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...
Detailed Concrete Pavement Base Thickness Design is a Non-event
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...
Northern Connector, South Australia’s Political Journey
The concrete paving of the North-South Corridor, Norther Connector in South Australia was as much a political challenge as it was a logistical and technical one. George Panagopoulos, DPTI Project Manager, outlines the unique political journey to achieving the Project's successful inception and completion.
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...
The Case For Lower Strength Gain and Early Age Acceptance of Concrete for Road Pavements
The objective of this paper is to encourage informed discussion among concrete pavement engineers. In New South Wales there is a substantial length of contemporary concrete highway construction. A very large inventory of concrete strength results is available. These have shown that construction specification requirements are being significantly exceeded in...
Investigation on the effect of low carbon, low shrinkage, high flexural strength envisia® concrete on industrial floor and pavement application
The key structural element in most industrial enterprises is the concrete floor slab. The aim of floor design is to select the most economical thickness while considering sufficient reinforcement to control the amount and size of cracks to a level consistent with the intended use of the floor. However, one...
Concrete Highway Pavement Load Capacity for Possible Future Increases in Permissible Axle Loads
From time to time there is discussion within Government and industry about measures to improve freight transport efficiency. These discussions often include increasing permissible axle loads. If this was to happen it may also be limited to major road transport corridors. This paper neither supports nor sets out a case...
Overview of light rail track slab design
Recently Aurecon have developed the design on several urban light rail projects, with a notable example being that recently opened in Newcastle. With several projects currently in development and tender phases, and the likelihood of further stages of light rail expansion, it is important to understand the options available for...