Pavement Preservation Journal, Winter 2011, Vol. 5, No. 2
By Shakir Shatnawi and Craig Hennings
A major dowel bar retrofit project consisting of 61,200 dowels was completed in the summer of 2010 on U.S. 50 between Sunrise and Watt Avenues in Sacramento County, Calif. The project utilized Kwik Bond polyester polymer concrete as the backfill grout material.
This article provides a summary of the use of conventional and alternative backfill materials and related advantages and disadvantages, with emphasis on the benefits of using polyester polymer concrete (PPC) as the backfill material.
Dowel bar retrofit (DBR) is a cost-effective preservation strategy for plain jointed concrete pavements. The technique is used to restore load transfer efficiency across the joint and extend pavement life.
Studies from most poorly performing DBR projects have shown the poor workmanship and premature failure of the backfill material to be a common cause of failure. Typical distresses include: backfill material wear, backfill material cracking, backfill material spalling, backfill material de-bonding, poor consolidation of backfill material, and misalignment of the foam core board.