Enhancing Cement Concrete Pavement Strength with Polypropylene and Polyester Fiber as Reinforcement Material

The rapid and continuous rise in road traffic worldwide has created substantial challenges for infrastructure development and maintenance. Forecasts indicate that this upward trend will persist in the foreseeable future. Even in developed nations, insufficient funding often hampers the construction of new infrastructure and the upkeep of existing road networks. The situation is considerably more critical in developing countries such as India, where limited resources and increasing vehicular loads have led to the accelerated deterioration of pavement systems. Consequently, a large proportion of bituminous pavements now exhibit serious forms of distress, including rutting, shoving, and cracking, necessitating timely rehabilitation or structural strengthening. These interventions require heavy expenditure and extensive use of scarce materials such as bitumen and aggregates. To address these challenges, the cost-effectiveness of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) overlays, as an alternative to conventional bituminous overlays, must be critically examined. Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) roads have been observed to provide a longer service life of approximately 20–30 years while maintaining economic efficiency. In accordance with IRC specifications, PQC is produced using coarse aggregates and placed over a Dry Lean Concrete (DLC) sub-base, making it particularly suitable for highway and airfield pavements designed to endure heavy loading conditions.