Structural evaluation of pavement thickness in Plain-concrete strip road

This study evaluated the effect the thickness of the slab structure on the performance of a tread plate structure used for tertiary roads in Colombia. For this purpose, the construction of a footprint plate structure was contemplated considering the dimensions recommended by the National Institute of Roads INVIAS through the Rural Colombia Guide. In this study, footprint plate structures were analyzed considering concrete slab thicknesses of 15 and 20 cm, respectively. Likewise, subbase thicknesses of 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm were analyzed. The above, contemplating a single subgrade floor. The bending stresses that occur in the center of the slab in the lower fiber were determined, as they are considered the critical points for fatigue cracking. The efforts were determined through a finite element software. As a great conclusion of the study, it was evidenced that the thickness of the concrete slab influences the performance of the tread plate. The reduction of 5 cm in the thickness of the slab can increase the tensile forces by up to 25% for the traffic of heavy vehicles. However, through the simulations it was shown that the thickness of the subbase layer does not affect the behavior of the structure.