Design Factors Influencing Longitudinal Cracking Progression in Doweled Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements

The purpose of this paper is to determine significant design factors leading to the progression of longitudinal cracking in jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP) that may be considered in changing design standards and policies. The evaluation involved 1,008 segments averaging 1.14 miles in length. The analysis revealed that approximately 60% of the segments exhibited longitudinal cracking while 40% did not. Approximately 56% of 14 ft. wide panels and 84% of 15 ft. wide panels experienced longitudinal cracking, compared to 81% for 12 ft. and 100% of 13 ft. wide panels. A majority of longitudinal cracking across all panel widths was between wheel paths or in the right wheel path. Significant factors explaining the length and/or severity of longitudinal cracking included width-to-thickness ratio, joint spacing, transverse joint orientation, and base gradation. A 1-in thickness increase from 9 in (w/t=1.6) to 10 in (w/t=1.4) reduced both the number of cracks by 25% and the average cracking length within a pavement segment by 45%.