2011•Civil engineering studies. Transportation engineering seriesRequires access
Evaluation of the Long-Term Durability of Joints Cut Using Early Entry Saws on Rigid Pavements
James M Krstulovich, Thomas J. Van Dam, Kurt Smith
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Abstract
Early-entry sawing is an attractive operation to expedite the construction of jointed concrete pavements; however, there are some concerns that early-entry sawing may compromise a pavement’s long-term performance. The Illinois Department of Transportation sponsored this study as an initial effort to investigate the feasibility of using early-entry sawing on rigid highway pavements in terms of expected joint durability. Joint performance as a function of cut depth and time was also considered. The investigation of early-entry sawing was integrated into an active construction project on Illinois Route 59 in Plainfield, IL featuring three 300-ft test sections (a control section cut to a depth of one-third of the slab thickness using a conventional wet saw, a test section cut to a depth of one-third of the slab thickness using an early-entry dry saw, and a test section cut to a nominal depth of 1.25 inches using an early-entry dry saw). During construction, paving and sawing operations were observed and documented; of particular interest were the sawing operations, during which signs of surface scarring, joint raveling, and slab edge breakouts were recorded and the extent of sawing-related damage was subjectively assessed. In addition to general pavement construction observations, climatic conditions were also monitored, along with pavement temperatures. Ambient climate conditions and slab mixture and temperature data were used to perform an analysis to assess the potential for early-age cracking. Compressive strength cylinders were also cast and tested at 3, 7, and 28 days. Additionally, cores were retrieved from joints throughout the test site (6 cores from each test cell), and a battery of durability tests were conducted, including petrographic analysis, freeze-thaw testing, and susceptibility to salt scaling. Overall observations from the field construction and findings from the laboratory testing program are summarized in this report.