Abstract
A test pavement located on part of State Route 2 near Vermilion, Ohio, was built in 1975 with sections designed to investigate the role of pavement design and material variables that included aggregate source and size, subbase drainage systems, pavement joint design, subbase materials, joint sealants, cement, type of cure, and joint spacing on D-cracking. In 1998 the current study was initiated to understand better the concrete durability of the different composition variables of the pavement sections after 23 years of performance. The study established a methodology to analyze the pavement sections, gathered data, and analyzed the data with SAS statistical software. Significant findings on the variables affecting the performance of pavement sections were obtained. Key findings show the impact of aggregate source and size, joint sealants, and vapor barriers on pavement D-cracking performance and overall pavement performance. On the basis of the findings from this research, the requirement to use larger-size aggregate in concrete pavement was incorporated into the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) 2002 Construction and Material Specifications. Also, the 2009 ODOT specifications will eliminate the requirement for joint sealing in new concrete pavement in part because of the findings of this study.
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