Rigid Pavement Design
Rigid Pavement Design
Rigid Pavement Design
MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents i
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Table of Contents ii
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Table of Contents iv
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APPENDICES
A.0 FLORIDA-SPECIFIC
VARIABLES TO PAVEMENT ME SOFTWARE A-1
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FIGURES
Table of
Contents v
TABLES
Table of
Contents vii
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 PURPOSE
The objective of this manual is to provide a Pavement Design Engineer with sufficient
information so that the necessary input data can be developed and proper engineering
principles applied to design a new rigid pavement, or develop a properly engineered
pavement rehabilitation project.
It is the responsibility of the Pavement Design Engineer to ensure that the designs
produced conform to Department policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and sound
engineering practices.
1.2 AUTHORITY
1.3 GENERAL
Chapter 334 of the Florida Statutes, known as the Florida Transportation Code,
establishes the responsibilities of the state, counties, and municipalities for the planning
and development of the transportation systems serving the people of the State of Florida,
with the objective of assuring development of an integrated, balanced statewide system.
The standards in this manual represent minimum requirements, which must be met for
rigid pavement design for new construction and rigid pavement rehabilitation of Florida
Department of Transportation projects. Any variances should be documented in project
files.
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1.4 SCOPE
The principal users of this manual are the District Pavement Design Engineers and their
agents (i.e. Consultants). Additional users include other department offices such as
Construction, Maintenance, Traffic Operations, etc., and city and county offices.
1.5.1 REFERENCES
The design procedures incorporated in this document are based on the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Mechanistic-
Empirical Pavement Design Guide plus numerous National Cooperative Highway
Research Program (NCHRP), Transportation Research Board (TRB), and Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) publications.
The specifics addressed in this manual have been tailored to Florida conditions,
materials, and policy.
A number of coefficients and variables are specified in this manual. They should be
considered as standard values for typical Florida projects. There may be instances where
a variance from the values would be appropriate. In these instances, the Pavement
Design Engineer will stay within the bounds established by the basic AASHTO Design
Guide, justify the variance, and document the actions in the Pavement Design File.
1.5.3 APPENDICES
Appendix Contents
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1.6 DISTRIBUTION
Rigid Pavement Design Manual holders are solicited for comments and suggestions for
changes to the manual by writing to the address below:
Each idea or suggestion received will be reviewed by appropriate pavement design staff
in a timely manner. Items warranting immediate change will be made with the approval
of the State Pavement Design Engineer in the form of a Pavement Design Bulletin.
Pavement Design Bulletins for the Rigid Pavement Design Manual are distributed to the
District Design Engineers, District Pavement Design Engineers, and District Consultant
Pavement Management Engineers, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and posted
on the FDOT website.
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/rddesign/PM/publicationS.shtm
Pavement Design Bulletins will be in effect until the official manual revision.
Statewide meetings of District Roadway Design Engineers will be held quarterly and a
statewide meeting of designers may be held annually. A major agenda item at these
meetings will be the review of Design Bulletins, planned revisions, and suggestions and
comments that may warrant revisions. Based on input from these meetings, official
revisions are developed and distributed to the District Design Engineers, District
Pavement Design Engineers, Consultant Project Managers, Roadway Design Office,
State Materials Office, Federal Highway Administration, industry and other appropriate
offices as necessary.
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All revisions and updates will be coordinated with the Policy and Process Management
Unit prior to implementation to ensure conformance with and incorporation into the
Department’s Standard Operating System, Procedure No. 025-020-002.
The final revisions and addenda will be distributed to District Pavement Design Engineers
and copies provided to Maps and Publications. The date of the latest revision will be
posted on the Pavement Management Section and the Maps and Publications Internet
Web Pages.
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/mapsandpublications/publications.shtm
1.8 TRAINING
No mandatory training is required by this procedure. Classes on the manual are available
on request by the District Pavement Design Engineer.
1.9 FORMS
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CHAPTER 2
DEFINITIONS
The following define the general pavement layers in a rigid jointed plain concrete
pavement (JPCP) system. Some of the most important layers are shown in Figure 2.1.
The definitions are presented "top-down" through the pavement structure.
This is the main structural element in the rigid JPCP pavement system. It is normally
made up of plain cement concrete pavement. Discussion on the design of this layer
thickness will be found later on.
Asphalt Base
Asphalt Base provides a uniform, non-erodible and stable construction platform, and
contributes to the slab structural performance. Draincrete Edgedrains are used to provide
subdrainage. Use Optional Base Group 1 Type B-12.5 only. See Figure 2.1. This material
is shown in Standard Plans, Indexes 446-001 (Concrete Pavement Subdrainage) and
120-001 (Embankment Utilization) for the Asphalt Base option and will be discussed
further in Chapter 4.
The Special Select Soil is a permeable sandy soil that provides vertical and lateral
drainage of infiltrated water through the embankment to the shoulder ditches. The
required depth is 60-in. This material is used in the Embankment Utilization of Special
Select Soil Option shown in Standard Plans, Index 120-001 and will be discussed further
in Chapter 4. It is normally bid as embankment material. The Special Stabilized Subbase
is a vertically drainable, but stable layer that is 6-in thick and is used with the Special
Select Soil Option.
Definitions 2-1
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This layer serves as a working platform for the paving machine to permit the efficient
construction of the concrete slab while maintaining sufficient vertical permeability of the
special select embankment soil. It is constructed by mixing in 3-in of #57 or #89 coarse
aggregate into the top 6-in of subgrade and compacted. It is bid as Special Stabilized
Subbase and Commercial Stabilizing Material (Special). If the special select soils have
sufficient stability for construction, these pay items can be deleted. This should only be
done with close coordination and agreement of the District Materials Engineer and District
Construction Engineer.
The Type B Stabilized Subgrade is a supporting layer that is 12-in thick. This material is
only used in the Asphalt Base Option as shown in Standard Plans, Index 120-001. This
layer serves as a working platform to permit the efficient construction of the asphalt base.
It is bid as Type B Stabilization (LBR-40) with the contractor selecting the approved
materials necessary to achieve the LBR 40 value.
The Natural Ground or Fill is the natural material or embankment material upon which the
Pavement Structure is constructed.
FIGURE 2.1
Definitions 2-2
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FIGURE 2.2
Definitions 2-3
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2.2.1 VARIABLES
Reliability (%R)
The use of Reliability (%R) allows the Pavement Design Engineer to tailor the design to
more closely match the needs of the project. It is the probability of achieving the design
life that the Department desires for that facility. The Pavement Design Engineer is
cautioned, however, that a high reliability value may increase the slab thickness
substantially.
Recommended values range from 80% to 95% and can be found in Table 3.2.
The expected truck loadings over the design period are obtained from the District
Planning Office for the project location. The number of heavy trucks and the equivalent
18 kip axle loads are forecast for the type of facility and its expected traffic growth.
Climate Region
Temperature gradients through the slab thickness can significantly affect the load induced
stresses and performance of concrete pavements in Florida. Analysis using the Pavement
ME software has shown there are significant differences in the impact of climate on rigid
pavement design through the state. The Rigid Pavement Design Climate Regions
determined for Florida are shown in Figure 3.1. The appropriate climate region for the
project location being designed must be selected from the
design tables in Chapter 3 or the appropriate climate files selected if using the
AASHTOWare Pavement ME software.
Definitions 2-4
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The initial smoothness (International Roughness Index - IRI) is the smoothness after
construction (including standard full diamond grinding). An initial IRI value of 60-in/mile
is typical for fully ground new pavements in Florida. Full diamond grinding is required by
the standard specifications and ensures a smooth and uniform texture of the pavement
surface.
The Terminal Smoothness (IRI) is the smoothness condition of a road when it reaches a
point where some type of rehabilitation or reconstruction is warranted. A value of 180-
in/mile is used in Florida.
