Pre-Paving Considerations

10/30/2014
Construction of Concrete Pavements

Pre-Paving
Considerations
Robert Rodden, P.E.
www.robertrodden.com
1
10/30/2014
Robert Rodden, P.E.
Senior Director of
Pavement Technology Executive Director
American Concrete International Society for

Pavement Association (ACPA) Concrete Pavements (ISCP)
www.acpa.org www.concretepavements.org
@PaveConcrete @ConcPaveSociety
today I am here as an
independent consultant. 2
10/30/2014
EB237
Available in ACPAs online bookstore:
http://www.acpa.org/publications-for-purchase/
3
Pre-Paving Considerations
Joint Layout
Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Hydration Consumes H2O
10/30/2014
Hot then Cold

Drying Shrinkage HOT AT SET
Chemical Shrinkage
COOLED OFF
Thermal Shrinkage
CONCRETE SHRINKS!
Primary Origins of Shrinkage of Concrete
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HOT AT SET, HIGH MOISTURE, UNHYDRATED CEMENT
without restraint
COOL, DRY, HYDRATED CEMENT
TEFLON | No Friction/Restraint

WITH RESTRAINT
Subgrade/Subbase | Restraint
CONCRETE SHRINKS!
Shrinkage + Restraint = CRACKS!?!
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Why Joint Concrete Pavement?
Primary Reason: control natural cracking

15-20 ft
40-80 ft
(4.5-6 m)
(12-24 m)
Sawcut
@ 15 ft (4.5 m)
or less
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Other reasons we joint concrete pavements:
Divide pavement into construction lanes or increments.

Accommodate slab movements.
Provide load transfer via placed dowels.
Provide uniform sealant reservoir.
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Not for lane delineation!

9
Jointed Jointed Continuously
10/30/2014
Plain Reinforced Reinforced
Concrete Concrete Concrete
Pavement Pavement Pavement
(JPCP) (JRCP) (CRCP)
Steel Steel Steel

0% 0.06-0.25% 0.6-0.85%

Joints Joints Joints
12-20 ft 40-100 ft N/A
(3.6-6 m) (12-30 m)
Cracks Cracks Cracks

N/A 15-20 ft 2-6 ft
(4.5-6 m) (0.6-1.8 m)
Types of Concrete Pavement

Steel Reinforcing, Joint Spacing, and Crack Spacing Differentiate Between the JPCP, JRCP, and CRCP
10
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Jointed
10/30/2014
Arizona
Plain Arkansas
Delaware
Concrete Florida
Pavement Hawaii
Idaho
(JPCP) Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Steel Michigan
Missouri
0% Montana
Nevada
North Carolina

Joints Ohio
Oklahoma JPCP
12-20 ft South Carolina
(3.6-6 m) South Dakota JRCP
Tennessee
Utah CRCP
Cracks Virginia
Washington
N/A West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Types of Concrete Pavement

JPCP is the Most Common Type of Concrete Pavement in the United States
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Effects of Joint Spacing on Cracking
80%
Percent slab cracking
70%

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0 10 20 30 40 50
Traffic, million ESALs 12
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What is Maximum Joint Spacing?
EMPIRICAL
ML = T x Cs
ML = Maximum length between

joints (in. or cm)
T = Slab thickness (in. or cm)
Cs = Support constant
Use 24 for subgrades or unstabilized [granular] subbases;
Use 21 for stabilized subbases (ATB, CTB, lean concrete)
or existing concrete or asphalt pavement;
Use 12 to 15 for thin bonded overlays on asphalt
Free Maximum Joint Spacing Calculator App @ apps.acpa.org
13
Joint Spacing Recommendations
For Streets, Roads, and Highways:
Use ML = T x Cs
Keep ratio of transverse to
longitudinal spacing at
less than 1.5 Length is
1.5 x width
Keep maximum spacing of transverse or less!
joints to 15 ft (4.5 m) for plain
concrete unless local history
shows longer panels work
(e.g., low CTE aggregate)
10/30/2014
Joint Layout
Critical to crack control
Typically
decided by engineer and included in

project plans
No knowledge of contractor, equipment, processes
Hard to precisely place things like utilities
Contractor may be allowed to develop plans

but, even if not, field adjustments can and
should be made
15
Joint Layout:
The Intersection Dilemma
?

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Rules for Joint Layout
Things to Do:
Match existing joints or cracks location AND
type!

