Rehabilitation and Repair of Concrete Overlays

Abstract

Concrete overlays are a growing solution in the United States for pavement rehabilitation and preservation. Many different overlay types and designs can be used based on existing conditions and to achieve a variety of design goals. Recent performance studies have indicated that concrete overlays are capable of providing an extended service life of 35 years or more. However, the intended design life of an overlay may be shorter, and in some cases, overlays experience early distresses and failures. Because many agencies are new to concrete overlays, there is a growing need to identify best practices for rehabilitation and repair of these pavements. This paper presents a survey of typical shortand long-term distresses that have been observed on US concrete overlay projects. Common failure modes vary based on overlay type and design details, and distresses frequently depend on local materials and climate conditions. Best practices and case studies for rehabilitation and repair of concrete overlays are identified, offering options both for extension of concrete overlay service life as well as rehabilitation or reconstruction with a new pavement surface.