Terminal Faulting
The Terminal Faulting is the mean differential elevation across joints in the wheel path
where the condition of a road reaches a point where some type of rehabilitation or
reconstruction is warranted. A value of 0.12-in is used in Florida.
Terminal Cracking
The Terminal Cracking value is the percent of transverse slab cracking in the design lane
where reconstruction would be warranted. A value of 10% is used in Florida.
For JPCP pavements, a mean 28-Day Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) compressive
strength of 4000 psi is used for design in Florida. The Pavement ME Design software
uses this value to estimate the elastic modulus and modulus of rupture for the concrete.
The CTE describes how the size of an object changes with a change in temperature.
A CTE value of 4.5 x 10-6in/in/oF is used as the JPCP pavement design input in Florida
based on extensive local calibration testing by the State Materials Office. Below is a table
of typical CTE Ranges for common PCC components from the FHWA Portland Cement
Concrete Pavements Research .
Definitions 2-5
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https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/pccp/the
rmal.cfm
Full friction with the slab for the life of the design is assumed for asphalt base.
Performance Grade PG 76-22 is used by the software to estimate the Dynamic Modulus
of the asphalt base in Florida. An asphalt base aggregate gradation of 100% P3/4-in, 85%
P3/8-in, 65% P#4, and 5.7% P#200 is used as typical for Florida.
A resilient modulus value of 16,000 psi is typical for this layer in Florida.
The Resilient Modulus (MR) is a measurement of the stiffness of the roadbed soil. Since
rigid concrete pavement is considerably stiffer than flexible asphalt pavement, the rigid
designs spread the vehicle loads over a wider area and are not very sensitive to the
subgrade modulus. A value of 12,000 psi is typical for Florida select soils and is used to
develop the Design Tables in Chapter 3. If evaluation of a significantly different Design
Definitions 2-6
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MR value for a specific project site is desired, the Pavement ME software can be run to
see if it makes a difference in the concrete thickness.
Joint Spacing
A slab width of 13-ft for outside (truck) lanes with striping at 12-ft is standard practice in
Florida. If a narrower truck lane is necessary due to constraints, an additional half inch of
thickness should be added to the table values or the Pavement ME Design software
should be utilized for a revised thickness design.
2.2.3 UNKNOWNS
Required Thickness
The required slab thickness for the design period as determined from the Chapter 3
Design Tables or the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software.
2.3 TERMS
The following terms will be used to describe the Department's rigid pavement design
options.
New Construction
Reconstruction
Reconstruction is the extensive removal and replacement of the existing slabs along a
significant portion of the project.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a process to restore the existing rigid pavement to its full serviceability.
This could include Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation (CPR) or Crack and Seat or
Rubblization of the existing slabs and then an overlay with asphalt.
Definitions 2-7
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CHAPTER 3
The Florida Department of Transportation has been using the AASHTO mechanistic-
empirical pavement design process as a basis for rigid jointed plain concrete pavement
(JPCP) design since 2009. The mechanistic-empirical design process was first adopted
by AASHTO with the 2008 Interim Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
(MEPDG). This edition of the Florida Rigid Pavement Design Manual is based on the
2015 edition of the AASHTO MEPDG.
The design period in Florida for new rigid construction and total reconstruction is 20 years.
Since concrete pavement rehabilitation (CPR) does not increase the overall slab
thicknesses, a rehabilitation design period for calculation purposes is not applicable.
In order to design a new rigid pavement, several tasks need to be performed. The first
task is to collect all relevant project data, which would include:
The next task would be to evaluate concrete material properties, which are generally
constant for design purposes and include:
The Pavement Design Engineer also needs to work with the roadway design engineer,
District Materials Engineer, and District Drainage Engineer to develop preliminary cut and
fill typical sections and evaluate the type of subgrade drainage system to be provided.
Calculation of the pavement thickness utilizing the design aids provided can be
accomplished next.
The Pavement Design Engineer needs to develop pavement details such as:
The design of the pavement details is just as important as the design of the pavement
thickness. Close attention should be paid to their development.
TABLE 3.1
DESIGN PERIODS
The following design periods will be used for rigid pavement design:
* CPR design life is not calculated, but should be subjectively estimated based
on a project’s historical deterioration rate and loadings.
Early in the design process, the Pavement Design Engineer should closely coordinate
with the following offices:
District Design
The District Design Engineer’s office should be involved for providing the proposed
roadway typical section sheets for such information as pavement widening, side street
work and other related information required for the Typical Section Package according to
the Department’s Florida Design Manual.
District Drainage
The District Drainage Office should be involved to determine what special drainage
considerations need to be addressed. Several areas, which should be addressed include:
• A high water table that may require the Drainage Engineer to specify the location
of outlet pipes.
• Location of edgedrain outlet pipes in an urban area to take advantage of local
storm sewers.
When designing the pavement system, the designer needs to refer to the Plans
Preparation Manual Section 2.6 Grades, to determine where the bottom of the pavement
slab needs to be in relation to the Base Clearance Water Elevation. The bottom of
“roadway base”, as referred to in the Florida Design Manual, for rigid pavement design
purposes, is the bottom of the Asphalt Base or the bottom of the concrete slab for the
Special Select Soil option.
District Construction
The District Construction Office should be involved to determine if there are any special
construction details that need to be included in the plans or issues that need to be
addressed. Some of these items may include Maintenance of Traffic (MOT),
Constructions Time, etc.
District Materials
The Asphalt Base Option on Standard Plans, Index 120-001 is recommended. If the
Special Select Soil option is considered, the District Materials Office should be involved
to determine the availability, cost effectiveness, constructability, and history of successful
use of suitable permeable special select soils in the construction area and any other
special conditions that may exist. One example would include an evaluation of existing
soils to determine their AASHTO classifications and lab permeability.
The District Materials Office can also provide recommendations with respect to
rehabilitation strategies. Additional coordination of project field reviews and data
collection might be needed.
3.5 QUALITY
This process is applicable to all new construction and reconstruction projects in Florida
where the Pavement Design Engineer must determine the concrete pavement depth
using the 2015 AASHTO Procedure.
The following is a summary of the steps to be taken to solve for the Required Thickness
of the concrete pavement:
• Based on the project location, determine the applicable Florida Rigid Pavement
Design Climate Region from Figure 3.1.
• The Accumulated 18-kip Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALs) are obtained from
the District Planning Office. The process for this procedure can be found in the
Project Traffic Forecasting Procedure Topic No. 525-030-120.
• Reliability (%R) value is selected from Table 3.2. Recommended values range from
80% to 95% for new or total reconstruction. For asphalt overlays of concrete
pavement, see the Flexible Pavement Design Manual for recommended reliability’s
and other guidance.
Using these values and the selected base option, the Pavement Design Engineer will
calculate the Required Thickness of concrete pavement using the Design Tables 3.3 or
3.4, or the AASHTOWare Pavement ME computer program.
Each table uses a different Reliability (%R) value and relates the Accumulated 18-kip)
Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALs) to the Required Thickness for each Climate
Region. An example is determined below using Table 3.3. A reduction in slab width from
13-ft to 12-ft(or 11-ft), will cause the slab to crack exponentially more under the same
traffic loading thus requiring a thicker slab. A project specific AASHTOWare Pavement
ME design will be required by the Pavement Design Engineer.
TABLE 3.2
RELIABILITY (%R) FOR DIFFERENT ROADWAY FACILITIES
New or
Facility
Reconstruction
Limited Access 80 - 95
Urban Arterials 80 - 95
Rural Arterials 80 – 90
Collectors 80 – 90
The type of roadway is determined by the Office of Planning and can be obtained
from the Roadway Characteristics Inventory (RCI).
The designer has some flexibility in selecting values that best fits the project when
choosing the Reliability (%R).
