Estimation of Mechanical Deterioration of Highway Rigid Pavements

Abstract

Highway rigid pavements, such as many of the constructed facilities of the nation, have been deteriorating, some even beyond functional failure, due to excessive loading, environmental effects, and chemical attack of the material components. A method to estimate the mechanical deterioration of highway rigid pavements caused by repetitive traffic loading is presented. In the method presented here, erosion, fatigue, and joint faulting are recognized as mechanisms of failure in highway rigid pavements. A nonlinear analysis with finite elements is used to calculate the repetitive stresses and strains caused by traffic. Decay of slab stiffness and load transfer efficiency, as well as pumping and amount of damage, are obtained as a function of traffic volume and pavement properties.