Fiber-reinforced concrete pavement design and material requirements

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has been applied to concrete pavements for years, but there has been slow acceptance of a standard design process and appropriate material specifications for FRC. Large-scale concrete slab tests were performed to demonstrate the increase in load capacity that FRC provides over plain concrete slabs. Flexural beam tests, based on ASTM C1609–07, determined that the increase in FRC slab flexural capacity over plain concrete was related to the equivalent flexural strength ratio, R150 150 , of the FRC. Several reinforcement types available (steel fibers, synthetic fibers, and welded wire reinforcement) were compared in this study. An effective flexural strength (MOR*) which incorporates the toughness benefit of the fiber-reinforcement was suggested for implementation into existing design procedures. An example of a pavement design calculation is provided to show the potential thickness reduction that occurs when using the R150 150 to account for the increased load capacity of FRC slabs. Altering joint spacing or use in concrete overlays can also be employed with FRC to accommodate pavement design constraints.