Development of a New and Innovative Concrete Paver

Abstract

Interlocking Concrete pavers (ICPs) have become increasingly common in North America. These pavements consist of impermeable concrete paving units and permeable joints that allow water to freely enter the surface. The impermeable paving units are placed on a bedding layer of impermeable aggregates. The base and subbase layer store water and allow it to run into the underlying soil subgrade. ICPs contribute to reducing or eliminating runoff, and they are adaptable to various environmental conditions. In addition, they are designed to be resistant freeze-thaw cycles and de-icing chemicals, and are suitable for winter weather in Canada. These pavements are commonly used in low-traffic areas such as parking lots and sidewalks, and the focus of this study is development and placement of new innovative sustainable pavers and high-traffic urban areas. Using innovative materials in the concrete mix design has a direct impact on the long-term durability of ICPs. The research was directed at reducing cement content in the concrete mix design by replacing cementitious materials such as glass pozzolan and slag to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Besides, using recycled aggregates instead of natural aggregates in the mix design can lead to more environmentally friendly pavers. Increasing traffic loads and environmental factors can lead to higher stress are build up in pavement structure. To predict the magnitude of applied stresses, ABAQUS software was utilized in this study. One of the biggest benefits of using ABAQUS software is to visualize the results. The visualization module in ABAQUS provides a graphical display of finite element models and results. It is easy to detect the problematic areas and take an action to solve the problem. ABAQUS, which is a general-purpose finite element software, was used to model the ICPs under various traffic loadings and different materials and environmental conditions. ICPs were simulated for heavy truck vehicles in high traffic areas. These new ICPs will be implemented in an urban area; this model was designed to be applicable for areas that support heavy truck vehicles such as buses and bus rapid transit (BRT). In this study, ABAQUS software was utilized to evaluate deflection, principal stress, shear stress, pavement and foundation thickness, and contact pressure of ICPs. The calculated maximum deflection was -2.1 µm and the maximum principal and shear stresses were 3.41 MPa and 1.42 MPa respectively under 827.4 KPa tire pressure. In general, the pavement performed well under the above-mentioned conditions and the level of stress in the pavement structure was found to be much less than the structural strength of conventional Portland cement concrete.