Flexible Pavement Design Flexible Pavement Design Methodologies

• Experience
• Empirical
• Mechanistic-Empirical
• Mechanistic

1 1.2-2

Design Methods Design Inputs and Outputs

• Highway Pavements • Inputs
– Design life (analysis period)
– AASHTO
– Traffic (W18)
– The Asphalt Institute – Foundation stiffness (MR)
– Portland Cement Association – Performance criterion (PSI)
– Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design – Reliability (ZR, So)
Guide (MEPDG) • Outputs
– Required pavement capacity: Structural
Number (SN)

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AASHTO Design Equation
log10 W18   Z R So  9.36 log10  SN  1  0.20
Structural Number
 PSI 
log10  MR
 4.2  1.5   2.32 log M  8.07
 10  R
1094
0.40 
 SN  1
5.19

W18 = design traffic (18-kip ESALs)

ZR = standard normal deviate
So = combined standard error of traffic and performance prediction
PSI = difference between initial and terminal serviceability index
MR = resilient modulus (psi)

Reliability, %
SN = structural number (AASHTO, 1993)

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Design Steps
n
SN  a1 D1   ai Di mi
1. Reliability (R)
i 2
2. Overall standard deviation (So)
3. Cumulative ESALs
4. Effective roadbed resilient modulus
(MR)
5. Resilient moduli of pavement layers
(surface, base & subbase), MRi
No Unique Solution!
6. Serviceability loss (PSI)

(AASHTO, 1993)
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 1. Reliability (R)
Design Steps (Cont.)
Chance that pavement will last for
7. Structural numbers (SNi)
the design period without failure
8. Structural layer coefficients (ai)
9. Drainage coefficients (mi)
10. Layer thicknesses (Hi)
11. Consider freeze / thaw and swelling
12. Life-cycle cost

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2. Overall Standard
Deviation (So) and ZR
Reliability
So = Standard Deviation
Flexible Pavements: So = 0.40 - 0.50
Rigid Pavements: So = 0.30 - 0.40

All variability is lumped into

a single set of parameters!

(AASHTO, 1993) 11 12
(AASHTO, 1993)

3
 4. Effective Roadbed
3. Cumulative ESAL and Resilient Modulus
Design Life
• Compute ESAL (W18) during the
design life in the design lane
uf = 1.18 x 108 x Mreff-2.32

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5. Resilient Moduli of Pavement

Layers (Surface, Base & Subbase)

• Lab testing
6. Serviceability Loss (PSI)
• Correlations

15 (AASHTO, 1993)
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4
 What is Serviceability? 6. Serviceability Loss (PSI)
• Based upon Present PSI  po  pt
Serviceability Rating
(PSR)
• PSI = Pavement Serviceability Index, 1 < PSI < 5
• Subjective rating by
individual/panel • po = Initial Serviceability Index
– Initial/post- – Flexible pavements: 4.2
construction • pt = Terminal Serviceability Index
– Various times after – Range from 1.5-3
construction
• 0 < PSR < 5
• PSR < ~2.5:
Unacceptable

(AASHO, 1961) 17 (AASHTO, 1993)

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Basic Equations

PSI

p0
Serviceability (PSI)

p0 - pt

pt

Time
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 7. Structural Numbers
• Use design nomograph three times
to determine the required SN above
subgrade, subbase, and base

(AASHTO, 1993)

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Structural Number SN
n
SN  a1 D1   ai Di mi
i 2

• SN = structural number 8. Structural Layer

• ai = ith layer structural coefficient Coefficients (a1, a2, a3)
• Di = ith layer thickness (inches)
• mi = ith layer drainage coefficient
• n = number of layers (3, typically)

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What Are Layer Coefficients?
• Are they fundamental engineering properties
of pavement materials?
• Can they be measured in the laboratory?
• Can they be defined easily for new materials?-
-e.g., a1: HMA
– Modified HMA
– Geosynthetic reinforced unbound
materials

NO! NO! NO!

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(AASHTO, 1993)

a2  0.249  log10 Ebase   0.977

a2: Granular Base
Ebase in psi

28 (AASHTO, 1993)
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a3: Granular Subbase 9. Drainage Coefficients (m2 & m3)
mi increases/decreases the effective value for ai

a3  0.227(log10 Esubbase )  0.839

Esubbase in psi

Captures effect of environment on material properties

(AASHTO, 1993)
(AASHTO, 1993)
30 31

10. Layer Thicknesses

Quality of Drainage • SN1  a1D1
– Solve for D1 & round off (1/2” increments)
• SN2  a1D1 + a2D2m2
– Solve for D2 & round off (1” increments)
• SN3  a1D1 + a2D2m2 + a3D3m3
– Solve for D3 & round off (1” increments)

• Consider min. practical thicknesses

• Consider material cost

(AASHTO, 1993)
32 33

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 Minimum Layer
Thicknesses

(Huang,34
2004) 35

Mechanistic -Empirical Asphalt Institute

Asphalt Institute:
Pavement response
• Design Criteria
Traffic (s, e, d) calculated Incremental fatigue 1. Limit vertical stress at top of roadbed soil
using DAMA damage models
Climatic
(prevent rutting)
data
Transfer functions
2. Limit horizontal tensile strain at bottom of
Design & HMA layer (prevent fatigue cracking)
material
property Performance
parameters prediction models
(rutting, % cracks, Limiting Criteria: Rutting < 0.5 in
etc….) Fatigue Cracking < 20-25%

