English

DTIC ADA325108: Advanced Pavement Design: Finite Element Modeling for Rigid Pavement Joints. Report 1: Background Investigation.

The objective of this research project is to develop an analytical model for rigid pavement joints that can be implemented into advanced pavement design models. This report documents a background investigation including a comprehensive review of rigid pavement joint models with particular emphasis on their joint and foundation modeling capabilities. The major historical developments in airport rigid pavement design are discussed. Closed form solutions akin to those by Westergaard were derived in this study for the maximum responses on the unloaded side of a rigid pavement slab edge capable of a degree of load transfer. When used together with Westergaard's own closed form equations for the free edge problem, the formulae derived in this study constitute a complete solution of the edge load transfer problem, recognized over the years as a critical consideration in rigid pavement design. The newly derived solution is presented in convenient form for routine engineering application and is compared to earlier finite element data. The improvement in ease of application and precision is considerable.

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