The general rigid pavement construction procedure involves placement, consolidation, finishing, curing and jointing in rapid succession. “Placement” involves any equipment or procedures used to place the delivered PCC on the desired surface at the desired thickness; “consolidation” involves any means used to eliminate undesirable voids; “finishing” involves any equipment or procedures used to impart desirable surface characteristics; “curing” is the maintenance of satisfactory moisture and temperature in PCC as it sets and hardens such that the desired properties can develop; and “jointing” involves all those actions used to insert purposeful discontinuities in the pavement and seal them appropriately. This section provides a generic description of these six steps and any associated considerations. Specifics of how they are accomplished in fixed form and slipform paving are shown in the next two sections. More detailed information can be found in:
- American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA). (1995). Construction of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements. National Highway Institute Course No. 13133. AASHTO/FHWA/Industry joint training. Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation. Washington, D.C.