PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-10-0061
Project Name:	Develop/Improve American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Concrete Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Test
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Ardani First Name: Ahmad Telephone: 202-493-3422 E-mail: ahmad.ardani@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Pavement Materials Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	The project concerns ruggedness and precision evaluation and assistance in the deployment of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Testing Equipment for Concrete Cores and Cylinders. It involves participation in Ruggedness and Precision Studies on the Various Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Equipment Options; Pine, Gilson, Manual (endpoint and length-change curve evaluation). It also calls for addressing the needs of the Mechanistic-Empirical Design Guide for accurate characterization of the thermal properties of the concrete--as affected by the materials and mixture proportions--for Concrete Pavement Road Map Track 2 research on the design guide and Subtrack MD 2.8 of Concrete Pavement Road Map Track 1--Portland Cement Concrete Mixture Thermal Tests: Coefficient of Thermal Expansion advancement and other thermal testing if needed. Coefficient of Thermal Expansion has been found to be a very important factor in the performance of concrete pavement, and having more accurate Coefficient of Thermal Expansion values for the actual mixture will improve the accuracy of performance predictions and evaluations of concrete pavement sections. During ruggedness testing, specimens will also be used to look at concrete materials and age effects and to compare the Texas/California slope data versus the current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' endpoint technology.
Laboratories:	Concrete Laboratory Aggregate and Petrographic Laboratory
Start Date:	October 1, 2010
End Date:	December 30, 2013
Funding Amount:	$0.00
FHWA Program Name:	Innovative Pavement Research and Deployment
Goals:	Reliable and Effective Pavement Design
Project Type:	Onsite
Background Information:	Almost all of the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) data are now available in the Long-Term Pavement Performance Database. The work now involves ruggedness testing of the proposed test method involving three labs. This will be followed by interlaboratory precision testing to document the testing variability.
Test Methodology:	Ruggedness testing of the proposed test method involving three labs. This will be followed by interlaboratory precision and bias testing to document the testing variability.
Other Information:	Data not yet available
Partners:	Federal Highway Administration: Office of Infrastructure - Office of Pavement Technology; Role(s): Technical
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	The Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) concrete cores were taken under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) from field pavements from many Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) test sections throughout the United States and Canada. The resulting data has been used for many purposes, including the validation and calibration of new mechanistic pavement design approaches for Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP).
Expected Benefits:	The benefit would be an accepted test for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete, with the availability of commercial equipment. The payoff can be judged by the advancement of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) test and the inclusion of automated equipment. It can also be measured by the States conducting Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) tests on the combinations of materials used for concrete pavements in the State.
Deliverables:	1. Name: Improved testing methods for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete with an estimate of variability. Product Type(s): Research report, Draft standard, specifications, or guidelines Description: Improved testing methods for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete along with an estimate of variability. The revised Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) standard is being considered for adoption by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Materials, and a number of State departments of transportation have begun testing the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) of concrete containing local/projects concrete materials. A ruggedness study is being completed that may lead to some improvements and revisions to the AASHTO Test Method. One other manufacturer of CTE test equipment has provided a unit -- a modification of a unit developed under an FHWA contract -- for the Federal Highway Administration Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center to try it alongside other commercial units. (See AASHTO Test Method T 336-10 for Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Hydraulic Cement Concrete.) Audiences: Pavement designers, Researchers, State highway agencies, Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center staff Secondary Audiences: Aggregate producers, Concrete producers, Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) contractors 2. Name: Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) Testing Protocol Product Type(s): Research report, Software, Data Description: A fine-tuned CTE testing protocol approved by AASHTO Audiences: Pavement designers, Researchers, State highway agencies, Long-term pavement performance stakeholders Secondary Audiences: Aggregate producers, Concrete producers, Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) contractors Publication URL(s): http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/programs/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/getdata.cfm
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	During the evaluation and testing of the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) of concrete cores taken from many Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) test sections, it was discovered that the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) is an important parameter in the design and evaluation of the Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) performance. The test method has been refined and improved. All of the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) data are now available for each section in the Long-Term Pavement Performance Database. Many technical papers and reports have been written utilizing Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) data from the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center tests of Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) cores.
FHWA Topics:	Research/Technologies--Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
TRT Terms:	Hydraulic Cement Thermal Expansion Pavements Portland Cement Concrete Infrastructure Research Aggregates
FHWA Disciplines:	Pavement and Materials
Subject Areas:	Pavements Materials Research