Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement:
Design and Construction
Pavement Thickness Design and
RCC-Pave Software
Gregory E. Halsted, P.E.
Pavements Engineer
Portland Cement Association
November 3, 2005
Atlanta, Georgia
Cement-Based Pavement
Materials
Cement Content
Roller-Compacted
Concrete
Conventional
Concrete
No Wea
ring Co
u
Soil-Cement
CementTreated
Base
Wearin
g
Course
Flowable Fill
Full-Depth
Reclamation
Cement-Modified
Soil
Cast
Rolled
Water Content
rse
Definition
Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a no-slump
concrete that is compacted by vibratory rollers.
Zero slump (consistency of damp gravel)
No forms
No reinforcing steel
No finishing
Consolidated with
vibratory rollers
Concrete pavement placed in a different way!
Pavement Thickness Design
Engineering Properties
Compressive strength
4,000 to 10,000 psi
Flexural strength
500 to 1,000 psi
fr = C(fc)1/2
Modulus of Elasticity
3,000,000 to 5,500,000 psi
E = CE(fc)1/2
Engineering Properties
RCC can provide
higher flexural
strength than
conventional
concrete
Mixture Design
Conventional concrete mixture procedures
are not appropriate!
Not air-entrained
Lower water content
Lower paste content
Larger fine aggregate content
Nominal maximum size aggregate (NMSA)
= 1/2 or 5/8
Important!
Dry enough
to support a
vibratory
roller
Wet enough
to permit
adequate
distribution
of paste
Aggregate Selection
Aggregate
selection very
important
Responsible for
mix workability,
segregation,
ease of
consolidation
Pre-blended or
stored
separately
Aggregate Selection
Highway base course, asphalt, or concrete
aggregates can be used
1/2 or 5/8 NMSA
For smooth surface, lower segregation
Higher fine aggregate content than
conventional concrete mixes
For adequate stability under vibratory
roller
2% to 8% passing #200 sieve
Provides paste to fill voids and maintain
tight surface
Pe rc e nt Pa s s ing
Aggregate Gradation for RCC
#200
#40
.075
0.1
.425
#10
#4
1/2" 1"
2"
2.0
4.75 12.5 25 50
10
100
100
80
60
40
20
0
0.01
Sieve Opening (mm)
Cementitious Materials
Select materials based upon availability,
economics, and design requirements:
Portland cement: Type I or II
Fly ash
Slag or silica fume
Normally 400-600 lb/cy cementitious
(12% to 17% of dry weight)
If used, fly ash proportions are typically
15% to 25%
Admixtures
Retarders or water reducers can be
used to increase working time
Superplasticizers not used
Air entrainment not yet technologically
possible
But RCC is very freeze/thaw resistant
Fibers seldom used, benefits have not
been demonstrated
Newest trend in RCC mix production
Soil Compaction Method
1. Determine moisture content
Construct moisture/density curve
Modified Proctor ASTM D1557
Assume a median cement content
for example: 15 percent
Moisture-Density Relationship
Dry Density (lb/cf)
144
143
142
141
140
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
Moisture Content
7%
8%
Soil Compaction Method
2. Determine cementitious materials
content
Use optimum moisture content
Run cement series
e.g., 11%, 13%, 15%, 17%
Select cement content which yields
appropriate strength
View Of Casting First Lift Of
Cylinder Using ASTM C1435
Completed Test Cylinders
Strength vs. Cement Content
28-Day Compressive
Strength (psi)
6,500
6,000
5,500
5,000
4,500
4,000
10%
12%
14%
Cement Content
16%
18%
Sample RCC Mix Designs
Coarse Aggregate
Fine Aggregate
Maximum Size
Aggregate
% Finer Than #200
Cement
Fly Ash
Water
Unit Weight
Compressive: 3 day
Compressive: 28 day
Flexural: 3 day
Flexural: 28 day
Units
lb/cy
lb/cy
Port of Tacoma
Intermodal Yard
1,700
1,700
Brownsville, TX
Border Station
1,287 (#67 river gravel)
1,762 (concrete sand)
in
5/8
3/4
%
lb/cy
lb/cy
lb/cy
lb/cf
psi
psi
psi
psi
3-7
450
100
257
154.3
1,810
6,050
525
770
2
504
0
185
147.2
3,046
4,946
493
638
Thickness Design of RCC
Pavements
Design methods based on CTL and
COE Research
Follows rigid pavement design
strategies
Plain, un-doweled, un-reinforced
concrete pavement
RCC - Unique Loadings
Highway loadings just the start
Industrial pavements present design
challenge
Container and log sort yard loadings
can greatly exceed highway loadings
18,000 vs 220,000+ lb. axle loads
Slab Tensile Stress is Critical
Stress is affected by:
load
tire pressure and spacing
slab thickness
subbase support
concrete stiffness
Design for Stress Ratio
Stress Ratio = critical applied tensile stress
Modulus of Rupture (flexural strength)
where:
critical applied stress is the maximum tensile stress at the
bottom of the concrete pavement slab
and the
Modulus of Rupture is the tensile strength of a concrete beam
tested using third-point loading at 28 days
Flexural (tensile) strength controls for RCC pavements
Thickness Design Procedure
RCC pavement thickness is increased
until the desired stress ratio is
reached
or
the strength of the concrete is
increased
Design Assumptions
Interior loading
Monolithic slab action for multi-layer
construction
Load transfer across joints/cracks
Conservatism:
Design curve below fatigue tests
Strength gain with age
Thickness Design Procedure
1. Support strength of subgrade (k value)
2. Vehicle characteristics
Wheel loads
Wheel spacing
Tire characteristics
Load repetitions during design life
3. Flexural strength
4. Modulus of Elasticity
Thickness Design Procedure
Subgrade Support
k value
Use plate load test, or estimated
relationships
Vehicle Loads
Normally, heaviest wheel load controls
Contact area: wheel load/tire pressure
Wheel spacing: per manufacturer
Software Demonstration
Single Axle Single Wheel
Design Example
Passenger Car, Single Axle - Single Wheel
Axle load: 2k - Wheel load: 1k
Subgrade k value: 210 pci
Tire pressure: 35 psi
Tire contact area 1,000/35 = 29 sq in
RCC flexural strength: 600 psi
RCC modulus of elasticity: 3,500,000 psi
Load repetitions/day = 35; therefore,
20 years: 35 x 365 x 20 = 255,500
Tandem Axle Dual Wheel
Design Example
Truck, Tandem Axle - Dual Wheel
Axle load: 34k - Wheel load: 17k
Subgrade k value: 210 pci
Tire pressure: 100 psi
Tire contact area 17,000/100/4 = 43 sq in
RCC flexural strength: 650 psi
RCC modulus of elasticity: 3,000,000 psi
Load repetitions/day = 50; therefore,
20 years: 50 x 365 x 20 = 365,000
Single Wheel
Design Example
Straddle Carrier, Single Wheel
Total load: 104k - Wheel load: 26k
Subgrade is fine-grained with no subbase
Tire pressure: 100 psi
Tire contact area 26,000/100 = 260 sq in
RCC design strength = 7,000 psi
Load repetitions/day = 20; therefore,
20 years: 20 x 365 x 20 = 146,000
for additional information, please visit our website at
www.cement.org/pavements
Thank You!
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