the first half of the 20th century. These concrete pavements are still in use today, and since the time these pavements were constructed, we have seen an evolution in traffic volumes and the size of...
Construction – The Devil’s in the Detailed Design
Rigid pavement RFIs (request for information) and NCRs (nonconformance report) are an ongoing battle between contractors and designers. This is the frontline of construction phase services (CPS) and when not managed correctly, can lead to tension between contractors and designers, which can lead to breakdown of communications and affect construction...
Recent Advances and Uses of Roller Compacted Concrete for Pavement Construction in the United States
Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a no slump concrete that is placed by an asphalt paver and compacted with vibratory rollers similar to asphalt pavement construction. RCC has long history of good performance as a pavement for ports, container yards, and manufacturing plants. This paper will summarize a recent survey...
Detailed Concrete Pavement Base Thickness Design is a Non-event
Road Authorities commonly require detailed 40 year design traffic loading (DTL) estimates and concrete pavement thickness design calculations. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention and to demonstrate that detailed concrete pavement design in accordance with the Austroads Pavement Design Guide and RMS Supplement can be a time...
A Fresh Look at Pavement Life Costs
Whole of life cycle costing of pavements has not been revisited for nearly 27 years since 1990 by the Bureau of Transport Economics (now BITRE). Previously, asphalt pavements were considered to have a lower cost of construction but required regular maintenance (every 5 to 10 years) whereas concrete pavements are...
The important role materials play in concrete pavement design, performance, and service life
The materials that make up concrete have a direct influence on the decisions made during pavement design and construction, as well as the performance of the pavement in service. What happens when material performance varies from what was considered at design stage? What if we need to change construction methods...
Influence of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) Cement in concrete pavement mix designs
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) pavement specifications require the use of Grade 1 fly ash and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace slag cement (GGBFS) for R82 – lean mix concrete subbase [1], and also fly ash and/or GGBFS for R83 – Concrete Pavement Base [2], where reactive aggregates are used. This...
How Runway Pavement Value Choices are Influenced by Construction Costs, Loading, Subgrade and Operational Considerations
In Australia, most runway pavements are constructed from asphalt, however the reverse is markedly true for the USA. Melbourne’s Essendon runway was originally concrete but was overlaid with thick asphalt many years ago. Asphalt runways at Melbourne’s Tullamarine and Amberley have some sections of concrete. This paper explores the determination...
Features, benefits and challenges of air entrained pavement concrete mixes using fly ash (ASCP 5th Conference)
The benefits of replacing a proportion of cement with fly ash in concrete mixes have been well understood for many years, particularly in the mitigation of alkali silica reactions. In pavement concrete mixes, however, the properties of fly ash can often play havoc in controlling the amount of air in...