The concrete slab itself consists of

1. Portland cement concrete,

2. reinforcing steel (when required),
3. load transfer devices and
4. joint sealing materials

The concrete slabs in concrete pavements are subjected to two main types of stresses:

i) The stresses developed because of changes of the environment (moisture and

temperature). These are related to the intrinsic properties of the concrete. In Ethiopia,
although the annual range of temperature is small the daily range of temperature is
high, varying from 20°C to 40°C. Therefore thermal stresses deserve special attention.
ii) The stresses generated by the traffic

The design of concrete pavements must take both types of stresses into account in order to keep
them within acceptable ranges of values. Analytical methods have been developed for computing
the stresses in concrete pavements but the response of the pavement to these stresses is less
predictable and requires assumptions that are not sufficiently robust. For this reason empirical
design methods are favoured by most authorities

JUCP and JRCP

The placing of expansion joints and the increased possibility of movement through the use of the
separation membrane permit the expansion of the concrete and the dissipation of compressive
stresses. Nevertheless, the issue can be avoided as far as possible by casting the concrete at the
hottest period of the year. The natural contraction as the slabs cool down ensures that there is
sufficient space for expansion during the next hot period.
CRCP

The continuous reinforcement increases the resistance of slabs to compressive failures but the
compressive stresses can be very high. CRCP is the option most prone to expansion failure because
of the great length of slab between joints. It is thus preferable to cast CRCP slabs during the hottest
time of the year so that the natural contraction during cooling leaves sufficient space for expansion
during the next hot season.

CRCP utilizes reinforcing steel to effectively eliminate transverse joints in favour of very tightly
maintained cracks. The reinforcing steel is used in combination with other design properties such as
slab thickness and concrete materials to prevent traffic and environmental distresses.

3.1.3 Warping Stresses:

Warping stresses occur in rigid pavement slabs when variations in moisture content and/or
temperature from the top to the bottom of the slab occur.

In dry climates, or dry periods, the top of the slab is drier than the bottom, causing the edges of the
slab to curl upwards as illustrated in Figure 3.1. This induces tensile stresses at the top of the slab
and compressive stresses at the bottom. The stresses are increased considerably when heavy
vehicles pass along the road.

Permanent warping stresses also occur because the top of the slab cures faster and shrinks more than
the bottom.
Shear and Bending Stresses

With a minimum concrete thickness of 150 mm and continuous support from the sub-base, the shear
and bending stresses developed by the traffic loads are not usually large enough to cause the concrete
slabs to crack and a fatigue law similar to that for flexible pavements is used to estimate the damage
caused by traffic (Section 6.2).

However, significant loss of support to the slab over an extended area through movements of the sub-
base or of the subgrade dramatically increases the probability of cracking. The continuous
transmission of vertical loads along the pavement is essential because relative vertical movements of
the bays create pumping mechanisms which accelerate the loss of support and hence the
deterioration of the road.

3.2 Design Criteria

The factors which control the performance of a rigid pavement and for which design criteria are
required are as follows:

i) Quality of the concrete and steel for constructing the pavement slabs.

ii) Strength of the subgrade.

iii) Quality of the sub-base.

iv) Environment (moisture and temperature).
v) Traffic and design life.

For the design procedure recommended in this manual, the assumptions are made that the
materials used for construction meet the following requirements:

1. 28-day characteristic compressive strength of 30, 35 or 40 MPa for the concrete.

2. Yield strength of the steel reinforcement bars is greater than 400 MPa.

The required properties of sub-base and capping layer are as defined in ERA’s Pavement Design
Manual Volume I: Flexible Pavements. These are shown in Appendix A for convenience.

The assessment of subgrade strength for design and the estimation of design traffic is also as
described in Volume 1 except that the relationship between pavement damage and axle load is
slightly different for rigid pavements, as described in Chapter 6.

The principal difference between a rigid pavement and a flexible pavement is the need for ‘joints’
and these are discussed in the next chapter.

4 JOINTS

Joints are placed in concrete pavements to permit expansion, contraction and warping of the slab,
thereby relieving stresses due to environmental changes (temperature and moisture) and to facilitate
construction.
Typical details of the different types of joints are presented in Appendix B.

4.1 Transverse Joints:

Transverse Joints are the joints perpendicular to the centre-line of the road. They are designed to
prevent contraction and expansion stresses which develop over long distances. In some specific
places such as around in-pavement objects or at junctions, transverse joints are also required to limit
warping stresses.

4.1.1 Contraction Joints

Contraction joints are the principal type of transverse joints

-required in both JRCP and JUCP

-If contraction joints were not installed, random and uncontrolled cracking would occur in the
slab.

-They also contribute to the limitation of the warping stresses

Load transfer between bays is provided by dowels.

Contraction joints consist of:

i) A sawn joint groove.

ii) Dowel bars.
iii) A sealing groove.

The groove and sealant must be as specified.

i) The dowel bars should be at 300 mm spacing and 400 mm long. They should be:
ii) 20 mm in diameter for slabs up to 239 mm thick.
iii) 25 mm in diameter for slabs 240 mm thick or more.

4.1.2 Expansion Joints

Primary function of an expansion joint is to provide space for the expansion of the slab, thereby
preventing the development of compressive stresses which may cause the slab to buckle.

In contrast to contraction joints, complete separation between the two adjacent concrete bays is
required and a compressible material is used to fill the void. Expansion joints are also contraction
joints. Load transfer between bays is provided by dowels.