Thermal Effects in Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements in Gujarat and Rajasthan: A Comparison with IRC:58

Jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCPs) develop non-linear temperature distributions as a result of their interaction with the surrounding environment. The distributions can be modeled as two components developing linear curling stresses and non-linear eigenstresses, respectively, which must be evaluated accurately during JPCP design. In India, the code of practice published by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC:58), recommends a uniform linear temperature difference for large geographical areas of the country. Moreover, eigenstresses are not explicitly considered. Previous literature has not addressed these shortcomings. In the present study, historical weather data from four stations each in Gujarat and Rajasthan states was collected and used to estimate the effective temperature difference and eigenstresses in JPCP slabs of 150-, 200-, and 250-mm thickness using a numerical model. The temperature differences were found to be statistically different from the values recommended by the code, while the eigenstresses were found to be large in many cases. For design purposes, the 90th percentile values were obtained and compared with the recommended values. The recommendations of the code were found to be acceptable for bottom-up cracking but significantly different for top-down cracking, potentially leading to significant over-design of JPCP sections.