Effect of Density and Mixture Proportions on Freeze-Thaw Durability of Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement (05-0861)**
Norbert Joseph Delatte, Cleveland State University
Chris Storey, University of Alabama, Birmingham

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) is widely used for industrial and heavy duty pavements. It is an economical and durable material for paving and other applications. RCC has relatively high strength and density. Although the strength of RCC has been thoroughly investigated, the freeze-thaw durability of RCC remains a topic of contention. RCC has often performed well in harsh field environments, but it often fails laboratory freeze-thaw durability testing. In this study, 24 specimens were fabricated for freeze-thaw durability testing using a gyratory compactor. Study variables were degree of compaction, amount of water, and water/cement (w/c) ratio (and hence, also, amount of cement). Specimens replicated typical RCC pavement and dam construction. The RCC specimens were subjected to up to 300 cycles of rapid freezing and thawing, and were tested for fundamental transverse frequency and mass loss. Due to the low aspect ratio of the specimens, fundamental transverse frequency testing was not reliable. Several specimens completed the 300 cycles with mass loss of less than 10 %. The freeze-thaw durability of RCC was found to be dependent primarily on the amount of cement paste and w/c ratio, and to a lesser extent on degree of compaction.