Assessment of Concrete Pavement Set Gradient Based on Analysis of Slab Behavior and Field Test Data

This paper discusses how the set gradient in a jointed concrete slab is related to the cracking performance and its effects on fatigue crack model calibration. The role of curing quality on-set and how curing quality parameters are related to the set gradient is also discussed. To assess the impacts of curing practices on the set gradient of a newly constructed concrete slab, a field investigation was undertaken at the Florida Department of Transportation State Materials Office in Gainesville, Florida. This study investigated early age concrete pavement behavior with respect to the development of the set gradient. In this research, four test slabs were placed and cured under different conditions to create different states of stress and creep behavior during and after hardening of the concrete. Early age concrete temperature and moisture history are key factors that affect the slab curling and warping behavior as they pertain to the resulting set gradient. This paper elaborates on the details of the cracking performance data analysis of test data associated with the development of the set gradient.