Ultra-thin reinforced concrete pavements (UTRCP): Addressing the design issues

Abstract

The design and use of ultra-thin reinforced concrete pavements (UTRCP) are well known and are implemented successfully in residential streets and low-volume roads. Various publications are available to assist engineers and contractors to successfully design and construct roads using this labour-intensive construction technique. The current structural design of UTRCP is for low-volume road applications with a total expected traffic of less than 1 million equivalent single 80 kN axle loads. This paper deals with an analytical evaluation based on laboratory results and computer modeling to determine the stress condition under loading and to determine the design life of the UTRCP pavement system under various loading states. The paper includes a critical review on previous published CBR cover curve design charts for UTRCP pavements.