Figure 3.1
FLORIDA RIGID PAVEMENT DESIGN
CLIMATE REGIONS
TABLE 3.3
RIGID PAVEMENT DESIGN TABLE
ASPHALT BASE OPTION
TABLE 3.4
RIGID PAVEMENT DESIGN TABLE
SPECIAL SELECT SOIL OPTION
CHAPTER 4
EMBANKMENT AND DRAINAGE DETAILS
4.1 GENERAL
The purposes of the embankment and subdrainage system are to support the pavement,
provide a construction working platform, and provide subdrainage of infiltrated water with
a treated drainage layer.
The subbase and embankment should be designed to prevent pumping. Pumping is the
ejection of erodible subbase material due to the presence of free water at the bottom of
the slab and the loading of the concrete slabs by heavy trucks. The prevention of pumping
is essential to the long-term survivability and good performance of concrete pavement.
In the past, the department has used an unbonded rigid subbase such as cement
stabilized subbase or econocrete. These designs have caused significant problems due
to their rigidity, lack of permeability, and difficulty in achieving non-erodible properties.
These are not recommended for use on department projects.
The Asphalt Base Option is recommended as it uses standard materials and construction
methods and provides rapid lateral drainage through draincrete edgedrains. The Asphalt
Base Option also contributes to the structural performance of the concrete slab through
full slab-base contact friction over the life of the design.
The Special Select Soil Option should only be used when there is a history in the area of
successful construction and performance with concrete pavements, and the Special
Select Soil, with sufficient permeability, is readily available at a reasonable cost. Although,
this typical has been used successfully in the past, construction can be difficult due to the
less stable material and problems have been encountered in the field with achieving the
proper depth and permeability of the soil. This option also requires a thicker concrete slab
than the Asphalt Base Option since it doesn’t contribute to the structural performance of
the slab.
Before including the Special Select Soil typical section in the bid documents, the District
Materials Engineer must have completed an evaluation of the soils in the project area and
recommended in writing that materials meeting the requirements are reasonably
available.
This typical section uses Asphalt Base (Type B-12.5 only) Optional Base Group 1 over
12" of Type B Stabilization (LBR 40), which acts as a construction working platform.
Draincrete egedrains are also provided as detailed in Standard Plans, Indexes 120-001
and 446-001. Illustration of this typical section is shown in Standard Plans, Index 120-
001 with more detail provided in Standard Plans, Index 446-001.
The Special Select Soil typical section should only be selected when approved in writing
by the District Materials Engineer and shown in the plans. The special select soil typical
section is composed of a deep and moderately permeable special select soil that provides
for removal of infiltrated water vertically and laterally through the embankment to the
shoulder ditches. This is placed in the top 60 in of embankment. The special select soil
must have a minimum average lab permeability of 5 x 10-5 cm/sec with no individual test
less than 1 x 10-5 cm/sec. It also must be non-plastic with no more than 10% passing the
#200 sieve. Due to this moderate permeability requirement, it is necessary to have a
minimum of 60 in depth to provide vertical flow conditions and ensure drainability.
This permeability rate and depth of special select material are based on calculations using
Figure 45 of Report No. FHWA-TS-80-224 Highway Subdrainage Design Manual, August
1980. An infiltration rate of 0.7 ft3/day/ft (28 cc/hr/cm) of joint is assumed, with an average
storm duration of 10 hours and an average interval between storms of 100 hours for
drainage of the infiltrated water. If any of these assumptions or design details are
changed, a new drainage analysis must be done.
To provide a permeable working platform, 3 in of #57 or #89 stone is placed on top of the
special select soil and mixed into the top 6 in. An illustration of this Special Select Soil
drainage alternate can be seen in Standard Plans, Index 120-001 with more detail for
the edgedrain provided in Standard Plans, Index 446-001.
To provide extra insurance that water is quickly removed from the critical lower pavement
edge, draincrete edgedrains are provided with outfalls located on the shoulder slope. In
an urban area this may be a storm sewer.
The “daylighting” of the embankment (extending the limits of the special select soil out to
the shoulder slope) to provide additional drainage is also recommended.
It is recommended that the Cross Section Sheets show the limits of the concrete slab, the
Special Select Soil, and other soils.
The decision to use the Special Select Soil Typical Section is determined based on the
history of successful use in the area, the cost-effectiveness and availability of sufficient
Special Select Soil material, the permeability of the material, and the consistency of the
material throughout the length of the project. If the material on the project has to be
blended to bring it up to the permeability requirement, an analysis needs to be done to
estimate this cost. The thicker slab requirement for the Special Select Soil Option also
needs to be factored in. If these costs substantially exceed the cost of the Asphalt Base
Option, or if adequate Special Select Soil is not available, then Asphalt Base should be
used.
The District Design Section is responsible for making a Pavement Type Selection
Analysis of all major new alignment or base reconstruction projects. The district design
section should refer to the Pavement Type Selection Manual (Document No. 625-010-
005) for guidance on this analysis. If the Special Select Soil Option is considered possibly
cost-effective and feasible, the District Materials Engineer should work closely with the
design section to evaluate the permeability of the existing roadbed soils on the project
under consideration.
Based on the soils classification data from the roadway soils survey and the District
Materials Engineer’s experience, a recommendation should be made to the District
Pavement Design Engineer as to whether the soils on the project are likely to provide
adequate permeability for a rigid pavement subgrade.
When the preliminary type selection analysis by the design section indicates that a rigid
pavement with Special Select Soil Option may be selected, the District Materials Office
should perform laboratory permeability tests in accordance with FM 1-T 215 of the top 60
in of roadway soils below the proposed roadway grade. This testing is essential to
determine if the roadway soils can provide adequate vertical drainage of infiltrated water
from the rigid pavement joints.
CHAPTER 5
JOINT DETAILS
5.1 GENERAL
The purpose of joints is to control cracking caused by initial concrete shrinkage due to
drops in moisture and temperature, and to reduce in-service stresses as the slabs
contract and curl during temperature changes and differentials through the slab.
There are several types of joints. There are transverse joints (sometimes referred to as
contraction joints), longitudinal joints, expansion joints and construction joints.
All joints are to be sealed to keep incompressibles out of the joint and to minimize the
inflow of water, to the extent possible, out of the subgrade. It is not possible to totally
seal pavement joints against water infiltration, so it is essential to have a good
subdrainage system as described in Chapter 4.
For concrete-to-concrete joints use silicone sealant material. For concrete to asphalt
joints use of self-leveling silicone or hot pour sealant material.
Standard Plans, Index 350-001 gives joint dimension details that are in accordance
with sealant industry recommendations.
Transverse joints are perpendicular to the centerline of the roadway. Their purpose is
to prevent uncontrolled cracking and reduce curling induced stresses.
While cutting of the slabs helps control random cracking, it also creates weakened
locations on the slabs. This could result in high deflections and stresses at the joints.
Dowel bars are used across transverse joints to reduce these stresses and deflections,
and provide adequate load transfer. This reduces the potential for pumping of the
subbase material.
Dowel bars are placed in concrete parallel to the centerline of the roadway and the
surface of the pavement.
TABLE 5.1
8-8½-in 1-in
9-10-in 1¼ -in
≥ 10½-in 1½-in
Spacing of the dowel bars should be 12-in unless otherwise indicated due to some special
reason. The lengths of the dowel bars are 18-in. The dowel bar diameters are - in, 1¼-
in, and 1½-in. Table 5.1 shows the dowel bar diameters for different pavement thickness.
Dowel bars are placed in advance of the concrete pouring operation using a dowel bar
basket.
Transverse joint spacing should not exceed 15-ft or twenty-four times the slab
thickness, whichever is less. The maximum desirable slab length is 15-ft.
Longitudinal joints should not be spaced greater than 15-feet. If a lane exceeds 15-feet,
such as ramps and weigh stations, a longitudinal joint should be provided in the center
of the lane.
