Simplified Nonlinear Temperature Curling Analysis for Jointed Concrete Pavements

The assumption of a linear temperature change through the slab depth has been overwhelmingly used in pavement analysis since Westergaard proposed a curling solution for rigid pavements. However, the actual temperature profiles through the slab thickness are primarily nonlinear. These nonlinear temperature profiles produce stresses that can be divided into three components: a uniform temperature stress, an equivalent linear curling stress, and a nonlinear self-equilibrating stress. It is the self-equilibrating stress component that often goes unaccounted for in concrete pavement stress prediction and can significantly affect the tensile stress magnitude and critical location. This paper presents a solution for a piecewise method and proposes a simplified method termed NOLA, or nonlinear area, that easily captures the effect of temperature nonlinearity on rigid pavement responses. The proposed NOLA method enables the use of a three-dimensional temperature frequency distribution that allows simple postprocessing of rigid pavement curling stress solutions derived from a linear temperature assumption. The impact of accounting for self-equilibrating stresses in terms of projected fatigue damage levels and critical cracking locations is also explored using a mechanistic-based rigid pavement analysis program called RadiCAL.