Analysis and Design of Concrete Pavements - Dissertation Example

Based on a comprehensive analysis of various design methods and standards as well as a number of experimental tests, this project offers a basis for a new design method that can effectively be implemented to solve the current limitations of Austroads pavement designs. The new design for concrete pavements particularly utilizes Westergaard’s solutions for the calculation of stresses in various locations of the concrete pavement slab. The implementation of the new concrete pavement design method consists of gathering a number of pavement design parameters such as traffic and temperature loadings that are unique to Australia.

Finally, with simplicity being a key factor, the proposed method provides a solution to some of the limitations of the current Austroads design approach.Concrete pavement design has over the past few decades become a critical part of promoting concrete roads. Many of today’s design technologies have to take into account various environmental conditions as well as numerous design considerations such as estimations of future traffic growth or environmental changes (Fwa, 2006). The optimization of the materials in the concrete pavement system particularly demands a longer-term fatigue resistance, environmental sustainability, and lower economic costs.

 As a result, the design of concrete pavements often involves the determination of slab thickness, load transfer requirements, joint dimensions, reinforcement, and other concrete pavement features.According to Lilley (2001), the contemporary design of concrete pavements is primarily based on Westergaard’s theory and analysis, where the modulus of sub-grade reaction, the radius of wheel load reaction, and radius of relative stiffness is employed. A critical design normally requires a combination of load stress, friction stress, and warping stress.

In addition, various types of joints such as expansion and contraction joints may also be critically important during the design process (Austroads, 2012). The modulus of sub-grade reaction is one of the main parameters of Westergaard’s theory of rigid concrete pavement design.