ABSTRACT
Short continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) have been proposed as a solution for bus stops and terminals. Experimental sections designed with 50 m long concrete slabs, short in comparison to traditional CRCP, showed a unique cracking behavior. From a structural point of view, only a continuous model without cracks or joints was able to match field stresses in the short CRCP. However, since transverse cracks are visible at the slab surface, the continuous model may not be the most ideal structural model for short CRCP. Concerning this, partially developed cracks based on fracture mechanics were incorporated in a new model for this structure. Results show that, in contrast to the cracked model currently used for traditional CRCP, both the continuous and the partial crack models accurately match field deflection basis. However, both models also show different critical stresses under negative thermal differentials.
