• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.449-456
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• 2007

This research was conducted to analyze the features of the critical tensile stresses at the top and bottom of the concrete slab in the jointed concrete pavement (JCP) when subjected to both the environmental and vehicle loads. First, the stress distribution in JCP was analyzed when the system was subjected to only the environmental loads or the vehicle loads by using the finite element model of JCP. Then, the stresses were analyzed when the system was subjected to the environmental and vehicle loads at the same time. From this study, it was found that the critical tensile stresses at the slab bottom under the vehicle loads were almost constant regardless of the loading positions once the loads were applied at the positions having some distance from the transverse joint. The critical tensile stresses at the slab bottom could be obtained using the model consisting of normal springs for underlying layers by adding the critical stresses due to the environmental loads and the vehicle loads for the curled-down slab, and by subtracting the critical stress due to the environmental loads from that due to the vehicle loads for the curled-up slab. The critical tensile stresses at the top of the slab could be obtained using the model consisting of tensionless springs for underlying layers by adding the critical stress due to the environmental loads and the stress at the middle of the slab under the vehicle loads applied at the joint for the curled-up slab. An alternative to obtain the critical stresses at the top of the slab for the curled-up slab was to use the critical stresses under only the environmental loads obtained from the model having normal springs for underlying layers.