U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
| Project Information | ||
| Project ID: | FHWA-PROJ-10-0061 | |
| Project Name: | Develop/Improve American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Concrete Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Test | |
| Project Status: | Active | |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2010 | |
| End Date: | September 30, 2014 | |
| Contact Information | ||
| Last Name: | Meininger | |
| First Name: | Ahmad | |
| Telephone: | 202-493-3422 | |
| E-mail: | ahmad.ardani@dot.gov | |
| Office: | Office of Infrastructure Research and Development | |
| Team: | Pavement Materials Team [HRDI-10] | |
| Program: | Innovative Pavement Research and Deployment | |
| Laboratory: | Concrete Laboratory | |
| Project detail | ||
| Roadmap/Focus area(s): | Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap | |
| Project Description: | The project concerns ruggedness and precision evaluation and assistance in the deployment of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Testing Equipment for Concrete Cores and Cylinders. It involves participation in Ruggedness and Precision Studies on the Various Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Equipment Options; Pine, Gilson, Manual (endpoint and length-change curve evaluation). It also calls for addressing the needs of the Mechanistic-Empirical Design Guide for accurate characterization of the thermal properties of the concreteas affected by the materials and mixture proportionsfor Concrete Pavement Road Map Track 2 research on the design guide and Subtrack MD 2.8 of Concrete Pavement Road Map Track 1Portland Cement Concrete Mixture Thermal Tests: Coefficient of Thermal Expansion advancement and other thermal testing if needed. Coefficient of Thermal Expansion has been found to be a very important factor in the performance of concrete pavement, and having more accurate Coefficient of Thermal Expansion values for the actual mixture will improve the accuracy of performance predictions and evaluations of concrete pavement sections. During ruggedness testing, specimens will also be used to look at concrete materials and age effects and to compare the Texas/California slope data versus the current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' endpoint technology. | |
| Goals: | Reliable and effective pavement design. | |
| Background Information: | Almost all of the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) data are now available in the Long-Term Pavement Performance Database. The work now involves ruggedness testing of the proposed test method involving three laboratories. This will be followed by interlaboratory precision testing to document the testing variability. | |
| Field Test: | The Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) concrete cores were taken under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) from field pavements from many Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) test sections throughout the United States and Canada. The resulting data have been used for many purposes, including the validation and calibration of new mechanistic pavement design approaches for portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP). | |
| Product Type: | Data Draft standard, specifications, or guidelines Research report Software | |
| Test Methodology: | Ruggedness testing of the proposed test method involving three labs. This will be followed by interlaboratory precision and bias testing to document the testing variability. | |
| Partners: | Federal Highway Administration: Office of Infrastructure - Office of Pavement Technology; Role(s): Technical | |
| Expected Benefits: | The benefit would be an accepted test for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete, with the availability of commercial equipment. The payoff can be judged by the advancement of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) test and the inclusion of automated equipment. It can also be measured by the States conducting Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) tests on the combinations of materials used for concrete pavements in the State. | |
| Deliverables: | 1. Name: Improved testing methods for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete with an estimate of variability. Product Type(s): Research report, Draft standard, specifications, or guidelines Description: Improved testing methods for the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete along with an estimate of variability. The revised Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) standard is being considered for adoption by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Materials, and a number of State departments of transportation have begun testing the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of concrete containing local/projects concrete materials. A ruggedness study is being completed that may lead to some improvements and revisions to the AASHTO Test Method. One other manufacturer of CTE test equipment has provided a unita modification of a unit developed under a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) contractfor the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center to try it alongside other commercial units. (See AASHTO Test Method T 336-10 for Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Hydraulic Cement Concrete.) 2. Name: Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) Testing Protocol. Product Type(s): Research report, Software, Data Description: A fine-tuned Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) testing protocol approved by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Publication URL(s): http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/programs/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/getdata.cfm | |
| Project Findings: | During the evaluation and testing of the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) of concrete cores taken from many Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) test sections, it was discovered that the Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) is an important parameter in the design and evaluation of the portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) performance. The test method has been refined and improved. All of the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) data are now available for each section in the Long-Term Pavement Performance Database. Many technical papers and reports have been written utilizing Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (CTE) data from the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center tests of portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) cores. | |
| FHWA Topics: | Research/Technologies--Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) | |
| TRT Terms: | Hydraulic Cement Thermal Expansion Pavements Portland Cement Concrete Infrastructure Research Aggregates |
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| FHWA Disciplines: | Pavement and Materials |
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| Subject Areas: | Pavements Materials Research |
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