PCCP THICKNESS DETERMINATION

PCCP THICKNESS DETERMINATION Leah T. TorrefielPortland Cement Concrete Pavement A rigid pavement made of concrete, composed of coarse and fine aggregates, and portland cement, and usually reinforced with steel rod or mesh.

4 DESIGN FACTORS(Thickness Determination)1.) Flexural Strength of Concrete

2.) Strength of the Subgrade

3.) Traffic Loads

4.) Design PeriodFlexural Strength of Concrete (fc)ability of a beam or slab to resist failure of bending

flexural strength is expressed as Modulus of Rupture (MR) in Mpa or psi

Strength of the Subgrade (k)How strong is the ground upon which we are going to build the road?

California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

strong subgrade (high CBR reading) = less thick pavement

weak subgrade (low CBR reading) = thicker pavement

Traffic Loadsthe weights, frequencies, and types of truck axle loads that the pavement will carry Design Periodit determines how many years, and thus how many trucks, the pavement must serve

the life of the concrete pavement

ReferencesPackard, R. (1995). Thickness design for concrete highway and street pavements. Chapter 2: Design Factors, 5. Retrieved from https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/dzollinger/CVEN-637-Fall%202004/EB109.PDFAlberta Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. Concrete Tech Tip #16, 1. Retrieved from http://www.armca.ca/uploads/files/Tech%20Tips/16%20Tip.pdf

Summers, C. J. (2005). Guide to highway maintenance. California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Road Pavement Design. Retrieved from http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/cbrtext.htm