PURPOSES : High temperatures induce excessive expansion in pavements, thus causing the closure of contraction joints between expansion joints. This results in the integration of slabs within the expansion joints into a unified slab. Compressive forces are generated owing to the friction that ensues between the unified slab and lower base layer. As the integrated slab expands and exceeds the allowable width of the expansion joint, the end restraint generates an additional compressive force. The escalating force, which reaches a critical threshold, induces buckling, thus compromising stability and causing blow-up incidents, which poses a significant hazard to road users. The unpredictable nature of blow-up incidents render their accurate prediction challenging because the compressive force within the slab must be predicted and the threshold for blow-up occurrence must be determined. METHODS : In this study, a GWNU blow-up model was developed to predict both the compressive force and period of blow-up incidents in jointed concrete pavements. The climate conditions, pavement structure, materials, and expansion joints were considered in this model. In the first stage of the model, the time at which the integrated slab expanded and surpassed the allowable width of the expansion joint was determined, and the compressive force was calculated. Subsequently, the compressive force within the integrated slab, considering both the end restraints and friction, was predicted. A large-scale blow-up test was performed to measure the blow-up force based on changes in the geometric imperfections. The measured blow-up force was adopted as the blow-up occurrence threshold, and the point at which the predicted compressive force within the slab exceeded the blow-up force was identified as the blow-up occurrence time. RESULTS : Using the GWNU blow-up model, the blow-up occurrence on the Seohean Expressway in Korea is predicted in the presence or absence of the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Analysis is conducted using the expansion joint spacing and width as variables. As the expansion joint spacing increases, blow-up occurs sooner, and as the width increases, only the expansion joint life decreases. When applying an expansion joint spacing of 300 m and a width of 100 mm under an ASR with 99.9% TTPG reliability, the sum of the expansion joint life and blow-up occurrence time is 16 years. CONCLUSIONS : In the case of jointed concrete pavements where ASR occurred, installing an expansion joint spacing of 300 m and a width of 100 mm does not satisfy the design life of 20 years, and the expansion joint width minimally affect the blow-up occurrence time. To prevent blow-up incidents, a spacing of less than 300 m for the expansion joint is recommended. Based on the analysis results, the blow-up occurrence time and location can be predicted from the characteristics of the installed expansion joint, through which blow-up incidents can be prevented via preliminary maintenance.

PURPOSES : During the summer of 2018, a heat wave (temperatures > 33°C) lasted for more than 30 days, causing blow-ups at eight different locations in South Korea. The blow-up phenomenon occurred when the internal temperature of the concrete slab increased. Simultaneously, as the concrete slab expands excessively, the length of the end of the slab increases, thus resulting in a lateral compressive force; when the slab cannot withstand this force, it rises or breaks. Blow-up is caused by a variety of factors, including increased temperature and humidity, accumulation of incompressible substances inside discontinuous surfaces, alkali–silica reactions, and aging of the concrete pavement. Several researchers have presented models to forecast blow-ups, such as the A. D. Kerr and G. Yang models, which have been applied to explain the blow-up phenomenon. However, this model has some limitations. This paper discusses a method to overcome these limitations. METHODS : Buckling, the most important theory describing the blow-up phenomenon, was reviewed, and the buckling principle was confirmed. Subsequently, the input variables of the Kerr and Yang models and the mechanism for predicting the occurrence of blow-ups were identified. The PGBA program was used to confirm the lifetime of the expansion joint and the blow-up occurrence time based on the expansion joint spacing to review the limitations of the two studied models. RESULTS : The Kerr and Yang models did not consider variables such as the expansion joint spacing or length of the integrated adjacent slab. In other words, it is necessary to reconsider the appropriateness of blow-up time predictions in relation to changes in expansion joint spacing and slab length. The expansion joint lifetime and blow-up occurrence time were predicted using the PGBA program. It was confirmed that as the expansion joint spacing increases, the expansion joint lifetime decreases. However, the blow-up occurrence time was shown to be the same (equal to 59 years), which is a limitation of the Kerr and Yang models used in the PGBA program. This resulted in a limitation in which variables for the expansion joint spacing cannot be used. CONCLUSIONS : Through blow-up simulation experiments and actual field data, an appropriate slab length should be determined, and a blow-up model should be developed based on the slab length. If a blow-up prediction based on concrete slab length and a blow-up model based on are developed, the blow-up prevention technology will be applied to the appropriate blow-up time and location to avoid traffic accidents and reduce human and property damage.

