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GATE 2026 CE (CE2) – Question 45

Highway Pavements · Design of flexible and rigid pavements · 2 marks · Multiple select

Which of the following statements is/are TRUE with respect to the type of stresses to be considered for the design of rigid pavements?

  1. Warping stress due to temperature differential between the top and bottom of the pavement slab as a result of daily variation in temperature
  2. Frictional stress due to the overall increase or decrease in temperature of the pavement slab as a result of seasonal variation in temperature
  3. Critical stress obtained as the maximum of the wheel load stress, the warping stress, and the frictional stress
  4. Critical stress obtained as the sum of wheel load stresses at edge, interior, and corner of the pavement slab

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (A) Warping stress due to temperature differential between the top and bottom of the pavement slab as a result of daily variation in temperature; (B) Frictional stress due to the overall increase or decrease in temperature of the pavement slab as a result of seasonal variation in temperature

Explanation

A rigid pavement is designed for wheel load stresses, warping stresses from the daily temperature difference between the top and bottom of the slab, and frictional stresses from the seasonal change in the slab's overall temperature. Statements A and B describe the last two correctly. The critical stress is found by adding the stresses that act together at the critical location, not by taking the maximum of the three, and the wheel load stresses at the edge, interior and corner are separate cases, never added together. So C and D are false.