Cut joints at the proper time
Place joints to meet in-pavement structures
Remember maximum joint spacing
Place isolation joints where needed
Understand that joint locations
can be adjusted in the field!
Be Practical
Location Type 17
10/30/2014
Rules for Joint Layout
Things to Avoid:
Slabs < 2 ft (0.6 m) wide

Slabs > 15 ft (4.5 m) wide
Angles < 60 (90 is best)
Dog-leg joints through curve
radius points
Creating interior corners
Odd Shapes (keep slabs near-
square or pie-shaped)
18
Where to Place Isolation Joints

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The ACPA 10 Step Method of Joint Layout for Intersections
Step 1: Draw all pavement edge and back-of-curb lines in the plan view.
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1.5 ft = 0.5 m | 3.0 ft = 1 m

Step 2: Lightly draw circumference-return, taper-return, and crossroad-return lines
as offsets of 1.5 3.0 ft (0.5 1.0 m) 21
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Step 3: Draw all lane lines on the mainline roadway and crossroad. Do not extend through return lines (offsets).
22
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Step 4: Define mainline lanes for paving. Extend only these lane lines through return lines (offsets) to allow for
slipform paving. Blockouts & doglegs will occur in the gutter pan at these locations. 23
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Step 5: Add transverse joints locations where a width change occurs in the pavement (begin & end of tapers,
tangents, curves, curb returns, etc.) and extend these joints through the curb & gutter. 24
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Step 6: Add transverse joints between and beyond the joints defined in Step 5, but not to the center of the
intersection. Attempt to keep the distance between joints less than ML. 25
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Step 7: By extending the edge of pavement lines for the cross road and any turning lanes, define the
intersection box. 26
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Step 8: Check the distances between the "intersection box" and the surrounding joints.
27
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Step 9: If the distance is more than the maximum desirable joint spacing, then add transverse joints at an equal
spacing. Do not extend these joints through return lines. 28
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Step 10: Extend lines from center of curb return radii to corners of intersection box panels. Draw joints along
these diagonal lines. Make adjustments to eliminate doglegs in pavement edges. 29
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Details
A, B, & C

1.5 ft = 0.5 m | 3.0 ft = 1 m 30
10/30/2014
Field Adjustments are Necessary
Adjust joints that are within 5 ft (1.5 m) of a utility!
Must isolate utilities as shown on plans

31
Typical Box Out Fixture Details

32
If Joints Arent Properly Adjusted

33
What About Dead-end a Joint?

34
What About Dead-end a Joint?

35
10/30/2014
Joint Layout
Design
References:
EB237 Concrete Pavement Field
Reference: Pre-Paving

IS006, Intersection Joint Layout
IS061 Design and Construction of
Joints for Concrete Streets
R&T Update 6.03 Concrete
Roundabouts
TB010 Design and Construction of
Joints for Concrete Highways
TB017 Airfield Joints, Jointing
Arrangements and Steel
TB019 Concrete Intersections: A
Guide for Design and Construction
36
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Subgrade
Construction
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It Starts from the Ground Up
Roadbed (subgrade and subbase) design and
construction are key to:

Long-term performance
Smoothness (initial and long-term)
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What is Good Support?
Roadbeds for a concrete pavement structure
should:
Be free from abrupt changes in character of the materials

(should be uniform and constructed of a material that will
provide requisite stability over the life of the pavement)
Resist erosion
Be engineered to control subgrade soil expansion/frost
heave
Above all other concerns,

uniformity is of utmost
importance
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10/30/2014
Subgrades
Obtain uniform support by controlling:
Expansive soils
Frost-susceptible soils (frost heave)

Pumping
Wet Soils
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Controlling Wet Soils
Enhancement
Reinforcement/Separation

Substitution
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10/30/2014
Unstabilized Subgrades
1. Grade to match roadway plans
2. Cross haul to avoid abrupt changes

3. Compact at optimum moisture content
4. Identify soft spots and fix
5. Protect from rain (if necessary) by tight blading
and finishing with smooth drum roller
6. Fine grade to plan elevations within tolerances
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10/30/2014
Stabilized Subgrades
1. Trim to match roadway plans but finish the
grade below the final grade elevation

2. Spread stabilized agent as evenly as possible
3. Mix, add water and
compact
4. Finish grade
5. Cure the subgrade
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10/30/2014
Step 3 for Cement-Treated Soils
Mix,add water, and compact (within 2 hours)
in one continuous operation

Moisture content within 2% of optimum
Minof 60% passing #4
(4.75 mm) sieve
Specialattention to
longitudinal overlap
Strictly
adhere to 2hr
working period
44
10/30/2014
Step 3 for Lime-Stabilized Soils
Mix and add water simultaneously
Moisture content of optimum to +5% of optimum

Lightly compact and grade to drain excess water
Let soil sit idle for 24 to 72 hours
Re-mix, adding water as necessary to target
moisture content of optimum +3%; recompact
Min of 60% passing #4 (4.75 mm)
45
10/30/2014
Subbase
Construction
46
10/30/2014
General Notes on Subbases
Thick subbases (greater than 6 in. [150 mm]) are
typically not beneficial, and therefore are not
recommended