Deformed reinforcing steel tie bars generally tie longitudinal joints together. The
purpose of the tie bar is to tie adjacent lanes and/or shoulders tightly together. Tie bars
do not significantly assist in the load transfer directly, but does improve aggregate
interlock.
For a No.4 Bar (diameter is ½-in), the length is 25-in. For a No.5 Bar (diameter is ⅝-in),
the length is 30-in.
Standard longitudinal joint tie bar spacing’s of 24-in for #4 bars or 30-in for #5 bars are
used in Florida and are shown on Standard Plans, Index 350-001.
Tie bars are implanted into the fresh concrete by mechanical means, or the tie bars are
placed in advance of the concrete pouring operation using approved tie bar chairs.
Slab widths are 12-ft or 13-ft, unless otherwise indicated in the plans for special
reasons. A 13-ft wide slab is used for the outside design lane to reduce edge stresses.
The travel lane striped at 12-ft.
When a change in the number of through lanes causes the design lane to change, such
as at ramps, transitions from 13-ft to 12-ft wide slabs can be made over three slab
lengths as shown in Standard Plans, Index 350-001 to avoid unmatched longitudinal
joints.
The purpose of an expansion joint is to provide for the expansion of concrete pavement
due to infiltration of incompressible material into the joints and during periods of extreme
temperature change.
Expansion joints are also provided in areas where there is an abrupt change in
geometry ("T" intersections, bridges, ramps and terminals) or an immovable structure
(i.e. parking areas, toll plazas, buildings, bridge approach slabs, etc.). Refer to
Standard Plans, Index 350-001.
Expansion joints are also included in areas where there are concrete curbs, traffic
separators, manholes, and drainage structures (i.e. grates, inlets, etc.). The cost of
expansion joints is included in the cost of the concrete pavement.
For expansion joints at a bridge approach, refer to Standard Plans, Index 370-001.
These joints are paid for at the contract unit price for Bridge Approach Expansion Joint.
The purpose of a construction joint is to provide a clean transition from one concrete
pouring operation to the next. An example would be fresh concrete against old concrete
from one day to the next. These could be both longitudinal and transverse joints.
Vendor expansion and contraction assemblies are used to maintain dowel bar
alignment during construction and are shown in Standard Plans, Index 350-001.
Manufacturers of vendor expansion and contraction assemblies can be found in the
department's Qualified Products List.
The purpose of providing a joint layout is to show non-standard joint geometries to avoid
discontinuities that can lead to random cracking.
Types of joint layouts that provide guidance can be found in the Standard Plans, Index
350-001 and include thru Intersections, 'T' Intersection, and ramps. Other irregular
areas should have joint layouts carefully detailed in the plans.
• Avoid angles less than 60 degrees by doglegging joints through curve radius
points. Use 90 degree angles when possible.
• Provide Transverse joints at all pavement width changes.
• Avoid odd shapes, keep slabs near-square or pie-shaped.
The link below also provides additional guidance for concrete pavement as well as
information for joint layout design.
http://wikipave.org/index.php?title=Joint_Layout
5.9 GRINDING
Grinding for smoothness shall be performed on the entire pavement surface lanes for
new and rehabilitation projects.
Grinding specification 352 is referenced from the 350 specification, and a grinding pay
item is recommended for both new construction and rehabilitated pavement areas.
CHAPTER 6
SHOULDER DESIGN
6.1 GENERAL
The purpose of shoulders is to provide edge support of the mainline pavement, assist off-
tracking vehicles, increase safety, provide additional pavement widths for lane shifts
during rehabilitation, provide refuge for disabled vehicles, and prevent erosion from
pavement runoff.
Several types of shoulders are available for concrete pavement. They are asphalt or
concrete. Table 6.1 provides guidance on the use of these different types of materials.
Details for the design of the shoulders are dependent on the type of materials used in the
embankment. Embankment alternates are Asphalt Base or Special Select Soil with
Special Stabilized Subbase.
On outside shoulders, 1-ft of the marked shoulder is cast with the outside truck lane slab.
The rest of the shoulder, when concrete, may be cast integrally with the mainline and saw
cut, or cast later on. The pavement will be striped for a 12-ft lane with a saw cut or
construction joint offset by 1-ft. The slab width is 13-ft but the pavement marking is at 12-
ft.
The offset of the joint has strong advantages of greatly reducing loading stresses at the
critical low outside truck lane edge.
TABLE 6.1
Asphalt
Asphalt
Notes
6.2 ASPHALT
Asphalt shoulders can be used for Limited Access facilities, Non-Limited Access
Arterials and Collectors.
For additional information on the design of asphalt shoulders please refer to the Flexible
Pavement Design Manual, Document # 625-010-002.
6.3 CONCRETE
The following are some of the different types of concrete shoulders that are available:
Tapered Thickness
Tapered thickness shoulder is a shoulder in which the thickness of the shoulder tapers
out depending on the width and slope of the shoulder. The minimum thickness should
not be less than 6-in.
Full thickness (tied) concrete shoulders may be used on Limited Access (Urban) facilities
where use for future Maintenance of Traffic or Widening is likely.
Partial thickness (tied) concrete shoulders may be used on Limited Access (Rural)
facilities, Non-Limited Access, Arterials, and Collectors (See Figure 6.4). The design
thickness can be based on 3% of a mainline 20 year calculated 18-kip ESAL for truck off
tracking on the shoulder.
If the shoulders are likely to be used to carry a substantial amount of traffic as a part of a
Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) scheme, the Pavement Design Engineer may design the
shoulder in the same manner as a roadway, based on an ESAL estimate of shoulder
traffic during Maintenance of Traffic periods.
Some design and construction considerations include the following when using concrete
shoulders.
6.4 GRASS
FIGURE 6.1
Notes:
CHAPTER 7
PAVEMENT WIDENING
7.1 GENERAL
Pavement widening falls into two different areas, strip widening and lane addition.
Strip widening is where additional width is added to the existing pavement width because
the existing width is less than the departments required design lane width criteria. Many
times this is generally done for safety considerations. An example would be widening of
an existing 10-ft wide lanes facility to provide 12-ft lanes. This is a common need for
roads constructed early in the department’s history. To reduce the potential for shrinkage
cracking, the minimum practical width of concrete pavement widening should be 3-ft, with
special consideration giving to jointing details as later described in Section 7.6 Joint
Details.
Lane addition is where lanes greater than or equal to 12-ft are added. This is a common
need when a facility is expanded for capacity considerations.
Intersection improvement is a hybrid of the two, where the roadway may be widened on
both sides less than full lane width to accommodate a middle turn lane on a four lane
undivided section. Other improvements could be made which would include the addition
of complete turn lanes, which could occur where there is adequate median space.
7.2 EVALUATION
Several questions need to be asked when evaluating the proposal to widen an existing
pavement. These questions are:
For widening, the existing roadway pavement typical section needs to be researched.
This could include such information as slab thickness, slab dimensions, embankment
soils, and drainage. On older pavements the thickness needs to be checked in the center
of the road and at the roads edge. Some older pavements in service today were built
with a thickened edge.
The 18-kip Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALs) should be requested for lane addition
projects to assist in evaluation of the remaining life of the existing pavement and the
thickness desirable for the design lane. For strip widening, the 18-kip Equivalent Single
Axle Load (ESALs) calculations are not necessary.
Before any thickness determination can be done on the proposed concrete pavement for
strip widening or lane addition, an analysis on the remaining life of the existing pavement
needs to be performed. This analysis should closely examine any deterioration of the
existing pavement.
For a strip-widening project, a formal analysis does not need to be done for the pavement
thickness. The best solution is to match the existing pavement. Some benefits in
matching the existing pavement thickness include:
• Any flow of water between the existing slab and the subgrade will not be disrupted,
pooled, or dammed.
• Trenching adjacent to the existing slab below the slab bottom that may cause a
weakening of subgrade support along the pavement edge may be avoided.
