Breaking/cracking and seating concrete pavements

This synthesis will be of interest to pavement designers, maintenance engineers, and others interested in reducing reflection cracking of asphalt overlays on portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement. Information is presented on the technique of breaking or cracking of the concrete pavement into small segments before overlaying with asphalt concrete. Asphalt concrete overlays on existing PCC pavements are subject to reflection cracking induced by thermal movements of PCC pavement. This report of the Transportation Research Board discusses the technique of breaking/cracking and seating of the existing PCC before an overlay as a means to reduce or eliminate reflection cracking.