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Abstract

Georgia is considered to have one of the best concrete pavement design and materials in the U.S. Designs for joint plain concrete pavement (JPCP) have evolved over time. Analysis of long-term pavement condition data is still very necessary for evaluating the actual performance of different pavement designs and rehabilitation strategies to better understand the actual performance. Since the 1960s, various designs of jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP), including non-doweled pavement on a soil or soil cement base (ND), non-doweled pavement on an improved base (ND-IB), and doweled pavement on an improved base (D-IB), have been constructed at different periods of time on interstate highways in Georgia with the expectation of improving pavement performance and life. This paper presents a critical assessment of long-term performance of JPCP using 40-years of pavement condition data collected by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to quantitatively evaluate the actual performance of different JPCP designs. Pavement service life, i.e., time to reach the first major concrete pavement restoration, was analyzed using statewide data (837 survey-lanemiles of JPCPs). The service life of ND, ND-IB, and D-IB is an average of 17, 21+ and 25+ years, respectively, which shows a 47% improvement in the serve life of D-IB. Analyses of the traffic and distress data were conducted on selected projects. Results show all three categories of JPCP designs outperformed the designed equivalent single axle loads (ESALs), and they carried approximately two to three times the number of the designed ESALs. ND, ND-IB, and D-IB projects carried 18 million ESALs in 23 years, 22 million ESALs in 20 years, and 30 million ESALs in 33 years, respectively. In summary, the later designs have improved pavement service life, in terms of years and the accumulated ESALs, especially with the introduction of dowel bar use. In addition, the actual ESALs for all designs have exceeded the expected/design ESALs. The findings in this study reveal the actual JCCP performance and provide pavement engineers a better understanding of the long-term performance of JPCP.

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