Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

4300:465/565
Pavement Engineering
Spring 2014
Final Exam
Due Friday May 9, 2014 by 1:00 pm

Maximum Possible
Question No. Score
Score
1 10
2 15
3 15
4 10
5 10
6 10
7 15
8 15
Total 100
 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

Problem 1

What are the factors that affect the decision on whether to use a flexible or a rigid
pavement?

Solution

The main factors that affect the decision for construction of flexible or rigid pavement are as
follows:

1. Initial cost
2. Maintenance cost
3. Maintenance period
4. Availability of material
5. Availability of contractors
6. Construction time
7. Noise produced from pavement

Problem 2

Draw a schematic of a typical ODOT asphalt pavement structure. Include all possible
construction and material specifications (C&MS) item numbers that can be used for each
layer and highlight the ones that are most common.

Solution Seal Coat

Tack Coat
Asphalt Concrete Surface Layer (1.25”-1.5”)

Prime Coat
Asphalt Concrete Intermediate Layer (1.75”-4.5”)

Asphalt Concrete Base Layer (≥4”)

Aggregate Base Layer (6”)

Subgrade Layer

Fig: Typical ODOT asphalt pavement structure

 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

Asphalt Concrete Surface Layer

1. Item 424
2. Item 441
a. Type 1(Surface)
b. Type 2 (Surface)
3. Item 442
a. Type A
b. Type B
4. Item 443
5. Item 446
6. Item 448

Asphalt Concrete Intermediate Layer

1. Item 424
2. Item 441
a. Type 1(Intermediate)
b. Type 2 (Intemediate)
3. Item 442
a. Type A
b. Type B
4. Item 443
5. Item 446
6. Item 448

Asphalt Concrete Base Layer

1. Item 301
2. Item 302

Aggregate Base Layer

1. Item 304

Problem 3

Several rigid pavement designs have been used in Ohio. Draw a schematic for all designs
and highlight the one that is currently used by ODOT.

Solution

Rigid pavement types used in Ohio,

1. Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement
2. Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement
3. Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement
4. Precast Concrete pavement

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Fig: Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement

Fig: Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement

Fig: Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

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 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

Fig: Precast Concrete Pavement

Problem 4

Briefly discuss the Pavement Condition Rating (PCR) method that is used by ODOT to
evaluate the performance of pavement structures. What are the main distresses that are
included in the evaluation for flexible and rigid pavements?

Solution

Pavement Condition Rating:

Pavement Condition Rating (PCR) is based on a visual inspection of the condition of the
pavement by trained raters. The rater catalogs pavement distresses in terms of severity and
extent, assigns a deduct to each distress, and subtracts the sum of the deducts from 100. A
pavement in perfect condition receives a PCR of 100. PCR data is collected annually for all
divided and undivided state highways with exception of those located inside corporate limits of
municipalities.

PCR = 100 ∑

Very Good Good Fair Fair to Poor Poor Very Poor

100 90 75 65 55 40 0

Main distresses for evaluation

1. Raveling
2. Bleeding
3. Patching
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 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

4. Debonding
5. Crack sealing deficiency
6. Rutting
7. Settlement
8. Potholes
9. Wheel track cracking
10. Block & transverse cracking
11. Longitudinal cracking
12. Edge cracking
13. Thermal cracking

Problem 5

Briefly discuss the International Roughness Index (IRI). Start with a definition and then
discuss the theory behind this performance measure.

Solution

International Roughness Index (IRI):

The International Roughness Index (IRI) is the roughness index most commonly obtained from
measured longitudinal road profiles. It is defined as a mathematical property of a two-
dimensional road profile (a longitudinal slice of the road showing elevation as it varies with
longitudinal distance along a travelled track on the road).It is calculated using a quarter-car
vehicle math model, whose response is accumulated to yield a roughness index with units of
slope (in/mi, m/km, etc.). Since its introduction in 1986, IRI has become the road roughness
index most commonly used worldwide for evaluating and managing road systems.

Performance Measurement by IRI:

The IRI is developed mathematically to represent the reaction of a single tire on a vehicle
suspension (quarter-car) to roughness in the pavement surface, traveling at 50 mph (80 km/h).
The algorithm of the quarter-car simulation is very complex and is found in the appendix of
ASTM E 1364. The quarter-car model used in the IRI algorithm is just what its name implies: a

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 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

model of one corner (a quarter) of a car. The model is shown schematically in the Figure : it
includes one tire, represented with a vertical spring, the mass of the axle supported by the tire, a
suspension spring and a damper, and the mass of the body supported by the suspension for that
tire. IRI, like the Profile Index (PI) from California profilographs, is expressed in inches/mile
(mm/km). The quarter-car simulation is meant to be a theoretical representation of the response-
type systems in use at the time the IRI was developed. It is tuned to maximize correlation with
response-type road roughness measuring systems such as the Mays Ride Meter, the PCA meter,
and the Cox meter. IRI is linearly proportional to roughness. If all of the elevation values in a
measured profile are in-creased by some percentage, then the IRI increases by exactly the same
percentage. An IRI of 0.0 means the profile is perfectly flat. A value of 180 in/mi is often used
by state DOT’s as a trigger for resurfacing highways. There is no theoretical upper limit to
roughness, although pavements with IRI values above 500 in/mi (8 m/km) are nearly impassable
except at reduced speeds.

