GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF

ENGINEERING YAVATMAL
[DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING]
(ACEDEMIC YEAR: - 2023-24)

SEMINAR REPORT ON
‘CONCRETE ROAD CONSTRUCTION’

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 SUBMITED BY

Pratiksha Ram Bavaskar

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

PROF. S. V. Jambhhulkar
(CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT)

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING, YAVATMAL
[DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING]
(ACEDEMIC YEAR: - 2023-24)

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Miss. Pratiksha Ram Bavaskar of final year (VII Semester), Civil
Engineering, and PRN NO: 2110121191515 (roll no. 66) has successfully completed the
“Seminar report” as a fulfillment for VII Semester in Civil Engineering of Government College
of Engineering, Yavatmal.

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 Mentor

Prof. S. V. Jambhulkar
Ast. Prof. in civil Egg. Department

Dr. M. N. Qureshi Dr. P. M. Khodke

Head of Civil Engg. Department Principal
GCOE, Yavatmal. GCOE, Yavatmal.

PLACE: - YAVATMAL
DATE: - / /2023

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We avail this opportunity to express our deep sense of gratitude and hole hearted thanks to
our guide Prof. S.V. Jambhulkar for the completion of Seminar work and gives valuable
guidance, inspiration and affection. We also acknowledgment over whelming gratitude and
immense respect to our Honourable principal Dr. P.M. Khodke, Govt. College of Eng. And our
HOD Sir Dr. M. N. Qureshi, Civil Engineering Department.
We are also thankful to our entire Asst. Prof. of Civil Engineering Department for
providing necessary facilities to bring the work to end.
Last but not least, we would like to thanks to our parents for providing constant support during
this work. We express our thanks to all our friends who help us directly or indirectly for the
success or completion of project.

(Students of Final year civil Engg, Govt. college of Engg. Yavatmal)

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Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
The highway pavement is a structure consisting of superimposed layers of processed materials
above the natural soil subgrade, whose primary function is to distribute the applied vehicle loads
to the subgrade. The pavement structure should be able to provide a surface of acceptable riding
quality, adequate skid resistance, Favourable light reflecting characteristic, and low noise
pollution. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the transmitted stresses due to wheel load are
Suffice, Nightly reduced, so that they will not exceed bearing capacity of the sub low grade. This
gives an overview on pavement types, layers and their function cost analysis. Various grades of
concrete under a similar condition of traffic and design concrete road are found to more suitable
than bituminous road. Since the whole life-cycle cost comes out to be lower in the range of 30%
to 50% but for road having traffic less than 400cv/day and the road is in good condition, the
difference between whole Life Cost of the road is very less. The initial cost of concrete overlay is
15% to 60% more than flexible overlay. To design the road is stretch as a flexible pavement by
using different flexible methods like group index method, C.B.R. method as per IRC: 37 2001,
Triaxial method, California resistance value method, and as a rigid pavement as per IRC:58 2002
for the collected design upon a given black cotton soil subgrade and to estimates the construction
cost of designed pavement by each method. To propose a suitable or best methods to a given
condition or problem.

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Functions of the Pavement
Provide vehicle access between two points under all-weather conditions
Provide safe, smooth and comfortable ride to road users without undue delays and
excessive wear & tear.
Meet environmental and aesthetics requirement.
Limited noise and air pollution.
Reasonable economy.
Requirements of a pavement
An ideal pavement should meet the following requirements:
Sufficient thickness to distribute the wheel load stresses to a safe value on the sub-grade soil.
Structurally strong to withstand all types of stresses imposed upon it.
Adequate coefficient of friction to prevent skidding of vehicles.
Smooth surface to provide comfort to road users even at high speed.
Produce least noise from moving vehicles.
Dust proof surface so that traffic safety is not impaired by reducing visibility.
Impervious surface, so that sub-grade soil is well protected, and long design life with low
maintenance cost.

