Toughness improvement mechanism and evaluation of cement concrete for road pavement: A review

Traditional cement concrete has the disadvantages of low tensile strength, poor toughness, and rapid development of cracks while cracking, which causes a significantly negative influence on the safety and durability of concrete road pavement. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of toughness improvement mechanisms and evaluation methods of cement concrete for road pavement. The review indicates that (i) The performance of concrete material depends on its material composition and internal structure. Aggregate size, cement properties and admixtures are the main factors of concrete toughness. (ii) The incorporation of rubber or fiber in pavement concrete improves the toughness of concrete materials. However, these additions must be maintained within a reasonable range. The amount of rubber and fiber are encouraged not more than 30% of the volume of fine aggregate and 2% of the volume of concrete, respectively. (iii) The toughness of pavement concrete material includes the toughness regarding bending, impact and fracture. The toughness of cement concrete for highway and municipal pavement is generally evaluated by bending and fracture toughness, while the toughness of airfield pavement concrete is more focused on impact toughness. (iv) The toughening measures of cement concrete for road pavement are mainly mixed with rubber or fiber, while these two materials have their defects, and the application of high-toughness cement concrete in the actual road still faces many challenges. For example, the synergistic effect of rubber and fiber, the development and application of new flexible admixtures, and the formulation of the toughness index of pavement cement concrete materials need further research.