For a lane addition project, a formal analysis needs to be done in order to determine the
proposed thickness. If the calculated thickness is less than the existing, the thickness of
the new lane should match the existing thickness.
If the calculated thickness for a lane addition project is greater than the existing thickness,
then the calculated thickness may be used if adequate drainage can be assured. Actual
pavement performance may be different than that predicted by the AASHTO Equation.
Engineering judgment should be used to evaluate the remaining life and thickness
required.
Embankment and drainage details are very critical to the performance of the pavement
system.
• The loss of subgrade support along the pavement edge and settlement of adjacent
pavement and structures due to excavation.
• Traffic Control Plans (TCP) in cases where the width of the existing pavement is
less than 12-ft. This will affect the selection of barricades.
7.5.2 DRAINAGE
The recommended type of edgedrain system for widening is the Draincrete edgedrain
system as shown in Standard Plans, Index 446-001. This design is used because the
strength of the draincrete material provides lateral support of the existing pavement base
and supports heavy loads on the pavement surface over the pipe during and after
construction from heavy construction equipment, off-tracking trucks, and other forces.
Joint details are very important to the performance of the concrete pavement. Failure to
follow these guidelines can result in slab cracking.
It is preferable not to tie a new concrete widening section greater than 6-ft wide to the
existing pavement. This is due to the potential for stress build-ups due to differential
shrinkage of the new concrete adjacent to the existing. If tying to the existing is desired,
then existing transverse joints must be matched in the widening and tie bars offset from
the transverse joints by 3-ft.
Joint details should be provided for areas composed of mixed geometry. Examples of
this include ramps, intersections, etc. An exception would be widening where the same
details for each slab may be repetitive such as lane additions.
When adding a lane, the shoulders should be appropriate for the type of facility. If
concrete is used, it may be best not to tie the lane and the shoulder to the existing
pavement in order to avoid any unnecessary stress build up.
CHAPTER 8
DISTRESS
8.1 GENERAL
• Inadequate maintenance.
The tool that the Department uses to maintain system information on distressed
pavements is a data base called the "Pavement Condition Survey". The State Materials
Office in Gainesville maintains this.
The Pavement Condition Survey includes information on the following signs of distress:
• Pumping.
• Faulting.
Distress 8-1
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
8.3 PUMPING
The "pumping" of concrete is a process where the action of a heavy wheel load across a
transverse joint will cause the expulsion of water and fine base material in suspension
underneath the pavement slabs to escape through the pavement joints at the edge of
pavement.
1. Water enters into the base from joints and cracks in the pavement (See Figure
8.1A).
2. As a wheel load approaches a pavement joint (on the approach slab) the water
underneath the pavement moves slowly to the next slab. Some fine base material
also moves in this direction (See Figure 8.1B).
3. When the wheel load crosses the joint to the other side (on the leave slab), the
water underneath the pavement moves rapidly backs to the adjacent slab. This
high speed water causes more erosion of the pavement base. Some water is
ejected up through the joint with some of the base material (See Figure 8.1C).
Evidence of base material can be seen as stains on the shoulder.
4. The final result is a void under the leave slab and a possible buildup of material
under the approach slab. The void creates a cantilevered effect on the concrete
pavement. This results in cracking and faulting of the slab (See Figure 8.1D).
Distress 8-2
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Items that also contribute to pumping are poor load transfer, and/or low stiffness subbase.
8.4 FAULTING
In new pavement, the elevations of each slab at the transverse joint are the same. In
faulted pavement, a difference in the elevation between the slabs at the transverse joint
exists.
Faulting can be caused by the erosion (on the leave slab) and build up (on the approach
slab) of base fines by the action of pumping. A lack of load transfer also contributes to
faulting.
Distress 8-3
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
FIGURE 8.1
MECHANISM OF PUMPING
Water Water
Subgrade
Water
Water
Subgrade
Distress 8-4
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
FIGURE 8.1
(Continued)
MECHANISM OF PUMPING
Pumping
Wheel Load Movement
Water Water
Subgrade
Cracking Cracking
Faulting
Water Water
Leave Slab
Approach Slab
Subgrade
Distress 8-5
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
8.5 CRACKING
Cracking occurs when a concrete slab breaks into two or more pieces.
• Shrinkage
• Misaligned dowels.
Distress 8-6
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Distress 8-7
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
• Warping.
• Moderate - Cracks ⅛-in to ½-in wide, and/or little faulting, and/or intrusion of
debris.
• Severe - Cracks greater than ½-in wide, and/or loss of aggregate interlock,
intrusion of water and debris, faulting, and/or spalling.
Distress 8-8
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
• Moderate - Slab is broken into several pieces with some interlock remaining.
Replacement is necessary.
• Severe - Slab is broken into pieces that are acting independently. Replacement is
necessary.
• Cracking which are the most common, splitting, and erosion of the sealant.
• Partially Sealed - Joint seal has deteriorated to the extent that adhesion or
cohesion has failed and water is infiltrating into the joint.
• Not Sealed - Joint seal is either non-existent or has deteriorated to the extent that
both water and incompressible materials are infiltrating the joint.
Distress 8-9
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
8.6.2 SPALLING
Spalling is the cracking and disintegration at the slab edges. Spalling may be caused by
the intrusion of incompressible material, which restricts slab expansion and contraction.
Incompressible materials are usually rocks and sand. Spalling also occurs at cracks due
to irregular shape of the cracks and poor load transfer.
• Chemical reactants.
Distress 8-10
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
• Severe - Most coarse aggregate has been exposed and some has been removed.
The wearing surface has disintegrated to a depth of ½-in or greater.
8.7.2 PATCHING
• The performance of the patching material depends on the correct application and
materials (concrete, asphalt, and other), workmanship (preparation, finishing, and
curing), traffic conditions, etc.
• Fair - The patch is providing marginal performance and is expected to serve its
function for a few years.
• Poor - The patch has deteriorated to the extent that it no longer serves its function
and should be replaced as soon as possible.
• Pumping.
• Faulting.
• Cracking.
Distress 8-11
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
• Joint Distress.
• Surface Defects.
• Drop off in the elevation between the roadway and the shoulder.
Distress 8-12
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
The severity of Shoulder Distress is not measured in the field, but noted in the survey.
Distress 8-13
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Poor ride quality is caused by changes in the longitudinal profile of the road.
• Faulting.
• Cracking.
• Surface defects.
The Ride Quality is reported on a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the best. Ride profilers
are used by the State Materials Office to measure ride quality. The International
Roughness Index (IRI) values from profiler data are converted to a scale of 0 to 10, with
10 being an excellent ride.
Distress 8-14
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
CHAPTER 9
PAVEMENT REHABILITATION
9.1 GENERAL
Another item for consideration would be to look at the rate of deterioration and what are
the mechanisms causing the distress. Each rehabilitation alternative considered must
address the cause of the distress such as drainage, and not simply fix the resulting
cracking or other visible distress.
Before detailed design activities take place, the designer needs to do a life cycle cost
analysis to weigh the long term possibilities. The Value Engineering Section has a
Manual on Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Transportation Projects (July 1990) that can be a
helpful tool to assist in the analysis.
Several options are available to the designer as rehabilitation options. One option is
Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation (CPR). This alternative can include slab replacement,
diamond grinding, installation of edgedrains, cleaning and resealing joints, and routing
and sealing random cracks.
This option is used when the life cycle cost of Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation is less
than the cost of the other alternatives.
Another alternative involves Crack, Reseat and Overlay (CRO) Existing Concrete
Pavement. This alternative involves cracking and reseating the existing concrete
pavement and overlaying it with an Asphalt Membrane Interlayer (AMI), Structural
Asphalt and Asphalt Friction Course.
Other alternatives not discussed in detail here include replacing the existing pavement or
reconstruction. These alternatives involve removing or recycling the entire existing
pavement and replacing it with a new pavement. This could be concrete or asphalt as
determined by the pavement type selection process.
