Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Concrete Mixes in Hawaii: Determination and Implications for Concrete Pavement Design
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 5
Abstract
The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of portland cement concrete (PCC) is a significant factor affecting the performance of concrete pavements. It is also required as a direct input in the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG). The primary objective of this study was to determine CTE values of PCC mixes used in Hawaiian pavements. A secondary objective was to study the effect of curing time on the CTE. To achieve these objectives, 45 concrete specimens were prepared on-site at three Hawaiian concrete companies using local basaltic aggregates. For each site, 15 replicate test specimens (five sets of three) were cured in a 100% humidity room for 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days before determining their CTEs following AASHTO T 336. It was found that CTE values vary significantly with curing time. It was also observed that the CTEs at 28 days computed in this study, ranging from to ( to ), differ significantly from the value recommended in the MEPDG manual of practice for concrete specimens with basaltic rock as a constituent (, ), which can lead to designs with overestimated performance. The variation caused by curing time is similar in magnitude to the variation caused by the use of different mixes for a given curing time. Thus, the study results support the need to establish a standard curing time when determining an appropriate CTE for design. Furthermore, use of a nonrepresentative default value can have a higher effect than that produced by differences between mixes or curing times, which highlights the importance of performing research to establish local CTE values. Based on the results, it is recommended to use the CTE obtained after 28 days of curing for design. Possible implications of the results obtained in this study are illustrated with a particular jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) design with the MEPDG.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support of the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration is greatly appreciated and acknowledged. The contents of this paper reflect the view of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented.
This study was also made possible by the generous donation of material by the following companies: (1) Island Ready Mix (Oahu), (2) Hawaiian Cement (Oahu), and (3) West Hawaii Concrete (Hawaii/Big Island). The authors would also like to thank Mr. Jayanth Kumar Rayappedi Kumar for his help in collecting samples and laboratory work.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27 • Issue 5 • May 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2013
Accepted: May 2, 2014
Published online: Aug 5, 2014
Discussion open until: Jan 5, 2015
Published in print: May 1, 2015
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