Evaluation of Behavior and Performance of Precast Concrete Pavements

The use of precast concrete pavements (PCPs) has been on the increase over the last ten years. The PCP systems are used for intermittent repairs of existing concrete pavements and for rehabilitation of existing asphalt and concrete pavements. The rehabilitation type application is also referred as continuous application. For continuous application, two types of PCP systems have been used – jointed PCP and precast prestressed concrete pavement (PPCP) systems. The PCP systems provide for rapid repair and rehabilitation of pavements and also result in durable, longer-lasting pavements. Over the last few years, many initiatives have been undertaken to develop better guidance for use of the PCP technology, and many repair and rehabilitation projects have been constructed using this technology. The “Renewal” focus area under the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) emphasizes the need to complete highway pavement projects rapidly, with minimal disruption to highway users and local communities, and to produce pavements that are long-lasting. One of the projects funded under SHRP2 is Project R05, Modular Pavement Technology. The objective of Project R05 project was to develop better guidance for use by highway agencies to design, construct, install, maintain, and evaluate modular pavement systems, principally, PCP systems. The lack of well-documented design and construction guidelines is deterring wider use of the technology. In addition, the performance of the installed PCP projects has not been well documented, resulting in many questions related to field performance of PCPs. As part of the SHRP2 Project R05, a study was conducted to evaluate the behavior and performance of constructed PCP systems. A total of sixteen PCP projects, including repair as well as continuous applications, were evaluated. Field evaluation included deflection testing and condition surveys. This paper presents the results of the field evaluation study. The field evaluation indicates that the PCP projects constructed to date are exhibiting good performance and their behavior is similar to corresponding cast-in-place concrete pavement systems.