Evaluation of Early Age Concrete Pavement Strength by Combined Nondestructive Tests

Abstract

During concrete pavement construction, comprehensive information on concrete strength development is necessary for knowledgeable scheduling decisions. To improve in situ strength estimation, nondestructive tests can be combined to maximize available information and increase collection efficiency. Ultrasonic testing has a higher accuracy in strength estimation for early age concrete and the external device allows for more data to be easily collected, while maturity testing can use temperature models to predict strength development. A procedure was created that combines these methods and their strength models in the laboratory for improved and increased field strength data. Using the procedure allows more data to be collected with greater accuracy and provides an adjustable, predicted strength development. This improves the efficiency of fast-track construction projects without resorting to costly alternatives by providing more information on strength development of in situ concrete than traditional strength testing or nondestructive methods individually.