TYPES OF PAVEMENTS
1. Flexible - Pavements with a bitumen bonded surfacing and the road base
2. Flexible composite - The surfacing and upper road base our bituminous on a lower road
base of cement bonded material.
3. Rigid - Pavements with a concrete surface slab which can be unreinforced, joint
reinforced or continuously reinforced.
4. Rigid composite - Continuously reinforced concrete slab with a bituminous overlay

FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT
Flexible pavement will transmit wheel load stresses to the lower layers by grain to grain transfer
through the points of contact in the granular structure. The wheel load acting on the pavement
will be distributed to the wider area, and the stress decreases with the depth. Flexible payments
are constructed using bituminous materials. These can be either in the form of surface treatment
(such as bituminous surface treatment generally found on the low volume road is available) or,

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asphalt concrete surface courses, flexible payment layer reflect the deformation of lower layer on
to the surface layer (e.g., if there is any undulation in sub grade then it will be transferred to the
surface layer). In the case of flexible payment, the design is based on overall performance of
flexible payment, and the stresses produced should be keep well below the allowable stresses of
each payment layer.
RIGID PAVEMENT
Rigid pavements are those which possess not worthy flexural strength or flexural rigidity. The
stresses are not transferred from grain to grain to the lower layers as in the case of flexural
pavement layers. The rigid pavements are made of Portland cement concrete-either plain.
reinforced or pre-stressed concrete. The plain cement concrete slabs are expected to take-up
about 40kg/cm². The rigid pavement has the slab action and is capable of transmitting the wheel
load stresses through a wider area below. The rigid pavement does not get deformed to the shape
of the lower surface as it can bridge the minor variations of lower layers. The cement concrete
pavement slab can very well serve as a wearing surface as well as effective base course.
Therefore, usually the rigid pavement structure consists of a cement concrete slab, below which a
granular base or sub-base may be provided. The rigid pavements are usually designed and the
stresses are analysed using the elastic theory.

Chapter 2
Detailed information

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 The history of highway road construction is a fascinating journey that spans thousands of years,
reflecting the evolution of human civilisation and the need for efficient transportation networks.
Throughout history, road construction techniques and materials have evolved significantly,
influenced by factors such as technological advancements, cultural exchanges, and the demands
of growing populations. The history of road development in India showcases the ingenuity and
innovation of ancient Indians in connecting to different communities for fostering economic
growth, and enhancing mobility. Over the period of time, different methods of road construction
have evolved with scientific advancements. The history of highway engineering gives us an idea
about the roads of ancient times. Roads in Rome were constructed on a large scale and it radiated
in many directions helping them in military operations. Thus, they are considered to be pioneers
in road construction. In this section, we will see in detail about Ancient roads, Roman roads,
British roads, French roads etc.

Flexible pavement

Types of Flexible pavement

conventional layered pavement

pavements Full depth asphalt pavement

contained rock asphalt mat pavement

Semi rigid pavement

Jointed plane Concrete pavement

Rigid Pavement Jointed reinforced concrete pavement
continuous reinforced concrete pavement
Pre-stressed concrete pavement

Flexible Pavements are constructed from bituminous or unbound material and the stress is
transmitted to the sub-grade through the lateral distribution of the applied load with depth.
Flexible pavement is composed of a bituminous material surface course and underlying base and
subbase courses. The bituminous material is more often asphalt whose viscous nature allows
significant plastic deformation. Most asphalt surfaces are built on a gravel base, although some
'full depth' asphalt surfaces are built directly on the subgrade. Depending on the temperature at
which it is applied, asphalt is categorized as hot mix asphalt (HMA), warm mix asphalt, or cold
mix asphalt. Flexible Pavement is so named as the pavement surface reflects the total deflection

