Simplified approach for the evaluation of critical stresses in concrete pavement

Concrete pavements are subjected to traffic and environmental loadings. Repetitive type of such loading cause fatigue distress which leads to failure by forming cracks in pavement. Fatigue life of concrete pavement is calculated from the stress ratio (i.e. the ratio of applied flexural stress to the flexural strength of concrete). For the correct estimation of fatigue life, it is necessary to determine the maximum flexural tensile stress developed for practical loading conditions. Portland cement association PCA (1984) and Indian road congress IRC 58 (2015) has given charts and tables to determine maximum edge stresses for particular loading and subgrade conditions. It is difficult to determine maximum stresses for intermediate loading and subgrade conditions. The main purpose of this study is to simplify the analysis of rigid pavement without compromising the accuracy. Equations proposed for determination of maximum flexural tensile stress of pavement are verified by finite element analysis.