SERVICEABILITY INDEX BASE FOR ACCEPTANCE OF JOINTED CONCRETE PAVEMENTS

This paper describes the techniques and relationships developed to design a Serviceability Index (SI)-based measurement system for acceptance of jointed concrete pavement construction in Louisiana. Pavement roughness statistics obtained from Mays Ride Meter equipment, a Surface Dynamics Profilometer, and a Chloe Profilometer were regressed to establish an AASHO Road Test-based SI measurement system for concrete pavements with 20-foot joint spacings (SI JCP 20). A 1986 panel rating of 25 concrete pavements confirmed the validity of the model. Field testing of 50 newly constructed concrete pavement test sections provided a relationship between the SI JCP 20 model and profile statistics from rolling profilograph equipment and a 10-ft rolling straightedge. The research resulted in the development of a rational method of providing specification limits for profilograph equipment that relate to pavement rideability. Specification limits in terms of profile statistics are provided to indicate the quality of paving necessary to construct a jointed concrete pavement with a Serviceability Index of 4.5.