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of all subsequent layers due to the traffic load acting upon it. The flexible pavement design is
based on the load distributing characteristics of a layered system.
It transmits load to the subgrade through a combination of layers. Flexible pavement distributes
load over a relatively smaller area of the subgrade beneath. The initial installation cost of a
flexible pavement is quite low which is why this type of pavement is more commonly seen
universally. However, the flexible pavement requires maintenance and routine repairs every few
years. In addition, flexible pavement deteriorates rapidly; cracks and potholes are likely to
appear due to poor drainage and heavy vehicular traffic
Fatigue cracking has long been considered as the major, or only criterion for rigid pavement
Allowable number of load repetitions to cause fatigue cracking depends on the stress ratio
between flexural pavement, caused during the downward movement of slab under the heavy
wheel loads. Other major types of distress in Include faulting, spelling, and deterioration.
Pumping is identified as an important failure criterion. Pumping is the ejection of soil slurry
through the joints and cracks of cement concrete

Flexible pavements are those which are flexible in their structural action under the loads.
Some important features of these pavements are:
It has no flexural strength.
It reflects the deformation of lower layers.
It will transmit the vertical compressive stress to bottom layers by grain to grain transfer,
The lower layer have to take up only lesser magnitudes of stress and there is no direct wearing
action due to traffic loads, therefore inferior materials with low cost can be used in the lower
layers.

Flexible pavements consist of the following components:

i. Soil sub grade
ii. Sub base course
iii. Base course
iv. Surface course

TYPE OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT

The following type of construction had been used in flexible payment

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1. Conventional flexible pavements are layered systems with high quality expensive materials
are placed in the top where stresses are high, and low quality cheap materials are placed in lower
layers.
2. Full - depth asphalt pavements are constructed by placing bituminous layers directly on the
soil sub-grade. This is more suitable when there is high traffic and local materials are not
available.
3. Contained rock asphalt mats are constructed by placing dense/open graded aggregate layers in
between two asphalt layers. Modified dense graded asphalt concrete is placed above the sub-
grade will significantly reduce the vertical compressive strain on soil sub- grade and protect from
surface water.

The advantages of flexible pavements

Adaptability to stage construction
Availability of low-cost types that can be easily built
Ability to be easily opened and patched
Easy to repair frost heave and settlement
Resistance to the formation of ice glaze

The disadvantages flexible pavements

Higher maintenance costs
Shorter life span under heavy use
Damage by oils and certain chemicals
Weak edges that may require curbs or edge devices

FAILURE OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT

The major flexible payment failures are fatigue cracking, rutting, and the thermal cracking. The
fatigue cracking of flexible payment is due to horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the
asphaltic concrete. The failure criterion relates allowable number of load repetition to the tensile
strain and the relation can be determined in the laboratory fatigue test asphaltic concrete
specimen. Rutting occurs only on flexible payment as indicated by the permanent information of
rut depth along the wheel load path. Two design method have been used to control rutting:
1. To limit the vertical compressive strain on the top of subgrade and
2. To limit to tolerable amount (12 mm normally).

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 3. Thermal cracking includes both low- temperature cracking and thermal fatigue cracking.

SEMI-RIGID PAVEMENT:
When bonded materials like pozzolanic concrete, lean concrete or soil cement are used, then the
pavement layer has considerably high flexural strength than the common flexible pavement is
called a semi-rigid pavement. These materials have low resistance to impact and abrasion and are
therefore used with flexible pavement surface course.

