Fatigue failure is common among major roads because a typical highway will experience millions of wheel passes throughout its service life.

One major design consideration of rigid pavements is reducing fatigue failure due to the repeated stresses of traffic. The typical designed service life of a rigid pavement is between 30 and 40 years, lasting about twice as long as a flexible pavement. Rigid pavements must be designed to endure frequently repeated traffic loadings. The reason for its popularity is due to its availability and the economy. Portland cement concrete (PCC) is the most common material used in the construction of rigid pavement slabs. Offering high quality riding surfaces for safe vehicular travel, they function as structural layers to distribute vehicular wheel loads in such a manner that the induced stresses transmitted to the subgrade soil are of acceptable magnitudes. Like flexible pavements, rigid highway pavements are designed as all-weather, long-lasting structures to serve modern day high-speed traffic. In addition, they commonly serve as heavy-duty industrial floor slabs, port and harbor yard pavements, and heavy-vehicle park or terminal pavements.

Rigid pavements are generally used in constructing airports and major highways, such as those in the interstate highway system.

Rigid pavement design software