Criteria for Opening Expedited Bonded Concrete Overlays to Traffic

Abstract

For rehabilitation of concrete pavements, resurfacing with a bonded concrete overlay (BCO) may provide significantly longer life and reduced maintenance costs. Two important issues to consider in rehabilitation are bonding and rapid reopening of resurfaced sections. The purpose of accelerated or expedited concrete paving is to limit the duration of lane closure and inconvenience to the public. Expedited BCOs offer an economical method for substantially extending rigid pavement life. Research for expedited BCOs in El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas, has been carried out for the Texas Department of Transportation by the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas. Results of previous expedited BCO construction are reviewed. Laboratory testing for this project included a high-early-strength mix design, bond development of that mix design, and early-age fatigue strength of half-scale BCO models. A 122-m-long test strip was cast with eight different expedited BCO designs, and accelerated traffic loading was imposed at 12 hr. Recommendations are made for construction and quality control of BCOs for early opening to traffic.