RIGID PAVEMENT:
Rigid pavements have sufficient flexural strength to transmit the wheel load stresses to a wider
area below. A typical cross section of the rigid pavement is shown in Compared to flexible
pavement, rigid pavements are placed either directly on the prepared sub-grade or on a single
layer of granular or stabilized material. Since there is only one layer of material between the
concrete and the sub-grade, this layer can be called as base or sub-base course.
In rigid pavement, load is distributed by the slab action, and the pavement behaves like an elastic
plate resting on a viscous medium. Rigid pavements are constructed by Portland cement concrete
(PCC) and should be analysed by plate theory instead of layer theory, assuming clastic plate
resting on viscous foundation. Plate theory is a simplified version of layer theory that assumes
the concrete slab as a medium thick plate which is plane before loading and to remain plane after
loading. Bending of the slab due to wheel load and temperature variation and the resulting tensile
and flexural stress.
Rigid pavements are those which possess noteworthy flexural rigidity.
 It possesses flexural strength
 Load transfer is by the way of slab action and it distributes the wheel load to a wider area
below
 Flexural stresses will be developed due to wheel load temperature changes
 Tensile stresses will be developed due to bending action of the slab under the wheel load
 It does not deform to the shape of lower layer, but it bridges the minor variations of the
lower layer
Rigid pavement consists of the following components:
1. Cement Concrete slab
2. Base course
3. Soil sub grade

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Rigid pavements are made of Portland cement concrete either plain, reinforced or prestressed.
The plain cement concrete is expected to take up about 40kg/cm2 flexural stress. These are
designed using elastic theory, assuming the pavement as an elastic plate resting over an clastic or
viscous foundation.

Types of Rigid Pavements

Rigid pavements can be classified into four types:
1. Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP): These are plain cement concrete pavements
constructed with closely spaced contraction joints. Dowel bars or aggregate interlocks are
normally used for load transfer across joints. They normally have a joint spacing of 5 to 10m.
2. Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement (JRCP): Although reinforcements do not improve the
structural capacity significantly, they can drastically increase the joint spacing to 10 to 30m.
Dowel bars are required for load transfer. Reinforcement's help to keep the slab together even
after cracks.
3. Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP): Complete elimination of joints is
achieved by reinforcement.

Composition and Structure of Rigid Pavement

Rigid pavements support loads through rigidity and high modulus of elasticity of concrete slab.
The loads will distribute to natural soil layer through different layers of rigid pavement. The
composition and structure of rigid pavement tells us about the function of each layer of rigid
pavement as explained below.
In general. Portland cement concrete is used as primary structural element for rigid pavement.
The reinforcement is provided in the slab depending upon the soil strength and loading
conditions. Pre-stressed concrete slabs can also be used as surface course. The concrete slab
usually lies on a compacted granular or treated subbase, which is supported, in turn, by a
compacted subgrade. Better results of pavement are obtained when the support layers under the
pavement are uniform. The strength of rigid pavement is Rigid pavement is mostly constructed
using low cost materials to make it economical

The structure of a rigid pavement consists following layers.

 Concrete slab or surface course
 Granular base or stabilized base course
 Granular sub-base or stabilized sub-base course
 Frost protection layer
 Subgrade soil

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Concrete Slab
The concrete slab is the top most layer of rigid pavement which is in direct contact with the
vehicular loads. This is also called as surface course. It is water resistant and prevents the water
infiltration into the base course. It offers friction to the vehicles to provide skid resistance. The
thickness of concrete slab is kept between 150 mm to 300 mm.

Granular Base or Stabilized Base Course

The base course or granular base or stabilized base is the second layer from the top and is
constructed using crushed aggregates. This course helps the surface course to take additional
loads. It provides stable platform to construct rigid pavement It is also useful to provide sub
surface drainage system. In frost areas, the frost action can be controlled by the stabilized base
course. It helps to control swelling of subgrade soil. The base course thickness should be
minimum 100mm.

Granular Sub-base or Stabilized Sub-base Course

It is the third layer from the top and is in contact with the subgrade soil and base course. It is
constructed by using low quality aggregates than the base course but they should be better
quality than subgrade. Generally sub-base course is not required when the traffic loading is light.
Its primary function is to provide support for the top layers and it also serves as frost action
controller and prevents the intrusion of fines from subgrade to top layers. The drainage facility
will also improve when there is a sub-base course.