The width of the subbase should accommodate the
paving equipment by extending approximately 3 ft (1
m) beyond the width of the pavement on each side
Recommended
minimum thickness:
Unstabilized: 4 in. (100 mm)
CTB or LCB: 4 in. (100 mm)
ATB: 2 in. (50 mm)
Recycled materials are
commonly used
47
10/30/2014
Unstabilized Subbases
1. Mix a uniformly moist, homogeneous material
2. Place using preferred method

3. Compact to required density w/min effort
4. Trim to plan elevation and tolerances
5. Moisture content key
during construction
of subbase AND
immediately before
paving
48
10/30/2014
Cement-Treated Subbases (CTB)
1. Central-mix and place material or road-mix
2. Compact with rollers and trim to specified

grade
a) Must place and trim within 4 hrs of mixing!
3. Cure the subbase

4. If trimmed after
curing, curing
compound must
be reapplied
49
10/30/2014
Lean Concrete Subbases (LCB)
1. Central-mix the concrete
2. Place to plan elevation and tolerances

a) No additional finishing
b) No texturing
3. Cure (if necessary)

4. Joint (If necessary)
50
10/30/2014
Asphalt-Treated Subbases (ATB)
1. Mixed and placed with conventional asphalt
paving equipment

2. Dense-graded mixtures require compaction
51
Pre-Paving Setup

52
10/30/2014
Safety
Ride quality is pointless if
someone is hurt

Plan out truck routes
Use of highway patrol
Daily safety meetings
Employees get bold
Teach employees to
watch traffic
53
10/30/2014
Safety
Pay attention to broom
handles, saws and
protrusions in traffic

Watch for backing
trucks and make sure
alarms are functional
Be aware of
surroundings
54
10/30/2014
FREE Safety Training!
Available around the
clock, 365 days per year.

No cost to participants.
Certificates of completion
may count toward a total
of 3.0 professional
development hours
(PDHs).
55
10/30/2014
Steering
Control
Elevation
Control
Stringline
Stringline
56
10/30/2014
Stringline Considerations
Can be wire, cable, woven nylon,
polyethylene rope, or similar material

Continuously check tension
Clean and tight splices
Stakes must be long enough
Maximum stake spacing of 25 ft (7.6 m)
See Staking Interval Calculator at
apps.acpa.org for recommendations on curves
57
10/30/2014
Stringline Considerations
(cont)
Place winches at
1,000 ft (305 m)

Beneficial to have
stringlines on both
sides of paving
Some situations
require cantilever
or trusses for sensors
to reach stringline
58
10/30/2014
Setting the Stringline
1. Set reference hubs at proper interval and
place a stringline support stake outside of
each hub

2. Set stake arm to
the proper elevation
3. Install stringline
4. Tighten stringline
5. Check installation
59
10/30/2014
Stringline Survey Reference Benchmark
Setup Point

Control Points
(Paving HubsPins)
60
Setup
Stringline

61
Setup
Stringline

62
10/30/2014
Notes on Setting
Reference Hubs
Reference hubs are set using
a variety of methods

Contractor determines offset
Grade info on identifier next
to where hubs will be set
Proper communication is KEY
to a successful operation!!
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10/30/2014
Once Set, the Paver Does the Rest
Uniform Slope in a Superelevation into and though a Horizontal Curve
64
10/30/2014
Rooftop Slope in a Straight Section to Encourage Drainage to Each Edge of Pavement
65
10/30/2014
Transition from Rooftop Slope to Uniform Slope into a Horizontal Curve
66
Communication in Key!!

67
Maintain the Stringline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

68
or Go Stringless!

69
Setting Forms

70
or Just Slipform!

71
10/30/2014
Placing Embedded Steel
Pre-Placed in Baskets Placed with Insertion
Requires support system No support system needed

Requires placement ahead of Dowels or tiebars are inserted after
paving or at the same time as concrete is placed
paving is occurring
Lower transport cost
Increased transport cost
Decreased labor in placement
Increased labor in placement
both methods can place dowel bars and tiebars

within typical specifications, though the concrete mixture
characteristics are more important with insertion.
72
Placing Dowels

73
Dowel Baskets
Placing & Staking

74
Dowel Location Identification

75
Placing Tiebars

76
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Like extrusion processes but we pull the form.
Slipform Paver Equipment Setup

77
10/30/2014
Slipform Mold (Pan) Setup
Preliminaryleveling of paving machines frame
and then slipform mold

Check joints in the pan
Adjust
center to
account for cross slope
Check alignment
Adjust
edges for
edge slump
78
Setup
Vibrator

