FIELD-CALIBRATED MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL MODELS FOR JOINTED CONCRETE PAVEMENTS

Field-calibrated mechanistic-empirical models have been develped for key performance indicators of jointed concrete pavements. Performance data from nearly 500 in-service pavements were used along with mechanistic and empirical variables to develop improved prediction models for joint faulting, slab cracking, joint spalling, and present serviceability rating. The models should prove extremely valuable in checking the performance capabilities of various pavement designs determined by other means and in determining the relative impact of different design variables on concrete pavement performance. However, the models must be used with care and applied judiciously because it is imperative that they not be extended beyond the conditions for which they were developed.