In New York State, Interstate 86 exhibited major distresses and the jointed reinforced portland cement concrete pavement (JRCP) and was in need of rehabilitation by 2004. Three experimental sections were constructed using an unbonded overlay of jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP). In one section the existing JRCP was untreated, in another it was rubbilized, and in the third section it was cracked & seated (C/S). Embedded sensors monitored strain, temperature, and displacement responses.
Results of this study show that thermal gradients in the concrete slabs induced highest vertical displacements (curling), strains, and stresses in the untreated section. From dynamic loads, the largest deflections and strains were induced in the rubbilized and C/S sections, while the untreated section exhibited the least severe dynamic response. Environmental strain responses were typically more critical near the top surface of the concrete, often in tension, suggesting probable top-down cracking mechanisms. This research improves the understanding of the physical effects of these fracturing techniques on unbonded overlays through a fully monitored investigation using in-situ instrumentation.