Service life of bonded concrete overlay

More than 60% of highways in Korea are constructed with cement concrete and when their condition has deteriorated rehabilitation and reconstruction are required. Recently, bonded concrete overlay has been considered as a possible alternative material for use in pavement rehabilitation as its material properties are similar to those of the existing concrete pavements. The present study investigated the service life of bonded concrete overlay and evaluated the appropriateness of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) prediction for bonded concrete overlay life based on a comparison with the measured life of bonded concrete overlay obtained from long-term pavement performance data analysis. The findings of this study lead to the conclusion that there is significant correlation between the predicted life of bonded concrete overlay based on the AASHTO design method and the measured life based on long-term pavement performance data after eliminating early distressed pavement sections. It was also found that the thickness and existing pavement type have significant influence on the service life of bonded concrete overlay.