Investigation of Roller-Compacted Concrete for Use in Pavements in Virginia

About the report:

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) is a stiff mixture of aggregate, cementitious materials, and water with zero slump. RCC is consolidated or compacted in the fresh state by use of a roller with or without vibration. RCC typically is placed with asphalt paving equipment in thicknesses of 4 to 8 in for pavement application. RCC has gained the attention of the paving industry in recent years because of its history of low cost, rapid construction, and durable performance. The Virginia Transportation Research Council conducted this laboratory study to gain familiarity with RCC technology and to develop guidelines for its use in the field.

RCC mixtures were successfully produced in the laboratory using locally available materials, and their properties were measured. These mixtures achieved compressive strengths around 5,000 psi in 28 days and had properties similar to those of conventional concrete in terms of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, and splitting tensile strength. A special provision was developed and used in the two field projects. The special provision was subsequently modified based on the field experience and is provided in the Appendix.

VDOT should implement the RCC specification developed in this study for regular VDOT use of RCC. Use of RCC should be considered in future field applications, particularly where fast construction of rigid (concrete) pavement is needed; an example of such an area would carry heavily loaded, slow-moving vehicles such as at intersections and access roads to truck or bus parking areas. VDOT should annually monitor the long-term performance of the two constructed RCC projects reviewed in this study over a period of at least 10 years. Evaluations should document joint efficiencies for load transfer (through testing with the falling weight deflectometer), any visual evidence of deterioration of asphalt at joints, and any other general signs of pavement distress that may occur. 

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