Freeze-Thaw Tests of Full-Scale Roller-Compacted Concrete Test Sections

Roller-compared concrete RCC is a new construction material that is being studied to determine its freeze-thaw performance and failure criteria. The ingredients are basically the same as portland cement concrete PCC, but RCC is placed like asphalt concrete. RCC has rapidly gained widespread acceptance. Some concern still exists, however, about its ability to withstand cycles of freezing and thawing. Preliminary tests run on samples from early projects showed little resistance to freeze and thaw damage. Attempts to air-entrain RCC were not successful. However, new equipment and quality control methods have substantially improved the quality in recent projects. This report describes a research program that included the construction and freeze-thaw testing of eight full-scale pavement test sections. The overall performance demonstrated that the freeze-thaw durability of RCC is comparable with that of air-entrained PCC. Keywords Concrete pavements, Durability of concrete, Freeze thaw tests, Full-scale test sections, Pavement materials, Roller-compacted concrete.