Report Released on Concrete Pavement Joint Deterioration

The National Concrete Paving Technology Center based at Iowa State University has released Conclusions from the Investigation of Deterioration of Joints in Concrete Pavements, a report that summarizes work conducted under an Iowa-led pooled fund, parallel work funded by FHWA, and other efforts at Purdue University and Michigan Technological University. The report identifies two primary mechanisms driving joint distress: freeze-thaw damage resulting in saturated concrete (scaling) and paste deterioration due to chemical attack originating from the presence of chloride-based deicing chemicals. Strategies to avoid deterioration are suggested and include: using concrete with a low w/cm of 0.40 to 0.42, use of supplementary cementitious materials and cementitious systems with certain chemistry, ensuring drainage, use of penetrating sealers and limiting the use of aggressive salts to situations when necessary for safety.

The report is available here.