Performance Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Thin Concrete Pavement and Overlays

Abstract

This study investigates the performance benefits of synthetic structural fibers in mitigating distresses in thin concrete pavements and overlays. In this study, two ultra-thin (3 and 4 inches thick) and four thin (5 and 6 inches thick) concrete pavements placed on a gravel base along with two thin unbonded concrete overlay cells (5 inches thick) placed on an existing concrete pavement were constructed at the Minnesota Road Research (MnROAD) facility in 2017. This report discusses the objectives and methodology of the research, including the construction of the test cells, instrumentation, traffic load application, and data collection and analysis procedures. The structural responses and distresses observed over three years, such as fatigue cracking and faulting, as well as the joint performance measured in each cell, were discussed and compared in this report.