STRESS CAUSED BY TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IN PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENTS

Abstract

Concern has been expressed in Florida that, because of a nonlinear temperature gradient in a portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement, internal stresses could be developed such that the life of the pavement would be seriously reduced. A research program was undertaken by the Florida Department of Transportation to determine the actual temperature gradient in a PCC pavement. For a period of 9 months, hourly temperatres were recorded from a 9-inch-thick test pavement in Gainesville, Florida. The temperature data were analyzed to determine what curve best fit the data and what were the actual maximum compressive and tensile stresses caused by the nonlinearity of the temperature gradient. These results were compared with those obtained from the AASHO Test Road and with Bergstrom's prediction method. The results indicated that the nonlinearity of the temperature gradient in a PCC pavement did not have a significant impact on its performance.