Accelerated
Pavement Testing of Extended-Life Continuously Reinforced Concrete
Pavement (CRCP) 
Full-scale test sections were constructed at the University of
Illinois and subjected to accelerated pavement testing in order
to evaluate IDOT’s options on extended-life continuously
reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP). The CRCP test sections included
two concrete thicknesses, three steel contents, and the use of
single versus double layer reinforcement. Response testing was
first conducted on all the test sections in order to monitor the
CRCP deformations under fixed loading and variable temperature
conditions. Load levels were then applied at the edge of the pavement
that would create a punchout failure on the test sections. The
measured variables were the vertical and horizontal deformations
at cracks and transverse strain near the surface of the slab,
along with the temperature profile through slab thickness. The
factors controlling the repeated load behavior of the CRC sections
were the crack width, the permanent deformation of the support
layers, and the steel content. The performance of the CRCP test
sections exceeded existing design guide predictions. The main
reason for the enhanced performance was the narrow crack width
achieved on the test sections and resultant high shear capacity
across the transverse cracks.
