Concrete Pavements in the United States and Performance of Concrete Pavements in the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Network

Abstract

This thesis consisted of two major components, a 50-state review of concrete pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation practices, and an evaluation of Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) existing concrete pavement network using detailed Washington State Pavement Management System (WSPMS) data. The last major evaluation of WSDOT concrete pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation practices occurred in 2010. Significant advancements have emerged in pavement materials, design methods, sustainability considerations, and rehabilitation technologies. WSPMS has also been accumulating performance data for over 25 years. Ten states were found to have comprehensive and highly detailed concrete pavement design manuals, with 15 states having less detailed but still robust manuals. These resources served as the basis for identifying national best practices for concrete pavement design, rehabilitation methods, and testing. The WSPMS data consisted of 9055 data points and represented 2090.84 lane-miles and 795.54 center line miles of concrete pavement. Despite the age of WSDOT concrete pavements, indicators such as rutting, faulting, and IRI remain largely within acceptable limits, particularly on segments rehabilitated with dowel bar retrofits (DBR) or diamond grinding. Section specific analysis demonstrates that recent crack, seat, and overlay (CSOL) and grinding projects have greatly improved ride quality and slowed deterioration.