Design and Construction Guidelines for Thermally Insulated Concrete Pavements

 

Thermally insulated concrete pavements (TICPs) consist of a concrete pavement structure (jointed or continuously reinforced) covered by an asphalt layer during construction (before opening to traffic) or soon after construction to address ride quality or surface characteristic issues.  TICPs combine the structural longevity of PCC pavements with the serviceability of HMA pavements.  One of the perceived benefits of TICPs is the simplification of the PCC design and construction through a thinner PCC layer due to reduced stresses in the concrete from the insulating effects of the asphalt layer, simplified finishing and simplified joint formation techniques.

 

There is a need for life cycle cost evaluation of TICPS and effective design and construction guidelines for applications where it has economic advantages.  These guidelines should be based on a better understanding of the effects of design, materials and construction parameters on the performance of the TICPs.  The research proposed in this pooled fund study aims to perform the life cycle cost comparison with alternative strategies and develop the required guidelines for mechanistic design and construction.

 

The study will focus on the initial questions of life cycle analysis, the environmental/climatic effects on performance, pavement design (interaction of concrete and asphalt thicknesses), materials properties for the asphalt and concrete materials and design details such as joint spacing, dowels and joint support.  This investigation will determine an initial set of pavement structures that provide the best performance with respect to performance, constructability and cost-efficiency.

Work Plan

• Composite Pavements Workplan

 

Reports and Publications

• Task 1: Literature Review
• Task 2: Life Cycle Analsis
• Task 3: EICM Validation
• Task 4: Pavement Response Models
• Task 5: Design Guidelines
• Task 6: Construction Guidelines
• Task 7: Composite Pavement Synthesis
• Task 8: Draft Final Report
• Critical Bending Stresses in TICPs
• EICM Calibration

 

Presentations

• 2011, Thermally Insulated Concrete Presnetation at MnROAD Conference
• 2011, Thermally Insulated Concrete Presentation
• 2009, Design and Construction Guidelines Presentation
• 2009, TAP Presentation, Khazanovich
• 2009, TAP Presentation, Marasteanu
• 2007, Design and Construction Guidelines Presentation
• Thermally Insulated Concrete Final Poster
  

 

Links

• Pooled Fund Page Project