National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Portland cement concrete pavements in the midwestern United States (US) can suffer premature deterioration due to so-called D-cracking. One of the causes of this distress is that the pore size distribution within the aggregate will readily absorb water, but prevent it from evaporating due to surface tension effects. Saturated aggregates that are subjected to freezing will expand and crack, leading to damage in the pavement, starting near sawn joints. There are also some chemical effects, but these are outside the scope of this work. The aim of this work is to conduct a proof-of-concept assessment of some innovative alternative approaches to assessing the risk of D-cracking in aggregates that will be rapid, cost-effective, and reliable.