Long-term performance evaluation of Iowa concrete overlays

The use of concrete overlays has long been recognised as a cost-effective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation strategy. However, the long-term performance of various types of concrete overlays has not been fully investigated since there has not been enough performance data available to conduct such an evaluation. Concrete overlays have been regularly constructed on Iowa roadways since the late 1970s and many older projects are still in use. Performance-related data for in-service concrete overlays have been acquired from the available resources to evaluate long-term performance of concrete overlays in Iowa. The information collected includes Pavement Condition Index (PCI), International Roughness Index (IRI), overlay type, construction year, overlay thickness, joint spacing, traffic, and other construction and design-related data. Based on an evaluation of PCI and IRI changes during service life, it is observed that concrete overlays can provide at least 20 years of service life. In terms of PCI ratings, 89% of concrete overlays investigated have PCI values greater than 60% as of the time of the analysis. Similarly, 93% of concrete overlays have IRI values lower than 2.7 m/km (170 in/mile). The effects of overlays type and design features on long-term performance of Iowa concrete overlays are also discussed.