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Publication Details

Performance-Related Specifications for Concrete Pavements - Vol I Research/Reference: useful for researchers doing further work in the pavement area as well as those developing improved testing and design procedures. Includes documents of historical value.

Primary Topic: Rigid Pavement

Description: This study continued the development of performance related specifications (PRS) for concrete pavements. Drawing upon previous work, a prototype PRS was developed that considers the expected life-cycle cost of the as-constructed pavement as the overall measure of quality. The approach calls for measurement of in situ concrete properties and explicitly considers variability and multiple quality characteristics in the determination of pay adjustments. Extensive laboratory testing was conducted to determine material relationships needed in the prototype PRS, and a detailed test plan has been developed for the evaluation of construction variables (e.g., dowel misalignment) that significantly affect concrete pavement performance, but are not currently accounted for in the specification. A computer program, Pavespec, has been developed for use with the specification in simulation and in generating pay adjustments.

This volume describes the development of the prototype PRS. Concrete strength, slab thickness, air content, and initial roughness are including the specification as the key quality characteristics. Both cost models and distress prediction models are used to compute life-cycle costs. !he difference between the life-cycle costs of the target, as-designed pavement and the actual, as-constructed pavement is used to determine the pay adjustment. Numerous exam les on the use and sensitivity of the specification are presented. A summary of the laboratory testing results that were used in the specification is given, along with a test plan for the evaluation of quality characteristics not currently included in the specification.

This volume is the first in a series. The other volumes are: FHWA-RD-93-043 Volume II: Appendix A-Prototype Performance-Related Specification, Appendix B-PaveSpec Users Guide, Appendix C-Annotated Bibliography.

FHWA Publication Number: FHWA-RD-93-042

Publication Year: 1993

Document Links: HTML  PDF (file size: 30 mb)



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Updated: 04/11/2022
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