About the Project

Background

The routine production of durable concrete pavements is an increasingly challenging task for civil engineers and producers. An ever increasing number and variety of ingredients in the concrete, severe environmental conditions, the routine use of de-icing chemicals, and increasing traffic volumes tend to place extreme demands on portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements.

Modern concrete mixtures have evolved to become very complex chemical systems. The complexity of the mixtures results from the number of ingredients used and the various types and sources of ingredients supplied to any given project. Compatibility is also related to the way materials are combined (e.g., proportioning and mixing) and environmental conditions. Concrete mixes with different types and sources of materials may require different mixture proportions, different mixing procedures, and curing technology to achieve desirable properties and performance. As a result, characterizing concrete materials, identifying potential incompatibility problems, optimizing mixture proportions, and developing appropriate construction procedures are key issues to increasing the durability of concrete pavements.

This is a five-year, pooled fund study, beginning in 2003, to help ensure that PCC pavements perform as designed without experiencing premature distress. The study will investigate the entire PCC paving process, focusing on the PCC materials and the tests needed to characterize them and control their quality, compile an inventory of best practices, evaluate process improvements that are under-utilized, and develop needed process improvements, including tests and specifications.

The products of the study will be an integrated set of guidelines and educational modules that provide a blueprint for conducting lab and field tests to ensure that design guidelines are met throughout the PCC paving process, from materials to construction.

This study was initiated by the Midwest Concrete Consortium, an organization of departments of transportation, universities, and industry in ten upper Midwest states and FHWA. The study will be conducted through an active partnership of participating states and organizations. Iowa is the lead state and the Center for Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Technology at Iowa State University is managing the research.