Salisbury Bypass Pavement Instrumentation
Consulting Services Lab Services
The Salisbury high-performance concrete pavement (HPCP) project was constructed by Maryland State Highway Administration. The HPCP project included three test sections: a control section using conventional concrete mix, a fiber-reinforced concrete section, and a low-shrinkage concrete section. All three test sections had a 10-in.-thick concrete layer on top of an 8-in.-thick, dense graded aggregate base.
The overall objective of the project was to observe long-term behavior of the HPCP test sections under traffic and environmental effects. CTLGroup was responsible for field pavement instrumentation, load testing, and initial data collection.
The study included instrumentation and initial data collection during project construction. The instrumentation was replicated at two slabs per section and consisted of the following:
- Linear variable differential transducers (LVDT) for slab curling measurements
- Vibration wire gages for long-term concrete strain
- Thermocouples for slab temperature gradient
- Whitmore plugs for joint width change
- Elevation reference rods for dipstick surveys
The work also included instrumentation and load testing after the pavement was constructed. CTLGroup installed additional instrumentation and conducted load testing was conducted after two months. The additional instrumentation included surface strain gages and LVDTs. The team conducted dynamic load tests and measured load-induced strains and deflections.
The data collected from this project will be used to design longer-lasting pavements.