Improvement of approaches to calculating the distance between expansion joints in road cement concrete pavement

Introduction. Expansion joints are an integral part of the design of a cement-concrete road surface, as they provide compensation for temperature and shrinkage deformations, preventing uncontrolled crack formation. Rational design of the distance between expansion joints is one of the key factors affecting the durability and load-bearing capacity of the road surface. Incorrect calculation of these parameters can lead to premature failure of the structure, a decrease in its operational reliability, and an increase in repair and maintenance costs [1 – 6]. This article considers the issue of improving approaches to calculating the distance between expansion joints in a cement-concrete surface based on the DSTU draft "Guidelines for the design of rigid road surfaces", which is currently being developed by the SE «NIDI» with the participation of the National Transport University. The proposed methods were developed taking into account the advanced domestic and international experience in designing highways with rigid road surfaces, analysis of current regulatory legal acts, building codes, scientific and technical literature, as well as modern road construction materials and technologies. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of road and climatic regions of Ukraine, which allows adapting the methodology to real conditions of operation of the road surface.