Guide for Design of Jointed Concrete Pavements for Streets and Local Roads (ACI 325.12R-02)

Description

The design of a concrete pavement system for a low traffic volume extends beyond the process of pavement thickness selection; it entails an understanding of the processes and the factors that affect pavement performance. It also encompasses appropriate slab jointing and construction practices that are consistent with local climatic and soil conditions. Concrete pavements for city streets and local roads are often used in residential areas and business districts, and in rural areas to provide farm-to-market access for the movement of agricultural products. The term “low volume” refers to pave-ments subject to either heavy loads but few vehicles, or light loads and many vehicles. City streets and local roads also serve an aesthetic function because they are integrated into the land-scape and architecture of a neighborhood or business district.

Concrete pavement performs well for city street and local road applications because of its durability while being contin-uously subjected to traffic and, in some cases, severe climatic conditions. Because of its relatively high stiffness, concrete pavements spread the imposed loads over large areas of the subgrade and are capable of resisting deformation caused bypassing vehicles. Concrete pavements exhibit high wear resis-tance and can be easily cleaned if necessary. Traffic lane mark-ings can be incorporated into the jointing pattern where the concrete’s light-reflective surface improves visibility. Concrete pavement surfaces drain well on relatively flat slopes.

The major variables likely to affect the performance of awell-designed concrete pavement system for city streets and local roads are traffic, drainage, environment, construction, and maintenance. Each of these factors may act separately or interact with others to cause deterioration of the pavement. Due to the nature of traffic on city streets and local roads, the effects of environment, construction, and maintenance can play more significant roles in the performance than traffic. Nonetheless, complete information may not be available regarding certain load categories that make up the mixture of traffic carried on a given city street or local road.