Design of

Flexible
Pavements:
IRC 37 2012

Nikhil Saboo, BITS Pilani

History

1970: Based on CBR of soil; for commercial vehicles

1984: Design based on traffic in terms of Cumulative number of standard axle

load (traffic upto 30 msa)

2001: Traffic increased to 150 msa

Elastic layered theory applied for computation of stresses and starins
Development of FPAVE
Fatigue and rutting equation developed (R-56)
 History

2012: Many new changes

Different types of base and sub-base layers
Granular base and sub-base
Cementitious base and sub-base with aggregate interlayer
Cementitious base and sub-base with SAMI
RAP with/without addition of fresh aggregates treated with foamed
bitumen/bitumen emulsion
Use of perpetual pavement

Note: Only low strength cementitious base and sub base are recommended. High strength will lead to wide
shrinkage cracks which can rapidly reflect to the pavement surface.
Criteria

Till the fatigue cracking in bituminous layer extends to 20% of the area
Rutting in pavement reaches 20mm for 20% of the length.
10% failure criteria included for increasing the reliability
10% criteria applicable for traffic > 30 msa
Design life: 15-20 years
Stage construction not permitted for cementitious base and sub-base
Traffic in terms of cumulative number of standard axle load repetition
N = 365 x {[(1+r)n-1]/r} x A x D x F
Requirements

Subgrade.
CBR/Effective CBR.
For rainfall < 1000 mm no need for soaking.
Strength in terms of resilient modulus: Use empirical equations given in code.
Sub-base
Unbound: strength in terms of resilient modulus: use empirical equation given in
code
Bound: Elastic Modulus: E = 1000 x 7-day UCS [For 7 day UCS between 1.5-3 MPa, use
600 MPa for design with PR of 0.25; if between 0.75-1.5, use 400 MPa]
Requirements

Base
Unbound: Use empirical equation from code; strength in terms of resilient modulus
Bound: 4.5-7 MPa in 7/28 days. Take 50% of the value given by the previous equation
Modulus of rupture for fatigue analysis: cementitious: 1.4 MPa; Lime-flyash: 1.05 MPa;
Soil-cement: 0.70 MPa.
Aggregate Interlayer: 450 MPa; Poissons ratio of 0.35
Bitumen emulsion/foamed bitumen treated/RAP: Take 600 MPa, and Poissons ratio
of 0.35
Bituminous mix: See table/ best practice is to measure using UTM; Poissons ratio of
0.35
Binder: VG 30 for < 30 msa; VG 40 for > 30 msa; Modified binders can be used for
extreme temperature and loading conditions.
Models to be considered

Fatigue

Use 90% reliability equation when traffic > 30 msa

Models to be considered

Rutting

Use higher viscosity graded bitumen or modified bitumen for limiting rutting
and top-down cracking in bituminous layers
Models to be considered

Cementitious base and sub-base:

Slow setting cement having low cement content should be preferred
Thickness of cement layer is first evaluated using fatigue due to cumulative standard
axles

Further cumulative fatigue damage is used based on the stress ratio (similar to what
we learned in concrete pavements)
Stresses are calculated using layered theory