The Feasibility of Using Precast Concrete Panels to Expedite Highway Pavement Construction

Details

• Creators:
  Merritt, David K. ; McCullough, B. Frank ; Burns, Ned H. ; Schindler, Anton K.
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas Department of Transportation. Research and Technology Implementation Office ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Cast In Place Concrete Costs Feasibility Analysis Paving Posttensioning Precast Concrete Pavements Roads User Charges
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/TX-01/1517-1
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Texas
• Edition:
  (9/1999 – 2/2000)
• Corporate Publisher:
  University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research
• Abstract:
  As the number of vehicles on America’s roadways continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, pavements continue to deteriorate faster and require more frequent replacement. Construction, however, causes traffic delays, which further compound the problem. Traffic delays increase user costs, which are costs incurred by the users of the roadway but are directly caused and attributable to the presence of construction activities. Therefore, a method for expediting pavement construction in order to reduce user costs is needed. This report describes a method for expediting highway pavement construction through the use of precast concrete panels. Precast concrete panels can be assembled quickly, allowing traffic back onto the pavement almost immediately. This kind of assembly will allow pavement construction to be carried out in overnight or weekend operations, when traffic volumes are low. The result will be a tremendous savings in user costs. The concept for a precast concrete pavement presented in this report should have the same, if not better, durability as conventional cast-in-place concrete pavements currently being constructed. Also, by incorporating prestressing, it is possible to achieve increased load repetitions and design life, with a significant reduction in pavement thickness over conventional pavements. This is especially important for removal and replacement applications, where pavement thickness is constrained by existing conditions. Although the initial construction costs may at first be higher for a precast pavement, the savings in user costs far outweigh any additional construction costs.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  9-1517
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bc82e3a7d82e03f78993be7be6e0fc4513d51d104e17cc884a0a2e5e11a0f69d787b7fc4cfb26f49962213dc2e221b512f9753354fcee283a6034190d77a5e1b
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86433/dot_86433_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.04 MB ]