The National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) has published a new document titled “Conclusions from the Investigation of Deterioration of Joints in Concrete Pavements”. This final report is sponsored through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Transportation Pooled Fund TPF-5(224): FHWA—Colorado, Indiana, Iowa (lead state), Michigan, Minnesota, New York, South Dakota, Wisconsin; American Concrete Pavement Association; Iowa Concrete Paving Association; Portland Cement Association.
A synopsis of the report:
Joint deterioration has been reported in a several locations in cold weather regions. Spragg et al. (2011) document that the factors that contribute to this damage include chemical reactions, inadequate air voids, poor mix design, inadequate constituent materials, or poor construction practices. The work described in this report summarizes the tasks conducted under this research contract, which was part of a larger program encompassing multiple funding sources and research organizations:
Premature deterioration of concrete at the joints in concrete pavements and parking lots has been reported across the northern states. The distress may first appear as shadowing when microcracking near the joints traps water, or as cracks parallel to and about 1 inch from the saw cut. The distress later exhibits as a significant loss of material. Not all roadways are distressed, but the problem is common enough to warrant attention.
The aim of the work being conducted under this and parallel contracts was to improve understanding of the mechanisms behind premature joint deterioration and, based on this understanding, develop training materials and guidance documents to help practitioners reduce the risk of further distress and provide guidelines for repair techniques.
While work is still needed to understand all of the details of the mechanisms behind premature deterioration and the prevention of further distress, the work in this report has contributed to advancing the state of the knowledge.
To download the publication, please go to: http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/joint_deterioration_investigation_w_cvr.pdf.