Careful analysis of life cycle costs of these alternatives will determine which is the most
cost effective.
CHAPTER 10
CONCRETE PAVEMENT REHABILITATION (CPR)
10.1 GENERAL
Slab replacement includes partial slab, full slab, and multiple slab replacement. The
purpose of slab replacement is to replace shattered and/or severely broken slabs.
Figure 10.1 and Standard Plans, Index 353-001 provide plan views of the layout of
concrete pavement replacement and repair criteria. Specific locations and type of
pavement repair should be shown on the plans.
Table 10.1 is provided to assist the designer in estimating quantities when evaluating the
needed rehabilitation.
• Full slab replacement, which includes the slab from joint to joint.
• Partial slab replacement, which includes slabs where a part of the slab has
disintegrated, joints have spalled significantly or the corners have cracked.
TABLE 10.1
Cracking
Longitudinal Light / < ⅛-in, no faulting, spalling < ½-in wide Light / none 10.2,
Moderate / ⅛-in < width < ½-in, spalling < 3-in wide Mod./ clean & 10.3
Severe / width > ½-in, spalling > 3-in, faulting > ½-in seal
Severe/
replace
Transverse Light / < ⅛-in, no faulting, spalling < ½-in wide Light / none 10.2,
Moderate / ⅛-in < width < ½-in, spalling < 3-in wide Mod./ clean & 10.3,
Severe / width > ½- in, spalling > 3-in, faulting > ½-in seal 10.4,
Severe / 10.5
replace
Corner A corner of the slab is separated by a crack that Full depth 10.4,
Breaks intersects the adjacent longitudinal and transverse replacement, 10.5
joint, describing an approximate 45° angle with the partial slab
direction of traffic.
Intersecting Cracking patterns that divide the slab into three or Full depth 10.3,
random more segments replacement, 10.4
cracks partial slab
allowed only if
(Shattered at least one
Slab) half of slab in
traffic
direction is
undamaged.
Joint
Deficiencies
Spall Light / spall width < 1.5-in, less than ⅓ slab depth, Light / none 10.5
< 12-in in length Mod. / none
Non-Wheel- Moderate / 1.5-in < spall width < 3-in, < ⅓ slab Severe / full
path depth, < 12-in in length depth
Severe / spall width > 3-in or length > 12-in replacement,
partial slab
Spall Light / spall width < 1.5-in, less than ⅓ slab depth, Light / none 10.5
< 12-in in length Mod. / full
Wheel-path Moderate / 1.5-in < spall width < 3-in., < ⅓ slab depth
depth, < 12-in in length Severe / full
Severe / spall width > 3-in or length > 12-in depth
Surface
Deterioration
Map Cracking A series of interconnected random cracks extending Low / do nothing
only into the upper slab surface Mod/ diamond
Low / surface is intact with no scaling grind
Moderate / scaling and loss of surface material
Scaling Deterioration of the upper concrete surface, usually Remove affected
less than ½-in in depth. area by grinding
Pop outs Small pieces of surface pavement broken loose, Light / keep under 10.4
normally ranging from 1 to 4-in diameter and ½ to observation
Non-Wheel- 2-in in depth Severe / full depth
path Light / not deemed to be a traffic hazard replacement
Severe / flying debris deemed a traffic hazard
Pop outs Small pieces of surface pavement broken loose, Light / Severe / 10.4
normally > 3-in diameter and 2-in in depth full depth
Wheel-path Light / deemed to be a traffic hazard replacement
Severe / flying debris deemed a traffic hazard
Miscellaneous
Distress
Faulting Elevation differences across joints or cracks Light / none
Light / Fault Index < 4 Mod. / grind
Moderate / 4 < Fault Index < 16 Severe / grind
Severe / Fault Index > 16
Lane to Light / 0 < drop off < 1-in Light / none N/A
shoulder drop Moderate / 1-in < drop off < 3-in Mod. / Build up
off Severe / drop off > 3-in Severe / Build up
Water Seeping or ejection of water through joints or cracks Install appropriate N/A
Bleeding or drainage, edge
pumping drain, permeable
sub base, reseal
joints, etc.
Blow ups Upward movement at transverse joints or cracks Full depth repair 10.3,
often accompanied by shattering of the concrete. 10.4
Minimum recommended Full Depth Repair dimensions are 12-ft wide (or full lane width)
by 6-ft long. If less than a full slab is replaced, the remaining slab that is not replaced
should also have these minimum dimensions.
One construction concern to be addressed in the Traffic Control Plans is if the removed
slabs have to remain open overnight. Normally, it is desirable to replace the slabs as
soon as possible. The designers should coordinate with the construction and materials
offices and indicate in the plans and specifications the use of High Early Strength
Concrete when required. A minimum compressive strength of 2200 psi is needed prior
to opening to traffic. The State Materials Office can be consulted on the use of these
materials.
Full slab replacements should be full lane width and a minimum of 6-ft in length. Dowel
bars should be retrofitted into each end of the repair. If repairs extend beyond 15-ft, an
intermediate, doweled transverse joint is to be provided. The longitudinal joints for slab
replacements should not be tied.
Slab replacement and other quantity estimates are to be made in the field in cooperation
with construction personnel and carefully documented on a slab by slab basis. If
necessary, lanes should be closed and cores taken of representative cracks to determine
the depth of cracking and spalling.
The purpose of diamond grinding is to restore faulted pavement and to improve ride.
Grinding is recommended for any concrete restoration project unless there are special
reasons not to.
One factor that affects the cost of grinding significantly is the type of aggregate used in
the concrete slab. Aggregate that is hard (has a higher hardness number) such as river
gravel could cost more to grind compared to a softer material such as limerock. The
designer needs to consult with the District Materials Engineer about the type of aggregate
used in the existing pavement in making the cost estimate.
All joints should be cleaned and resealed on any rehabilitation project. The purpose of
cleaning and resealing joints is to reduce the intrusion of water into the base and keep
incompressible out of the joints. The Pavement Design Engineer should be familiar with
Standard Plans, Index 350-001.
The purpose of routing and sealing random cracks is to reduce the intrusion of water into
the base and keep incompressible out of the joints. Using special saws or routers due to
the random nature of crack propagation does this.
10.7 OTHER
Restoration of load transfer has been tried in undoweled pavements in Florida, but was
not successful. Until further research and demonstrated success is performed in Florida,
the general use of load transfer restoration is not recommended.
CHAPTER 11
OTHER RECOMMENDED REHABILITATION ALTERNATIVES
11.1 GENERAL
Several other rehabilitation alternatives are available to the designer. Some of these have
been tried several times with good results. These alternatives are usually cost effective
only if the existing concrete pavement is significantly deteriorated. If the Pavement
Design Engineer decides to use one of these alternatives, information is available that
will guide the Pavement Design Engineer during the design process.
This alternative involves cracking the existing concrete pavement up, reseating the
existing pavement, and overlaying the existing pavement with an Asphalt Membrane
Interlayer (AMI), Asphalt Structural Course, and Friction Course.
The existing pavement should be broken according to specifications into properly sized
pieces to reduce thermal expansion and contraction of the concrete, thereby retarding
any reflective cracking.
The cracked pavement should be reseated firmly into place using rubber wheeled rollers.
The purpose of reseating the existing pavement is to provide the following benefits:
• Eliminate any slab pieces that may rock, slide, or push.
• Remove any jagged edges.
The purpose of the Asphalt Membrane Interlayer (AMI) is to retard any reflective cracking
that may occur, and provide a waterproofing layer to keep any water remaining under the
slabs from pumping into the asphalt layers.
More information about this material as well as information on the design of additional
asphalt layers can be found in the Flexible Pavement Design Manual (Document No. 625-
010-002).
The purpose of the asphalt overlay is to provide additional structural strength to the
pavement system and to provide a new riding surface on top of the prepared surface.
