Development of Pavement Performance Models for Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements in Texas.

摘要

The report documents the final results of a long-term performance study of CRC pavement sections in Texas. An existing distress-index that describes CRCP deterioration as a function of punchouts and patches was used in conjunction with a CRCP data base spanning over 14 years and over 751 test sections statewide to develop three types of performance prediction models. The models were calibrated using Survival Analysis, a statistical technique still unexplored in the analysis of pavement performance, that is adequate for estimating the reliability of a design or a device. The approach is theoretically sound, and it gave accurate results. The models permit the remaining life of a test section to be estimated from visual condition survey data. During the calibration process, the significance of several variables affecting pavement performance was tested. Among these variables were the elastic modulus of the Portland cement concrete and the modulus of reaction on top of the subbase, obtained by back-calculation from deflection data. The back-calculation is generally done by inverse application of layered theory, performed by one of the many computer programs available in the literature for this type of calculation. There seems to be no consensus as to which program yields the best results. In addition, for rigid pavements, the back-calculation can be also done by inverse application of plate theory. The back-calculation phase of the study was used to compare results obtained with layered and plate theory. A significant discrepancy was found, and the possible causes were analyzed.