Performance Evaluation of Cast-in-Situ Short Paneled Concrete Pavement with a Lean Concrete Base

Abstract This study evaluates the multiseason structural and functional performance of cast-in-situ short-paneled concrete pavement (CiSPCP) constructed over a lean concrete base (LCB) on National Highway 18 in India. Field investigations were conducted over five seasons between 2017 and 2020 to assess the load transfer efficiency (LTE), crack width (CW), differential deflections, and distress development in both bonded and unbonded configurations. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing showed that LTE ranged from 65% to 95% across seasons and generally improved with pavement age. The LTE exhibited minimal sensitivity to slab size (1.5 m × 1.5 m versus 2.0 m × 2.0 m) or slab thickness (200 mm versus 220 mm), although unbonded slabs occasionally showed greater variability due to interlayer movement. Microscopic crack-width measurements demonstrated a strong inverse relationship between LTE and CW, following a linear trend with R 2 values of 0.78 in December 2018 and 0.84 in March 2019, confirming the dominant role of aggregate interlock in short-panel joint performance. Distress mapping revealed distinct mechanisms: reflective longitudinal cracking originating from the LCB construction joint in bonded sections and top-down cracking in unbonded slabs influenced by thermal and load-induced surface stresses. Punchouts and moisture-related support loss occurred primarily in unbonded or thicker slabs. The findings offer field-validated evidence on the seasonal and interface-dependent behavior of CiSPCP and support its suitability as a durable and cost-effective alternative for rigid pavement applications in tropical climates.