Functional distress modelling in Portland cement concrete pavements

Concrete is widely used as a construction material in pavements by public and private agencies that administer highway networks because of its high durability and capacity to resist large traffic loads and very rigorous climates. Nevertheless, these agencies have to estimate the evolution of pavement performance to plan and optimize the application of adequate maintenance activities, allowing the pavement to be maintained at an optimum service level throughout its lifetime. Predictive distress models of the incremental type, that is, models capable of predicting annual increments of different distress indicators in the pavement, could be very useful tools in the implementation of maintenance plans, with minimal need for previous data, especially with regard to information on cumulative traffic loads. This paper offers incremental models for distress prediction in jointed plain concrete pavements, related to joint problems such as faulting and spalling, which clearly affect the pavement ride quality. The equations obtained allow for not only the calculation of distress predictions in analyzing road maintenance policies, but also the adjustment of the original designs of these pavements, to minimize the occurrence and magnitude of distress problems.