PURPOSES : Pavement growth (PG) is a phenomenon whereby the overall length of a concrete pavement increases. The increase in length induces an axial compressive force in the concrete pavement slab, resulting in blow-up and damage of adjacent structures, such as a bridge. PG is influenced by several interacting factors, including climatic conditions, pavement materials, joint systems, incompressible particles (IP) infiltrating the joints or cracks in the slab, and an expansion caused by reactive aggregates in the concrete. However, it is difficult to predict PG and blow-up due to various complicated factors. Therefore, in this study, the pavement growth and blow-up analysis (PGBA) package program was developed to predict the PG and blow-up potential. The PGBA can consider the pavement configuration, expansion joint (EJ) configuration, climatic conditions, and design reliability. To evaluate the effects of influencing factors — such as climatic data, EJ configuration, pavement structures and materials, and design reliability — on PG and occurrence time of blow-up, a numerical example was demonstrated and a sensitivity analysis was performed. METHODS : To predict the PG, the concrete temperature was calculated using an appropriate analytical model. The trigger temperature for pavement growth(TTPG) was predicted using a statistical equation that considers pavement age, joint spacing, and precipitation. An analytical solution for estimating the concrete slab movement was performed. Through the calculated TTPG and the amount of PG, the service life of the EJ (width of EJ) can be predicted compared to the allowable width. In addition, by using analytical and finite elements, the safe temperature(Tsafe) for preventing blow-up occurrence was calculated. The blow-up occurrence was assumed to occur when the variation between the concrete temperature and TTPG was larger than Tsafe. RESULTS :As a result of the sensitivity analysis of maximum temperature and precipitation, the temperature and precipitation increase and the EJ service life and possibility of blow-up decrease. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the thermal expansion coefficient, pavement thickness, base layer type, concrete elastic modulus, and joint rotational stiffness in the concrete pavement structure and properties. In the PGBA program, the coefficient of thermal expansion and the type of base layer significantly affect the EJ life, as do the possibility of blowup and the elastic modulus. The joint rotational stiffness and pavement thickness had little effect on the EJ life but were found to affect the possible timing of blow-up. As a result of the PGBA sensitivity analysis of the width and spacing, which are the specifications of the EJ, the life of the EJ and the possibility of blow-up increased as the joint width increased; however, the EJ life and blow-up increased as the EJ interval reached a certain value. It was found that the possibility of a blow-up occurrence decreased. The results for the PGBA program in extreme weather conditions, the life span of EJs, and the possibility of blow-up in normal climates were reduced by over 50 %. CONCLUSIONS : As a result of PGBA sensitivity analysis, it was found that the substrate type, thermal expansion coefficient, precipitation, and alkali-silica reaction had the greatest influence on pavement expansion and blow-up.

PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to understand blow-up distress and causes in concrete pavement. METHODS : Feasible causes of blow-up and existing models were reviewed based on the literature. Three analytical models were adopted to perform a sensitivity analysis. Input parameters reflected the typical concrete pavement of national expressways. Evaluation of blow-up models was based on the amount of temperature increase and zero stress temperature of the concrete pavement. RESULTS : A review of the literature indicated that the five major causes of blow-up were: increase in temperature and solar radiation, alkaliaggregate reaction (AAR), friction characteristics between the concrete slab and subbase, joint closure (incompressible), and joint freezing. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the coefficient of thermal expansion had the greatest influence on the blow-up safety temperature. CONCLUSIONS : From existing blow-up model results, it could be concluded that the construction of concrete pavement during the winter season was not effective at preventing blow-up. In addition, an equivalent coefficient of thermal expansion that considers slab expansion due to AAR was proposed as a model input parameter for concrete pavement sections damaged by AAR.

PURPOSES : This study deals with a pressure relief joint, which is one of primary preventive methods of blow-up in concrete pavement. The purpose of the study is to estimate the joint sealant protrusion of pressure relief joint filler types according to horizontal displacement of concrete pavement by applying a variety of joint sealants and joint fillers. And test method for resistance of concrete to chloride ion penetration and test method for resistance of concrete to rapid freezing and thawing were conducted to analyze the improvement of concrete durability according to the primer types on concrete surface of stress relief joint. METHODS : Joint fillers of pressure relief joint were categorized into four different types, which are was styrofoam+backer+sealant(type 1), styrofoam+sealant(type 2), foaming styrofoam+sealant(type 3), and preformed joint+sealant(type 4). By varying the depth (10, 20, 30, 50 mm) from the top of the test specimens to the sealant’s surface, the test factors were evaluated for a total of 16 variables. When the specimen’s joint spacing decreased from 70mm to 10mm, the load was stopped. And the displacement of the center of the joint protrusion was measured. The test was terminated when the specimen joint spacing was reduced to 60 mm. The horizontal displacement at the time when the joint protrudes over the specimen surface is recorded and analyzed as the critical threshold displacement. RESULTS : According to the test results according to the type of joint filling material, it was found that there was a difference in the protrusion of the horizontal compression displacement according to the joint filling type. Under the current installation standard of 20mm, the preformed seal joint member showed the best crimping characteristics by securing the safety against protrusion until the horizontal displacement of 50mm occurred. CONCLUSIONS : The most common failures in pressure relief joints are those related to joint sealants, which can be minimized by changing the current joint type, installation depth, etc. to suppress them.