Abstract
The research described here was conducted as a part of NCHRP Project 20–50 (10&16), LTPP (Long-Term Pavement Performance) Data Analysis: Influence of Design and Construction Features on the Response and Performance of New Flexible and Rigid Pavements. The relative effects of various design and site factors on the performance of jointed plain concrete (JPC) pavements are presented. The data used in this study were primarily drawn from Release 17 of DataPave. The Specific Pavement Study (SPS) 2 experiment was designed to investigate the effects of portland cement concrete (PCC) slab thickness, base type, drainage, PCC flexural strength, and slab width on the performance of JPC pavements. On the basis of the statistical analysis of 167 test sections, ranging in age from 5 to 12 years, it was concluded that base type was the most critical design factor affecting performance in terms of cracking and roughness as measured by the international roughness index. Pavement sections with a permeable asphalt-treated base and in-pavement drainage performed better than those with a dense-graded aggregate base or a lean concrete base. PCC slab thickness also played an important role in improving the cracking performance of the pavements. PCC flexural strength and slab width have only marginal effects on performance at this time.
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