Frost Protection Layer

In low temperature regions there is a problem of frost action on the pavements. If the soil
contains high ground water table, during low temperatures the water will freeze and frost heave
will formed under the subgrade which will cause the pavement to rise because of non- uniform
formation of ice crystals. Similarly, when the ice melts the pavement will penetrate into the
subgrade when load comes on it. To overcome this frost protection layer should be provided.
Generally a good base course and subbase course themselves acts as frost protection layers.

Subgrade Soil
The subgrade is nothing but the existing soil layer which is compacted using equipment to
provide stable platform for rigid pavement. The subgrade soils are subjected to lower stresses

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than the top layers since the stresses will reduce with depth. Subgrade soils may vary
considerably. The stresses coming from the top layers are received by different soils in different
manners. Some soils may resist them and some may not. It is depends upon the interrelationship
of texture, density, moisture content and strength of subgrade. So, proper examination should be
done on subgrade before construction. At the same time the pavement layers above the subgrade
should be capable of reducing stresses imposed on the subgrade soil to prevent the displacement
of subgrade soil layers. Failure criteria of rigid pavements

Traditionally fatigue cracking has been considered as the major or only criterion for rigid
pavement design. The allowable number of load repetitions to cause fatigue cracking depends on
the stress ratio between flexural tensile stress and concrete modulus of rupture. Of late, pumping
is identified as an important failure criterion. Pumping is the ejection of soil slurry movement of
slab under the heavy wheel loads. Other major types of distress in rigid pavements include
faulting and deterioration.

Chapter 3
Methodology

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The first concrete road was built in 1893 in Bellefontaine, OH and it is still in service today. Since that
pioneering project, concrete pavements have been refined into three common types: jointed plain (JPCP),
jointed reinforced (JRCP) and continuously reinforced (CRCP). The one item that distinguishes each type
is the jointing system used to control crack development.
Crack development is a complex subject. It is important to know that for various reasons concrete shrinks,
contracts and expands, and bends from loading and the environment, and that these actions can induce
cracks. It is equally important to know that this natural cracking can be easily controlled by the
appropriate use of joints and/or reinforcing steel within the pavement.

Jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP)

Jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP) contain enough joints to control the location all of the expected
natural cracks. The concrete cracks at the joints and not elsewhere in the slabs. Jointed plain pavements
do not contain any steel reinforcement. However, there may be smooth steel bars at transverse joints and
deformed steel bars at longitudinal joints. The spacing between transverse joints is typically about 15 feet
for slabs 7-12 inches thick. Today, a majority of the U.S. state agencies build jointed plain pavements.

Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement

Jointed reinforced concrete pavements contain steel mesh reinforcement (sometimes called distributed
steel). In jointed reinforced concrete pavements, designers increase the joint spacing purposely, and
include reinforcing steel ( to hold together intermediate cracks in each slab. The spacing between
transverse joints is typically 30 feet or more. In the past, some agencies used a spacing as great as 100
feet. During construction of the interstate system, most agencies in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. built
jointed-reinforced pavement. Today only a handful of agencies employ this design.
CPCD has transverse joints spaced at regular intervals. The transverse joints are used to control
temperature-induced contraction and expansion in the concrete. Smooth dowel bars are used at the
transverse joints for load transfer. The transverse joints are spaced at 15 ft. intervals. Longitudinal joints
are used to control random longitudinal cracking. Longitudinal joints are tied together with tie bars.
Figure 8-2 shows the typical layout for CPCD

Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

The third type of concrete pavement, continuously-reinforced (or CRC), does not require any transverse
contraction joints. Transverse cracks are expected in the slab, usually at intervals of 3-5 ft. CRC
pavements are designed with enough steel, 0.6-0.7% by cross-sectional area, so that cracks are held
together tightly. Determining an appropriate spacing between the cracks is part of the design process for
this type of pavement.

Continuously reinforced designs generally cost more than jointed reinforced or jointed plain designs
initially due to increased quantities of steel. However, they can demonstrate superior long-term

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performance and cost-effectiveness. A number of agencies choose to use CRCP designs in their heavy
urban traffic corridors.

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