The analysis and design of jointed plain concrete pavements with wider slabs

Despite the cost-effective nature of asphalt pavements, concrete pavements are preferred for their superior serviceability. Many agencies use Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP) designs with a standard slab size of 3.5 × 4.5 m, focusing on transverse cracking. However, night-time Longitudinal Top-Down Cracking (LTDC) can occur in widened slabs due to tandem and tridem axles. This study employs a Finite Element (FE) approach to assess wider slabs under various loads. Longitudinal tensile stresses at critical points were found to increase with the slab width. Therefore, the study emphasizes the need for a design approach addressing transverse and longitudinal cracking. The design of the wider slabs (4.5 × 4.5 and 5.0 × 4.5 m) is demonstrated using a case study. If the longitudinal joint in a 9.0 m slab is placed at 5.0 m from the edge, the pavement could perform better than other slab sizes. However, it is necessary to design the pavement considering both longitudinal and transverse cracking.