79
Vibrator Setup

80
Slipform Paver Setup

81
Slipform Paver Setup

82
and
Final
Cross
Slope
Grade
Check

83
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Concrete Mixture

Analysis and
Approval
84
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Concrete Mix Proportioner App
apps.acpa.org

85
Tests
Which
To Use

86
Tests
Which
To Use

87
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Cement
The glue that hold concrete together
Increase cement content = increase strength,

but:
Need more air entraining admixture for desired air
Need more water, resulting in more drying shrinkage
Increased risk of segregation with more paste
More bleed water, increasing permeability
Earlier sawing required
Stiffer mixture
Less fatigue capacity
88
10/30/2014
Cementitious Materials Content
Use least amount of cementitious materials
necessary to meet strength and workability
Typical minimum is about 500 lb/yd3 (300 kg/m3) for slipform

Dosage typically reported as cement
replacement:
SCMs may retard strength gain

89
10/30/2014
Water-Cementitious Mataerial Ratio
Lower w/cm = higher strength
Slipform paving - maximum: 0.45; typical = 0.40
Fixed-form paving/hand pours - max: 0.50; typ = 0.45

Forw/cm below
about 0.40,
autogenous
shrinkage
becomes a
concern
90
10/30/2014
Aggregates
60-75% of mixture
Provide volume stability!

Coarse to fine 60/40
Selection in critical
All aggregate should be prequalified for durability to freeze-
thaw, ASR, alkali-carbonate, D-cracking
Coarse agg is major driver in concrete CTE

Agg hardness impacts sawing operations
Cleanliness and surface moisture important
91
10/30/2014
Aggregate Gradation
CONTROLS workability!!
Well-graded combined aggregate gradation

will:
Reduce water demand
Lower drying shrinkage
Increase workability
Improve strength
92
apps.acpa.org
Gradation Analyzer App

93
apps.acpa.org
Gradation Analyzer App

94
10/30/2014
Testing
Temperature
ASTM C1064
EASY, just place thermometer in concrete

Results
help verify conformance to
requirements
95
10/30/2014
Testing
Slump
ASTM C143 / AASHTO T119
Measures
consistency;

NOT QUALITY!
Typical values:
Slipform: 0.5-1.5 in. (13-38 mm)
Fixed form: 3-4 in. (75-100 mm)
Slump is dependent on
mixture and also on time
of testing
96
10/30/2014
Testing
Density (Unit Weight)
Measures known volume

Typically 130 to 150 lb/ft3 (2,000 2,400 kg/m3)
Indicates batch-to-batch variability
Reduction in density may indicate:
Higher air content, higher water content, lower cement content,
change in proportions of ingredients, or change in aggregate
specific gravity or moisture
One of the most valuable tests for process control

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10/30/2014
Max Agg Size Target Air
Testing 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) 7 %
in. (13 mm) 7%
Air Content in. (19 mm) 6%
1 in. (25 mm) 6%
1 in. (38 mm) 5 %
Target air depends on agg size

Testing
at plant or in front of paver doesnt
account for air loss of up to 2% in paver
Quality critical to durability
AVA and petrography are
other means to measure
Super Air Meter latest tool!
98
10/30/2014
Testing
Air Content (continued)
Affected in the field by:
Cement
SCMs

Chemical admixtures
Gradation of aggregates
w/cm ratio
Temperature
Delays
Placement/consolidation
99
10/30/2014
Testing
Compressive & Flexural Strength
ASTM C39 / AASHTO T22 for cylinders
ASTM C78 / AASHTO T97 for beams

Typical strength requirements (low / avg / high)
Compressive: 3,000 psi (20 MPa) / 3,500 (24) / 4,000 (28)
Flexural 550 psi (3.8 MPa) / 600 (4.1) / 650 (4.5)
100
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Testing
Maturity to
Estimate
Strength

ASTM
C1074 /
AASHTO T325
101
Testing
Maturity to Estimate Strength

102
Maturity
Testing

103
apps.acpa.org
Maturity Calculator

104
COMPASS
www.pccmix.com

105
10/30/2014
Questions?
Robert Rodden, P.E.
106

Pre-Paving Considerations

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Pre-Paving Considerations

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10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Available in ACPAs online bookstore:

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

COOL, DRY, HYDRATED CEMENT

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Steel Steel Steel

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Cracks Cracks Cracks

Types of Concrete Pavement

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Types of Concrete Pavement

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Free Maximum Joint Spacing Calculator App @ apps.acpa.org

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Contractor may be allowed to develop plans

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

The ACPA 10 Step Method of Joint Layout for Intersections

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Above all other concerns,

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

3. Cure the subbase

Construction of Concrete Pavements

3. Cure (if necessary)

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014

Construction of Concrete Pavements 10/30/2014