This should include an Asphalt Structural Course and a Friction Course. Information on
the design of these layers can be found in the Flexible Pavement Design Manual.
In designing the project, the cracked and reseated concrete pavement can be treated as
a base. Using the Flexible Pavement Design Manual, the cracked and reseated
pavement layer coefficients that can be used include the following:
Structural Coefficients
Material Good Fair Poor
Reseated Concrete 0.23 0.20 0.18
Design details need to be developed for the pavement where there is a transition into a
bridge approach slab. It is usually advisable to remove some of the slabs so that thin
asphalt feathering is not required, due to its potential to oxidize and delaminate with time.
An appropriate thickness transition length should be provided for high-speed facilities.
Another area where design details need to be provided would be in the area of a bridge
underpass. Reduction in clearance below standards at an underpass due to the extra
asphalt must be avoided. Vertical clearance information can be found in Chapter 2,
Design Geometrics and Criteria, of the Florida Design Manual - Procedure No. 625-000-
002.
The solution may be to remove the concrete pavement in advance of the underpass and
provide additional base material before placement of the Asphalt Structural Course and
Friction Course.
If the pavement system still has a large amount of water in the pavement system, using
edgedrains may provide an outlet for the water before the cracking and reseating
operation is performed.
11.3 RECYCLING
Another alternative that the department has utilized is the complete recycling of the
existing concrete pavement as an aggregate source for a new pavement. This option is
desirable when cost effective and where problems with the subbase have been
encountered and must be addressed.
This has been tried in some areas of the state successfully where the cost of removing
the pavement, crushing the slabs, and sorting out the material, has provided life cycle
cost savings.
11.4 RUBBLIZATION
The existing pavement slab is fractured into aggregate–sized particles, which destroys
the slab action. Rubblization is usually appropriate when deterioration of the existing
pavement renders normal crack/seat or break/seat methods ineffective.
CHAPTER 12
JPCP OVERLAYS OF ASPHALT PAVEMENT
12.1 GENERAL
The construction of a Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP) over an existing flexible
(asphalt) pavement is called JPCP overlay of Asphalt pavement. The FDOT has limited
experience with rigid overlays of flexible pavement, but successful projects have been
constructed in 1989 on US-1 and in 2009 on I-95.
Ultra-thin (3 and 4-in thick) concrete overlays were tried on a truck inspection station on
I-10 in 1997, but they were not successful (FDOT Research Report BC-354). If other
types of overlays are tried, it should be considered experimental and coordinated with the
State Materials Office as outlined in Chapter 13.
The following variable and standard design inputs are the same as listed in Section 2.2
of this manual. See Section 2.2 for the recommended input values.
12.3 VARIABLES
Reliability (%R)
Climate Region
Terminal Faulting
Terminal Cracking
Limerock Base
Joint Spacing
It is permissible to leave structurally sound existing asphalt pavement for use as a base
layer for concrete. However, milling of the existing pavement may be used to minimize
grade increases, adjust roadway cross sections, and remove wheel path ruts and to
provide a uniform longitudinal profile.
The rigid overlay thickness is very sensitive to the asphalt base thickness due to the
bonding condition and relatively high asphalt dynamic modulus, but is not highly sensitive
to the limerock and other underlying granular layers.
When milling an existing flexible pavement prior to a rigid overlay, it is usually desirable
to leave at least ¾” of asphalt over the base throughout the project to protect it from traffic
and rain. The milled surface should then be overlaid with at least one inch of Type SP
Traffic Level B (TL B).
The total asphalt base thickness for input to the Pavement ME design software is the
thickness of the existing asphalt pavement after any milling and the new asphalt overlay.
It may be feasible to place JPCP overlay directly on a milled surface, but this has not
been tried in Florida. If the designer desires to try this, it should be considered
experimental and coordinated with the State Materials Office as outlined in Chapter 13.
12.6 DRAINAGE
The drainage system should be as per Standard Plans, Index 446-001 for rehabilitation.
CHAPTER 13
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
13.1 GENERAL
New products are tested to determine their effectiveness under Florida conditions.
Examples may include components such as joint seals, concrete material additives and
curing compounds.
APPENDIX A
References:
Development of Thickness Design Tables Based on MEPDG
Texas Transportation Institute
Oh, Fernando, June, 2008
Appendix A A-1
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
APPENDIX B
RIGID PAVEMENT DESIGN QUALITY CONTROL PLAN
B.2 DEFINITIONS
The following definitions are used throughout this section. Quality Conformance to
policies, procedures, standards, guidelines and above all, good engineering practice.
Quality Assurance (QA)
Consists of all planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence
that a design, structure, system, or component will perform satisfactorily and conform to
project requirements. Quality assurance involves establishing project related policies,
procedures, standards, training, guidelines, and systems necessary to produce quality.
Quality Control (QC)
This is the checking and review of designs and plans for compliance with policies,
procedures, standards, guidelines and good engineering practice.
B.3 RESPONSIBILITY
The district offices and turnpike consultants are responsible for Quality Control. Quality
Assurance is the role of the Central Office.
Pavement designs will be developed in accordance with the Rigid Pavement Design
Manual (Document No. 625-010-006). The approved pavement design and the
supporting data will be included in the District Project Design File.
The Pavement Design Package as a minimum will include the following items:
Appendix B B-1
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
The Pavement Design Summary Sheet will show the approved pavement design and will
be signed and sealed by the District Pavement Design Engineer or the designated
responsible Pavement Design Engineer. The District Design Engineer will sign for
concurrence with the design. The file copy will show Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) approval, if required, for Federal Aid Projects or Certification Acceptance as
appropriate.
Project location and description of the type of work, if not clearly stated on the summary
sheet.
The basis for the material properties used in the design, signed and sealed where
required, including if applicable for:
New Construction
• Resilient Modulus (KG).
• Material properties used if different than those in the Design Manual.
• Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation (CPR) and Lane Widening
• Existing pavement layer information (layer types, thickness, and condition).
• A copy of the Pavement Coring and Evaluation Report.
• Drainage recommendations.
• The ESALD calculations are normally signed and certified by the Planning Office.
The basis for the input data used for these calculations must be stated.
• Required Depth (DR) calculations.
• Documentation addressing any special features such as cross slope, coordination
with adjacent projects, stage construction, drainage considerations, etc.
• Sketch of a possible construction sequence, including any widening and shoulders,
to insure constructability in accordance with the standards.
• A drawing of the rigid pavement design typical section or an adequate narrative
description.
• Joint Design Details showing Plan View in areas where geometric changes occur
(i.e. intersections, ramps, etc.)
Appendix B B-2
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
B.4.2 DISTRIBUTION
Central Office approval of the pavement design is not required. Designs will be monitored
and periodically reviewed, in detail, for quality assurance and for purposes of identifying
and improving deficiencies in design policies, procedures, standards and guidelines.
For Federal Aid Projects that are selected under the FHWA PODI (Projects Of Division
Interest) program, two copies of the approved Pavement Design Summary Sheet and
one copy of the supporting documentation will be forwarded directly to the appropriate
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Engineer for FHWA concurrence (concurrent
with the transmittal to the State Pavement Design Engineer).
Only mainline or major elements of a project need formal FHWA pavement design
approval. Details such as cross roads and shoulders will be handled as a part of the plans
approval process. Do not send these copies to the Central Office for transmittal to FHWA.
The District will deal directly with the FHWA to resolve any questions. Central Office
Pavement Management will be available for assistance if requested by the District or
FHWA. The FHWA will return directly to the District one copy of the summary sheet with
signature denoting concurrence. This copy will be filed in the District Project Design file.
B.4.3 REVISIONS
Changes made subsequent to formal distribution will require that a revised summary
sheet be prepared, a copy of which shall be signed and sealed, distributed, and filed for
permanent record in the Project Design File.