36 37

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 Asphalt Institute Design Criteria Asphalt Institute
• Design Inputs

1. Traffic:
18-kip ESALs for Pt=2.5 & SN=5

et 2. Subgrade resilient modulus

ec
et at bottom of all bound layers (cracking)
ec at top of subgrade (rutting)
38 39

Asphalt Institute
Asphalt Institute
• Environmental
• Material Properties

1. MAAT (mean annual air temp.)

1. High Quality HMA
– To account for changes in HMA Mr
– Note that at:
2. Emulsified AC base: » 45°F (frost effects)
a. Type I – processed dense graded aggregate » 60°F (possible frost effects)
» 75°F (no frost effects)
b. Type II – semi -processed graded aggregate
c. Type III – sands or silty-sands
d. Criteria for base-subbase
40 41

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 Asphalt Institute Asphalt Institute
• Thickness Design • Design Selection
1. Full depth – min. HMA = 4in
2. HMA over Emulsified Base 1. Full depth HMA
a. Chart  TOTAL pavement thickness a. Less total required thickness
Min. HMA Traffic
b. Relatively insensitive to frost/moisture
2 in ≤ 105
5 in > 107
2. Aggregate base:
3. HMA over granular base a. Inexpensive
a. Chart  HMA surface thickness b. Readily available
b. Choose base thickness based on:
i. Drainage Min. HMA Traffic c. Shown good performance
ii. Frost protection
iii. Material availability/cost 3 in ≤104
iv. Agency requirements 5 in ≥106
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Step 1: Traffic Calculation

Example • Total ESALs
Asphalt Institute Method – Buses + Trucks
– 2.13 million + 1.33 million = 3.46 million

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 Step 2: Get MR Value Step 3: Select Climate
• CBR tests along a Road show: • Determines HMA & subgrade
– CBR ≈ 8 properties
– Can select mean annual air temperature
• MR conversion (MAAT):
AASHTO Conversion • 45°F (frost effects)

M R  1500CBR   15008  12,000 psi • 60°F (possible frost effects)

• 75°F (no frost effects)
NCHRP 1-37A Conversion – Software allows more selections
M R  2555CBR   25558  9,669 psi
0.64 0.64

46 47

Step 4: Calculate Design Step 4: Calculate Design

Source: Asphalt Institute, MS-1, 1981

• Use graph
• Decide on basic structure
– HMA
– Aggregate base (6 or 12 inches)
• Software allows for more choices

• Can also choose

– Full-depth asphalt
– HMA over emulsified asphalt base
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 Step 4: Calculate Design
• Final Design
– 9.5 inches HMA
– 12 inches aggregate base
• 6 inches UTB
• 6 inches aggregate subbase

50 51

MEPDG
• For free copy of the software,
climatic files, and Manual
• www.TRB.org/MEPDG

52 53

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 MEPDG Predicted Distresses
MEPDG Predicted Smoothness
Fatigue Thermal
Cracking Cracking IRI = International Roughness Index

IRI = F(Initial Roughness, Rutting, Fatigue

Cracking, Transverse Cracking, and Site Factors)

Longitudinal
Rutting
Cracking

54 55

MEPDG Inputs Design Process Overview

Four basic input categories Material
Traffic Foundation Climate
Properties
are required by MEPDG :
Inputs
– General Information Modify Trial Design Strategy
Strategy Analysis
– Traffic
No Pavement Analysis Models
– Climate Meet
Damage
– Structure Performance
Accumulation
Distress Prediction Models
Criteria?
Yes
Constructability Viable Alternatives Life Cycle Cost
Issues Analysis

Select Strategy Strategy Selection

14
 Design Criteria
RUT Color Codes
Criterion
DEPTH

TIME
FATIGUE
CRACKING

Criterion

TIME
Design
Period

60 61

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62 63

MEPDG Major Traffic Inputs

Four basic traffic input categories are required by
MEPDG as follows:

– Volume
– Classification
– Weight
– General

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 MEPDG Traffic Inputs MEPDG Lane and Directional Distribution
Factors
– Base year truck traffic volume.
• AADTT
• No. of Lanes in Design Direction
• % trucks in design direction.
• % trucks in design lane
• Speed.
– Traffic volume adjustment factors
• Monthly adjustment.
• Vehicle class distribution.
• Hourly Truck distribution.
• Traffic growth factors.
– Axle load distribution factors.
– General Traffic inputs.
• Number of axles per truck.
• Axle configuration
• Wheel base.

MEPDG Vehicle Class Distribution MEPDG Axle Load Distribution Factors

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 Change in AC Modulus with Age

4,000,000

3,500,000

3,000,000

2,500,000
Modulus (psi)

AC1(1)
h=0.5
2,000,000
AC1(2)
h=0.5
AC1(3)
1,500,000 h=1.0
AC1(4)
h=1.0
1,000,000
AC1(5)
h=1.2

500,000

0
0 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240
Pavement Age (month) 70

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