Accelerated testing for studying pavement design and performance (FY 2000) : effectiveness of fiber reinforced and plain, ultra-thin concrete overlays on Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP).

The objective of the research was to compare the performance of fiber reinforced and plain Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) overlay when used as a thin non-dowelled overlay on top of a rubblized, distressed concrete pavement. The experiment was conducted at the Accelerated Testing Laboratory at Kansas State University, and consisted of constructing two pavements and subjecting them to full-scale accelerated pavement test. The pavements were constructed in the environmental pit so that heat-cool temperature cycles were imposed. The two pavements were subjected to 500,000 full-truck axle passes. Stresses and strains at several locations in the two pavements, as well as the expansion/contraction of the slabs, were periodically recorded during the test. The stress-strain data, as well as the location, severity and extent of the cracking in the overlay, clearly indicate that there is no benefit of including the plastic fibers in the concrete overlay. The full-scale accelerated test revealed that the thin non-dowelled overlays are effective when used on top of distressed, rubblized concrete pavements.