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Spalled Joints & Cracks

Placement of PDR backfill material Cropped.jpg
PDR_concrete_placement_operation.jpg
Partial depth repair areas ready for concrete placement courtesy M Zeller.JPG

If you have spalled joints and cracks, you need to perform:

 

Partial Depth Patch Repairs

 

Partial depth repair (PDR) is a shallow depth repair procedure used to address pavement deterioration that does not fully extend through a concrete slab. This method is used to repair spalling and fraying of concrete slab edges at joints and cracks as well as localized scaling. Spalling, which can occur on both jointed and continuously reinforced pavements, reduces pavement serviceability and can become hazardous to highway users. This type of deterioration can be caused by a number of factors including late sawing, poor joint design, inadequate joint/crack maintenance and material durability issues such as Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR). Once initiated, spalls tend to grow under repeated thermal stresses and traffic loadings.
 

The purpose of PDR is to repair surface defects, reestablish joint reservoirs and restore localized areas of deterioration. PDR replaces unsound concrete to restore rideability and discourages further deterioration. Further, PDR is an excellent preventative maintenance technique as it is proven to last more than 20 years when properly constructed using quality materials and workmanship.

Resources

MoDOT Tech Brief: Dowel Bar Retrofit

This brief summarizes the use of dowel bar retrofit (DBR) technology to improve load transfer efficiency (LTE) in existing concrete pavements. It highlights Washington State's extensive experience with DBR, which has shown to increase LTE, significantly preventing future joint and crack faulting after diamond grinding. Washington's DBR projects have successfully extended pavement life by up to 22 years, showcasing DBR's effectiveness as a long-term pavement preservation technique.

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Technical Info

Highway

Dowel Bar Retrofit

Structural/Material Issues

Long Term Performance of Dowel Bar Retrofit in Washington State

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) initiated its first full-scale dowel bar retrofit (DBR) project for the repair of a severely faulted concrete pavement. DBR application, in conjunction with panel replacements and diamond grinding, has proven to be an effective rehabilitation treatment for faulted concrete pavements.

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Technical Info

Highway

Dowel Bar Retrofit

Structural/Material Issues

Ten-Year Performance of Dowel Bar Retrofit (DBR): Application, Performance and Lessons Learned

WSDOT has been rehabilitating its aged PCC pavements, over the last 10 years, using dowel bar retrofit (DBR), panel replacements, and diamond grinding. Based on these modifications and enhancements, dowel bar retrofit is considered to be a successful and viable alternative for rehabilitating faulting concrete pavements in Washington state.

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Technical Info

City/Municipal, Highway, Industrial

Dowel Bar Retrofit

Structural/Material Issues

Tech Brief - July 2024 - Proper Joint Preparation

To seal or not to seal has been a question for more than a quarter century. Joint sealing has been a process in constructing concrete pavements for over a hundred years, yet the challenge of quality installation continues. The purpose of joint sealing is to reduce the amount of water entering a pavement structure and to prevent the filling of joints with incompressible materials.

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Technical Info

Airport/Airfield, Bridge, City/Municipal, Highway, Industrial

Concrete Pavement Preservation and Restoration, Joint and Crack Resealing

CPR Built to Last: A Progressive Concrete Pavement Preservation Strategy Improves City Streets in Minneapolis

Concrete Pavement Preservation (CPP) has long been used on deteriorated highways, but it also offers an alternative to asphalt overlays when rehabilitating city streets constructed of concrete. Techniques include: Slab stabilization, Full-depth repair (FDR), Partial-depth repair (PDR), Dowel bar retrofit (DBR), Cross-stitching longitudinal cracks or joints, Conventional diamond grinding (CDG) and Joint and crack resealing.

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Case Study

City/Municipal

Cross/Slot Stitching, Diamond Grinding, Dowel Bar Retrofit, Full & Partial Depth Repair, Joint and Crack Resealing, Slab Stabilization

Friction/Safety, Sustainability/Environmental

CPP for City Streets: Smooth Pavements Last Longer!

Concrete pavements can achieve maximum longevity using strategic repair techniques. Today's urban streets have, in many cases, encountered 40 to 60 years of wear and tear. Concrete Pavement Preservation (CPP) is a series of engineered techniques to rehabilitate concrete pavement. It is a viable alternative to costly asphalt overlays. Basic CPP techniques include: slab stabilization, full depth repair, partial depth repair, dowel bar retrofit, cross-stitching longitudinal cracks or joints, diamond grinding, joint resealing and crack resealing.

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Fact Sheet

City/Municipal

Concrete Pavement Preservation and Restoration

Smoothness, Structural/Material Issues, Sustainability/Environmental

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