Transformation of singular joint deformations into multiple cracks in carbon reinforced concrete pavements

Large concrete surfaces in industrial and parking areas, roads or highways, are typically designed with joints to mitigate constraint-induced stresses and uncontrolled crack formation.Thermal or hygric concrete deformations localize at these joints, which can vary in thickness from a few millimeters to several centimeters.To prevent the ingress of harmful substances into the concrete and its substrate, joints are typically sealed by flexible polymer sealants.However, the durability of these sealing systems is limited, despite being regularly maintained.Furthermore, the concrete in the joint areas often yields premature damage under combined mechanical loads and environmental exposures.This paper presents an alternative concept consisting in overbuilding existing joints with a thin layer of carbon reinforced concrete (CRC).The CRC layers transform the joint deformations into multiple fine cracks over a predefined area, enabling an extended service life an enhanced traffic comfort.The work deals with the design of a large-scale testing facility including initial reference experiments on CRC joint systems.The experimental setup was developed to simulate both positive and negative, quasi-static and cyclic joint deformations at a full scale.It allows deriving the mechanical response of the system and analyze the damage development and crack formation by means of analogue and image-based techniques