Performance Evaluation & Design Improvements of Rigid Pavements in Texas

This dissertation investigated the long-term performance, design optimization, and predictive modeling of rigid pavements including Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) in Texas, where population growth and increased truck traffic have escalated demands for more durable highway infrastructure. This study addresses critical aspects of performance of CRCP, such as deflection profiling, load transfer efficiency (LTE), and durability. Field experiments and data analyses revealed that CRCP exhibits minimal deflection and maintains close to 100% LTE over time, challenging the performance degradation predicted by the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). This discrepancy indicates the need for recalibration of existing design models to better reflect real-world observations. A significant focus is placed on the optimization of longitudinal steel depth in thick CRCP, where research findings from this work showed that positioning steel above the mid-depth minimizes horizontal cracking and improves crack width control. Based on the findings, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) revised CRCP standards, which will improve the durability and structural performance of CRCP in heavy-load applications. Furthermore, an updated transfer function specific to Texas conditions was developed, incorporating localized traffic and environmental data to enhance predictive reliability. The updated transfer function is more accurate than national transfer function, ensuring durability through more realistic CRCP behavior under varied load and environmental conditions. Through sensitivity analyses, this dissertation also suggests adequate CRCP thickness which can accommodate traffic loads, supporting a better design strategy for high-traffic areas. This dissertation contributes to pavement engineering by introducing empirically driven design modifications that align with observed rigid pavement behavior in Texas, highlighting the potential for recalibrated design standards to extend pavement life and reduce maintenance requirements. The findings provide valuable insights for enhancing the performance of rigid pavement structures and pave the way for more sustainable and adaptive infrastructure planning across the nation.