National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

About the research

Joint sawing is a critical part of concrete pavement construction, as the jointing system plays an important role in concrete pavement performance and service life. To ensure successful construction, it is important to understand the basic principles of the joint sawing process. These principles include proper timing, depth, and spacing of saw cuts, as well as the many factors related to materials, climate, and equipment that affect the sawing window. Understanding the fundamentals of joint sawing is even more important today thanks to the changing construction workforce and ongoing changes to mixtures and materials used in concrete pavements. The objectives of this research are to perform a comprehensive literature review on joint sawing of concrete pavements; to conduct a survey of agencies, contractors, and equipment providers to establish today’s typical practices and the most common problems related to joint sawing in Iowa; and to perform a field investigation that diagnoses these problems and tests out potential solutions on Iowa pavement construction projects. The results of each of these components will be combined and summarized in a guide culminating the best practices for joint sawing concrete pavements.