As the name implies, continuously reinforced concrete (CRC) pavement is a rigid pavement
constructed with continuous longitudinal reinforcement. No transverse joints are
installed. Instead, the pavement is allowed to develop random transverse cracks, and
the steel reinforcement holds the cracked sections together. The size and spacing of
the cracks are influenced by the percentage of reinforcing steel used. Current practice
calls for 0.6 to 0.7 percent of the slab cross-section area. The design of the reinforcement
is covered in the AASHTO Pavement Design Guide. The thickness of the slab is
determined the same way as for other concrete pavements.