Influence of mixture composition on thermal properties of concrete and the performance of rigid pavement

Abstract

The recent mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) put more emphasis on the effects of thermal curling stresses on rigid pavement analysis and design. Mix design of concrete has significant influence on its thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, and specific heat. Aggregate type and content significantly alter the thermal properties of concrete incorporating them. The moisture state of the concrete increases its specific heat and thermal conductivity. A review of the effect of temperature of fresh concrete on early age properties is also presented. The performance of rigid pavements exposed to seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature is discussed. Airfield concrete pavements which are subjected to jet engine exhausts experience heat cycles micro-cracking, coarsening of microstructure and loss of compressive and flexural strength. These effects are mostly the result of the dehydration and decomposition of paste matrix in concrete. Heat cycles result in concrete deterioration similar in appearance to freezing and thawing deterioration.