Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Civil Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Murray, Cameron

Committee Member

Hale, Micah

Second Committee Member

Barry, Michelle

Keywords

UFGS; UFC; Mixture Design Process; Military Airfield; Concrete Pavements

Abstract

Military airfield concrete pavements require exceptional durability and performance, guided by the stringent criteria of the Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-25-04 and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) 32 13 14.13. Currently, the mixture design approval contains severe pre-construction bottlenecks, primarily due to comprehensive requirements of testing all aggregate sources within six months of project commencement. This rigid approach forces redundant and time-consuming laboratory tests, such as the ASTM C666 freeze-thaw durability test, to be conducted even when utilizing consistent aggregate sources. This thesis reviews the current UFGS mixture design process to identify critical bottlenecks in the process. To accelerate the approval timeline without compromising pavement quality, an aggregate consistency analysis framework is proposed. This model proposes the use of available historical test data from recent DoD projects to track the consistency of the aggregate sources, potentially allowing waiver of redundant testing for low-risk sources. Additionally, a formal Pre-Mixture Design meeting is recommended to reduce subjective interpretations of the specifications. Implementation of these frameworks will help transition the DoD to significantly reducing pre-construction schedules and reducing testing costs.

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