1. Concrete pavements in France

1.1 A look back at the evolution of concrete pavements

Ever since the idea of using concrete as a road surface was first put forward a hundred years ago, the discontinuities in these pavements (joints or cracks) have been the focus of special attention by designers. Numerous devices and theories have been proposed. Over the course of time, several structures have successively come to the fore, and today five of them share the favor of prime contractors. These are :

• Unreinforced concrete slab pavements, with ungrooved joints and no foundation, also known as "thick slab";

• Unreinforced concrete slab pavements with unjoined joints and ;

• Unreinforced slab pavements with doweled...