Problem 6

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using PCR by ODOT instead of IRI?

Solution

Advantages:
 Less time consuming
 Less costly
 Easy to implement

Disadvantages:
 Varies with different raters
 Does not fully cover the realistic severity & extent of a specific distress on a pavement

Problem 7

What are the most common maintenance and rehabilitation methods that are used for
flexible and rigid pavements by ODOT? When are they generally used during the service
life of the pavement structure?

Solution

Most common maintenance and rehabilitation methods:

 Overlay of damaged layer
 Constructing composite pavement
 Unbounded concrete overlay
 Introduce fractured slab techniques
 Whitetopping

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 Name: Mir Shahnewaz Arefin

Flexible Pavement Maintenance:

1. Year 10 - 15: Thin overlay, 1.25" -3" (~32 - 75 mm), with or without milling.
2. Year 18 - 25: Thick overlay, 3" - 7" (~75 - 175 mm), with milling,possibly pavement
repairs.
3. Year 28 - 32: Thin overlay or micro-surfacing or crack sealing.

Rigid Pavement Maintenance:

1. Year 18 - 25: 2% - 10% full-depth rigid repairs, 1% - 5% partial depth bonded repairs,
diamond grinding, 3" - 6" (~75 - 150 mm) overlay, sawing and sealing.
2. Year 28 - 32: 1% - 3% full- and/or partial-depth repairs, 1.25" - 2" (~32 - 50 mm) second
overlay with or without milling, 3" - 4" (~75 - 100 mm) first overlay, sawing and sealing,
micro-surfacing, crack sealing, diamond grinding.

Fractured slab techniques Pavement Maintenance:

1. Year 8 - 12: Thin overlay, 1.25" - 4" (~32 - 100 mm) with or without milling.
2. Year 16 - 22: Thick overlay, 4" - 8" (~100 - 200 mm) with milling, pavement repair.
3. Year 24 - 32: Thin overlay, 1.25" - 4" (~32 - 100 mm) with or without milling, micro-
surfacing, crack sealing.

Problem 8

Briefly discuss the life cycle cost analysis method that is used by ODOT to evaluate the cost
effectiveness of the various pavement rehabilitation and construction strategies. Focus on
the analysis method and what is included and what is excluded rather than the step-by-step
procedure.

Solution

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is a process for evaluating the economic worth of a pavement
segment by analyzing initial costs and discounted future costs such as preventive maintenance,
resurfacing, rehabilitation, and reconstruction costs over a defined analysis period. Personal and
District preferences must be set aside to attempt to come up with a fair, unbiased LCCA. It is
important to be fair to all alternatives in terms of price and performance. The LCCA is only a
tool in the decision-making process, it does not dictate a decision. The results of the LCCA are
not decisions but are important information used in reaching decisions.

Analysis Method

All reasonable alternatives are to be included in the LCCA. This includes rigid pavement, new or
complete replacement; flexible pavement, new or complete replacement; unbonded concrete
overlay; crack and seat; rubblize and roll; and whitetopping. Expected cost is not a good reason
to exclude an alternative from the analysis. For example, complete replacement is generally the

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most expensive alternative but it should not be disregarded simply because of the expectation of
high cost. The analysis may show replacement as the highest cost but the cost differential
between replacement and the other alternatives may be small enough to make replacement the
better choice.

The LCCA analysis period for new pavements and major rehabilitations is 35 years. Because the
analysis period exceeds the structural design life, future maintenance and rehabilitation actions
must be predicted and included in the analysis to keep the pavement in serviceable condition for
the 35-year period.

Rather than choose one explicit discount rate, ODOT uses a range of rates to see how the
discount rate affects the outcome. Total life-cycle cost is calculated for discount rates of 0, 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, and 6 percent. Results are then displayed in tabular and graphical form to see how the
discount rate affects the apparent least-cost alternative.

Once all the costs for initial construction and future maintenance have been calculated, they are
summed to determine the net present value of each alternative. Future maintenance costs are
discounted which accounts for and the time value of money.

The formula for applying the discount rate is as follows:

(P/F,i%,n) =

Where,
(P/F,i%,n) = Discount factor
i = Discount rate
n = year costs occur

Inclusion in analysis
 Initial construction
 Future maintenance

Exclusion from analysis

 Salvage value
 Currency inflation

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