Field performance of concrete pavements with short slabs and design procedure calibrated for Chilean conditions

Three test sections of concrete pavements with short slabs were constructed between 2004 and 2006.The slab sizes ranged from 0.88 to 3.5 m. The thicknesses varied between 8 and 20 cm. The general performance of thinner slabs (8–10 cm) was poor. The thicker slabs (14 cm and above) showed promising results. The main distress observed in most cases was longitudinal cracking, followed by transverse and corner cracking. The test sections were used for calibrating a new mechanistic empirical pavement design method. The three cracking distresses observed in the field were included in the design method. Design examples are presented. The calculated slab thicknesses are compared with the thicknesses obtained for conventional rigid pavements. Important reductions in thicknesses are achieved as a result of using the shorter slabs.