The premature failure of slab pavements on heavily trafficked industrial sites

On two industrial sites, serious damage has been observed in recently built concrete slab pavements. In both cases techniques were used that are best suited to indoor floor applications. The slabs are too thin. No dowels are present. Severe cracking occurred soon after construction. Voids under slabs were filled by grout injection and slabs were anchored, but load transfer between them is lacking, as shown by FWD measurements. Both sites are intensively used by heavy goods vehicles, but the structures as designed do not have the required bearing capacity. On one hand, full reconstruction was at first considered unacceptable, as the industrial sites have to remain in operation at all times. On the other hand, operators would prefer solutions that last at least twenty years without further major maintenance. This paper will discuss the types of distress, their most likely causes, and possible solutions for repairs. It will demonstrate by calculation that complete reconstruction can improve bearing capacity without increasing the total thickness of the road structure.