Three-dimensional Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements

Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) performance depends primarily on early-age cracks that result from changes in temperature and drying shrinkage. This report presents the findings of a study of the early-age behavior of CRCP in response to temperature change using a three-dimensional finite element model. The nonlinear effects of the bond slip between concrete and steel and between concrete and base have been studied. The modeling for the curling effect and the viscoelastic material characteristics have also been considered. The test results from the two-dimensional and three-dimensional models have been compared to verify the possibility of using a twodimensional model. From this project it has been found that the crack width and the concrete stress are dependent in the transverse steel arrangement near the edge (longitudinal joint), but almost independent in the interior of the slab. The tensile stress occurring at the top of the edge on the transverse steel location can be higher than that occurring at the top of the slab center. This observation represents the possibility of forming a transverse crack from the edge on the transverse steel location. The two-dimensional model with the plane stress element gives results very close to those of the three-dimensional model except near the edge.