Minor changes may be noted in type or ink on the original Pavement Design Summary
Sheet with the responsible Professional Engineer's initials and the date of change. A copy
of the revised original should then be signed, dated, sealed and filed for permanent
record.
Major changes may require that a complete new Pavement Design Summary Sheet be
prepared and processed, in which case it shall note that it supersedes a previous design.
Copies of revised pavement designs including backup data documenting why the change
is being made will be transmitted to the State Pavement Design Engineer and
redistributed as appropriate.
For intersection improvement, short roadway connectors on bridge replacement projects,
and roadway widening projects, the Modulus of Subgrade Reaction (KG), 18-kip (80-kN)
Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALD), and computation of Required Depth (DR) are
Appendix B B-3
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
normally not required. However in all cases, a document describing how the pavement
design was developed should be prepared, signed and sealed.
B.4.4 DOCUMENTATION
Every attempt should be made to follow written procedures. Situations will occur where
following the pavement design procedure will result in a Required Depth (DR) that cannot
be met. This could occur when a design is required in a widening area.
The Pavement Design Engineer will have to exercise engineering judgment on what
should be done in these cases. When this occurs, the Pavement Design Engineer is
advised to document the project, make special note of the problem, and provide additional
explanation as to how the recommended design was developed. Consultation with other
engineers (Construction, Drainage, Materials, etc.) is highly recommended and should be
noted in the design file.
The quality control process will include the three activities listed below:
1. The checking and review of pavement designs for compliance with policies,
procedures, standards, guidelines and good engineering practice.
2. The checking and review of plans to insure that the approved pavement designs
are correctly incorporated.
3. Documentation of the Quality Control Process.
An independent qualified Professional Engineer will carry out the Quality Control
Process. As a minimum, the documentation will consist of a copy of the QC Checklist
filed with the Pavement Design Package, or a Pavement Design Quality Control File
maintained by Financial Item Number order consisting of:
• A copy of the signed and sealed Pavement Design Summary Sheet.
• A copy of the QC Checklist signed by the QC Engineer.
• A sample checklist is attached.
The State Pavement Design Engineer will be responsible for conducting and/or
coordinating all pavement related QA activities within each District and the Turnpike. A
QA review of District Pavement Design activities will generally be conducted annually.
Appendix B B-4
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Drainage Evaluation
Shoulder Design
Appendix B B-5
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Rehabilitation
Distress Evaluation
Structural Evaluation
Plans Review
Appendix B B-6
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
APPENDIX C
ESTIMATING DESIGN 18- KIP
EQUIVALENT SINGLE AXLE LOADS (ESALD)
C.1 BACKGROUND
One of the products of the AASHO (American Association of State Highway Officials)
Road Test conducted near Ottawa, Illinois from 1958 to 1960 was a method for relating
the relative damage caused by different axle loadings. This evolved into a procedure that
permitted the calculation of the accumulated damage caused by mixed vehicle loadings
over a pavement design period. The four tires, single axle, carrying 18 000 lbs (18-kip)
Equivalent Single Axle Load or ESALD was accepted as the base for these calculations.
Table C.1 illustrates the relationship of axle weight to damage.
A detailed write-up, including tabulated damage factors for single, tandem, and triple
axles, is given in Appendix D of the 1993 AASHTO (American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials) Guide for Design of Pavement Structures.
A procedure for calculating a more precise estimate on the Department's projects can be
obtained from the Office of Planning, Project Traffic Forecasting Procedure Topic No.
525-030-120, using the Project Traffic Forecasting Handbook. Calculations on
Department projects must be signed and certified by the Department's planning section.
The following is a simple procedure for estimating ESALD in the design lane. Design
periods used in these calculations can be found in the manual. The design lane is the
lane where the majority of the trucks can be found. A common example would be a four
lane divided highway where most of the trucks would be found in the travel lane. The
basic equation is presented and the variables are defined. Simple input coefficients are
tabulated. A computer spreadsheet that performs the necessary computations is
available from the Department.
Appendix C C-1
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
TABLE C.1
The ESALD required for pavement design purposes can be computed using the following
equation:
y=x
ESALD = (AADT×T24 ×DF ×LF ×E18 ×365)
y=1
Where:
y = The year that the calculation is made for. When y=1, the entire variable apply
to year 1. Most of the variables are constant except AADT, which may change from
year to year. Others may change when changes in the system occur. Such
changes include parallel roads, shopping centers, truck terminals, etc.
T24 = Percent Heavy Trucks during a 24 hour period. Trucks with 6 tires or more
are considered in the calculations.
DF = Directional Distribution Factor. Use 1.0 if one-way traffic is counted or 0.5 for
two-way traffic. This value is not to be confused with the Directional Factor use for
planning capacity computations.
Appendix C C-2
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
LF = Lane Factor converts directional trucks to the design lane trucks. Lane factors
can be adjusted to account for unique features known to the designer such as
roadways with designated truck lanes. LF values can be determined from Table
C.2
E18 = Equivalency factor which is the damage caused by one average heavy truck
measured in 18-kip Equivalent Single Axle Loads. These factors will be periodically
updated based on Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) data. E18 values can be determined
from Table C.3 or the latest Planning guidance.
TABLE C.2
The equation that best defines this Lane Factor (LF) information is:
Where:
Appendix C C-3
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Ln = Natural Logarithm.
Source: National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 277, Portland Cement
Concrete Pavement Evaluation System (COPES), Transportation Research Board,
September 1986.
TABLE C.3
Flexible Rigid
Pavement Pavement
Freeways
Rural 1.05 1.60
Urban 0.90 1.27
Arterials and Collectors
Rural 0.96 1.35
Urban 0.89 1.22
Appendix C C-4
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Several sample problems have been provided that illustrates this process.
GIVEN:
The following input is provided. Note that other facilities within the urban area
become available in the year 2013 thus causing the traffic assignment (AADT) to
drop and T24 to change.
T24 = 12%
2005 Estimated AADT = 12,000
2013 Estimated AADT = 16,000
T24 = 8%
2014 Estimated AADT 12,000
2025 Estimated AADT 34,000
DATA:
The following data can be determined from information and tables provided.
Appendix C C-5
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
SOLUTION:
y=2013
ESALD = (AADT × 0.12 × 0.50 × LF × 1.22 × 365)
y=2005
y=2025
ESALD = (AADT × 0.08 × 0.50 × LF × 1.22 × 365)
y=2014
Calculating:
Annual Accumulated
Year AADT LF
ESAL* ESAL
2005 12,000 0.85 272,524 272,524
Appendix C C-6
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Annual Accumulated
Year AADT LF
ESAL* ESAL
2016 16,000 0.82 233,693 3,427,429
CONCLUSION:
Note that the 20 year accumulated value (ESALD) is 6, 227,475 ESALs or
7,000,000 ESALs.
GIVEN:
Appendix C C-7
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
DATA:
The following data can be determined from information and tables provided.
SOLUTION:
Using the following equation:
y=2010
ESALD = (AADT × 0.10 × 0.50 × LF × 1.35 × 365)
y=1990
CALCULATING:
Annual Accumulated
Year AADT LF
ESAL* ESAL
1990 8,000 0.88 173,448 173,448
1991 8,500 0.87 182,194 355,642
1992 9,000 0.87 192,912 548,554
Appendix C C-8
Topic #625-010-006 Effective: January 30, 2006
Rigid Pavement Design Manual Revised: January 2018
Annual Accumulated
Year AADT LF
ESAL* ESAL
1998 12,000 0.85 251,303 1,906,698
1999 12,500 0.84 258,694 2,165,392
2000 13,000 0.84 269,042 2,434,434
CONCLUSION:
Note that the 20 year (2009) accumulated value is 5,265,776 ESALs (rounding
ESALD = 6,000,000).
If the project design period delayed one year and the design period reduced to 19
years, the new ESALD would be:
Appendix C C-9