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Performance Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Thin Concrete Pavement and Overlays

Status: Completed
Project Start Date: October 27, 2017
Project End Date: June 30, 2021

Project summary

Due to increasing budget constraints, there is interest in economizing pavement structures by reducing the panel thickness or increasing the service life of the pavement. Past research has demonstrated definite limits to reducing the panel thickness of conventional undoweled jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP), thus invoking interest in understanding the potential of using structural fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) to either allow slab thickness reduction or an increase in service life. The research need arises in understanding the contribution of structural fibers in mitigating panel fatigue cracking and transverse joint faulting in thin concrete overlays and pavement on grade. There is interest in understanding the effects fiber reinforced concrete have on panel size as well, especially for much thinner slabs.

Structural fibers generally improve the performance of thin concrete pavement and overlays by (i) holding cracks tight and (ii) transferring the wheel load between adjacent slabs. Several laboratory studies are currently in progress to comprehensively quantify the above-mentioned two benefits. Performance comparison of companion pavement sections (with and without fibers) are now required to obtain a field-validated method to accurately account for the contribution of fibers for the future mechanistic-empirical (ME) design procedures of FRC based thin concrete overlays and pavements on grade.

To achieve this, the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) has designed and constructed seven fiber-reinforced concrete test cells and one control plain concrete cell at the MnROAD facility in summer 2017. The primary variables in these cells include panel thickness, type of support (base), panel size, and fiber dosage. All of these cells are equipped with different types of response measuring sensors. Performance of these cells will be periodically evaluated. Sensor data and periodically collected performance data will be used to achieve the following objectives:

  1. Determining contribution of fibers in reducing panel fatigue cracking;
  2. Determining contribution of fibers in mitigating joint faulting;
  3. Determining optimal panel size.

Project tasks and reports

Original Need Statement: Fiber Reinforced Concrete Pavements (DOC) - 6/14/2017

Task 1: Literature search

Task 2A/B/C: Annual cell performance reports

Task 3: Analysis to determine contribution of fibers in reducing panel fatigue cracking

Task 4: Analysis to determine contribution of fibers in mitigating joint faulting

Task 5: Analysis to determine optimal panel size for thin fiber-reinforced concrete pavements

  • Deliverable: See Task 3 report above
  • Due date: 1/31/2021

Task 6: Compile report, TAP review, and revisions (PDF)

  • Due date: 4/30/2020

Task 7: Editorial review and publication of final report

Project team

Email the Project Team
Principal Investigator: Manik Barman, University of Minnesota Duluth
Technical Liaison: Tom Burnham, MnDOT
Project Technical Advisory Panel (TAP)

  • Tim Anderson, MnDOT
  • Kaye Bieniek, Minnesota LRRB
  • Tom Burnham, MnDOT (TL)
  • John Donahue, Missouri DOT
  • Christine Dulian, MnDOT
  • Bernard Izevbekhai, MnDOT
  • James Krstulovich, Illinois DOT
  • Rita Lederle, University of St. Thomas
  • Clifford McDonald, FORTA Corp.
  • Maria Masten, MnDOT
  • Luke Pinkerton, Helix Steel
  • Dulce Rufino, California DOT
  • Debbie Sinclair, MnDOT
  • Julie Vandenbossche, University of Pittsburgh

TAP meeting minutes

Presentations

Related Materials