8. Rigid pavement design
Rigid pavements are highly rigid structures made mainly of cement concrete, built primarily to provide maximum load carrying capacity through slab action. The design principles revolve around factors such as modulus of sub-grade reaction, critical load positions, and types of stresses including temperature and frictional stresses. Comprehensive joint design considerations for expansion and contraction joints, as well as dowel and tie bars, are necessary to ensure durability and functionality.
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What we have learnt
- Rigid pavements are primarily made of cement concrete, offering high rigidity under loads.
- The effective design of rigid pavements incorporates critical load positions and various stress types.
- Joint designs, like expansion and contraction joints, are essential for accommodating temperature variations and preventing structural damage.
Key Concepts
- -- Modulus of Subgrade Reaction
- A measure of the sub-grade support provided to a slab, defining the relationship between pressure and deflection.
- -- Critical Load Positions
- Specific locations (interior, edge, corner) on a pavement slab where stress distributions are critically affected by vehicle loads.
- -- Warping Stress
- Stresses caused in the pavement due to temperature gradients resulting in slab deformation.
- -- Frictional Stress
- Stresses generated due to friction at the interface between the slab and the sub-grade.
- -- Dowel Bars
- Steel bars used to transfer loads between two concrete slabs and maintain their level.
- -- Tie Bars
- Bars used to keep two slabs tied together but do not transfer loads.
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