Effect of Base Layer Strength on Rigid Pavement Failures

India, a rapidly developing nation, has been concentrating on faster and more sustainable construction methods in the road sector. The increasing cost of flexible pavements leads to the adoption of rigid pavements, which consist of Dry Lean Concrete (DLC) as a base/sub-base layer and Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) as a surface layer. This increasing cost calls for extensive research to minimize the failures in rigid pavements and maximize the residual life expectations. In this research, an attempt has been made to investigate and understand the behaviour of PQC with base layers of varying grades of concrete. This research work also aims to study the effect of base course strength on rigid pavement failures, especially corner faulting, through destructive and non-destructive testing and analysis methods. The role of different base layers and the rationale for their usage has been discussed and interpreted through settlement analysis performed on pavement structures using a loading frame setup. Also, a test track was constructed to study the effects of different base layer properties on the residual life of rigid pavements using a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) analysis. Residual life computation was performed by the back-calculation method through KGP-BACK software, which revealed significant outcomes showing better performance for base layers with higher strengths. Detailed analysis of life cycle cost significantly reduces costs for pavements with higher grades of concrete in base layers.