National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar

Pavement Materials
Introduction

ANIL KUMAR CHHOTU

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR NIT JALANDHAR
Pavement
is a structure that carries vehicular loading
not to be confused with the footpaths / walkways
used by pedestrians
built over a prepared foundation / subgrade
Facilities where pavements are provided

Airport Pavements

Haul Loads, Loading Yards, Bus Terminals

Highway Pavements
Low Volume Roads
Main carriageways of Major Highways
Shoulders of Major Highways
Service Roads
Intersection areas
Pavement Type
Depending on the importance of the pavement,
loading carried etc, the following categories of
pavements are normally provided

Unsurfaced roads (earth, gravel, moorum)

Surfaced (Bituminous surfacing, concrete)
Unconventional pavements (block pavements,
shell filled concrete pavements)
Pavement Types Bituminous Pavement
Pavement Types Concrete Pavement
Pavement Types Block Pavement
Pavement Type - Cell Filled Concrete
Vehicular Loading

Numbers / Volumes

Vehicle Type

Loads carried

Vehicular speeds (stationary, slow

moving, fast moving)
Climatic Parameters
Rainfall
Total
Seasonal Distribution

Temperature
Maximum Temperatures
Minimum Temperatures
Daily Variations
Seasonal Variations
Pavement Failures - Cracking
Pavement Failures - Rutting

Rutting
Pavement Failures - Bleeding
Failures Cracking in Concrete Pavement
Mud Pumping in Concrete Pavement
Blowup in Concrete Pavement
Components of Pavements

embankment

Typical Flexible Pavement

Embankment Subgrade Subbase Base
Wearing course (surfacing) shoulder (treated/untreated)
Components of Pavements

embankment

Typical Concrete Pavement

Embankment Subgrade Subbase Concrete slab
shoulder (treated/untreated)
Pavement Materials
Different materials are used in different
types of pavements
Soil
Aggregates (natural, artificial)
Bitumen, tar, emulsion, cutbacks
modified bituminous binders (polymer and
rubber)
Bituminous mixes
Pavement Materials (continued)
Cement
Cement concrete (plain, reinforced, pre-stressed)
Stabilised materials
Recycled materials
Geotextiles/ geomembranes
Study of Pavement Materials
Necessary to understand the behaviour of the
materials individually and in combination with
other materials.
Characterization of materials
to classify/grade
to obtain necessary inputs for design of new
structure (pavement)
to obtain inputs regarding the condition of the
materials in an existing pavement
to ensure proper quality during construction
Study of Pavement Materials
Pavement material properties are evaluated by

Conducting laboratory experiments on

representative samples

by field evaluation

by estimation
 Parameters to be considered for
characterization of Pavement materials

Loads
Stationary/moving, heavy/light, application mode
(normal and shear, impact)
Climatic conditions
temperature, rainfall, moisture
Weathering action
wetting/drying, chemical action, freeze-thaw
Material Properties

The material properties to be considered

should be relevant to the design approach
adopted
The properties should also reflect the
performance of the pavement structure
Variation of material properties during the
service life of the pavement
Material Behaviour
Fundamental material behaviour is
usually characterized in terms of
Stress-strain relationship
Ability of the material to recover after
release of load
Time dependency
Temperature dependency
Material Behaviour (Stress-strain relationship)
Stress

Linear
Non-linear
Strain
Material Behaviour (Recovery)

Release of load
deformation

time
Material Behaviour (Time Dependence)

Stress = Constant
strain

time
Material Behaviour (description)

Linear/Non-linear
Elastic/Plastic
Viscous/Non-viscous
Combination of the above terms
Material Behaviour (description)

Depends on
The magnitude, time/frequency and
nature of load
Temperatures to which the material
is subjected to
Moisture levels
Traffic Loads
Different Types of vehicles
Cycles
Two-wheelers
Passenger Cars
Vans
Buses
Single Unit Trucks
Multi-unit Trucks
Commercial Vehicles
Trucks, Buses, Vans

Load - Gross load, Axle load, wheel load

200
kN
80 120
kN kN
Front Axle Load

40kN
40
kN
Rear Axle Load

60 kN
60
kN
Tandem Axle
Combinations of vehicular units and axles

Commercial Vehicles - single or multiple

units
Single Unit truck with 2 or more axles
Vehicle-Trailer Combinations
Semi- trailer tractor combinations
Tractor and trailer combinations
Combination of Vehicular Units
Permissible Weights (tonnes) as per IRC

Vehicle Truck/Tractor
Trailer
Type Gross Wt FAW RAW FAW
RAW

Single Tyre 12 6 6
FA-Single, Rear-Dual 16.2 6 10.2
Type-3 24 6 19 (TA)
TYpe2-S1 26.4 6 10.2
10.2
Type 3-3 52.2 6 19(TA) 10.2
18
Load Transfer through Wheels
Pneumatic Tyres Inflated with air
Three parameters need to be considered
Total wheel load
Shape of Contact area
Distribution of pressure over the contact area
Load Transfer through wheels
Vertical stresses
Unidirectional surface shear stresses
Centripetal Shear stresses

Unidirectional shear
stresses
Vertical braking/acceleration
Load Transfer through wheels
Centripetal Shear stresses
Load Transfer through wheels

The Pressure distribution (vertical, centripetal or

unidirectional) is normally not uniform

Normally only uniformly distributed vertical surface

stress equal to tyre pressure is considered for
analysis
Load Contact Area
Shape of contact area
depends on
Inflation pressure
Tyre age
Pavement surface

Typical Tyre
Imprint
Shape of Contact Area

Different shapes are considered for analysis

Circular
Rectangular
Rectangular with semi-circular ends
More exact shapes for rigorous analysis
Contact Area - Rectangle with circular ends

L
0.3 0.6 L

L
Approximate Loading time
Depends on
Speed of the vehicle
Size of tyre imprint (load contact area)
Load spreading capability of pavement layers
Position of the element under consideration
Loading time and magnitude
Length of tyre
Speed imprint
Loading time and magnitude

Vertical Stress

Tim
e
Test Conditions for Pavement material
Evaluation
To obtain properties that are relevant for a given
situation, the following aspects should be
considered for field or laboratory evaluation

The magnitude, time/frequency and

nature of load
Temperatures to which the material is
subjected
Moisture levels
Degree of compaction
Failure of Materials
Fracture or complete separation
Excessive deformation (elastic or plastic)
Excessive elastic deformation
Stretch, twist, or bending
Buckling, vibration

Yielding
Plastic deformation at room temperature
creep at elevated temperatures
yield stress is the important design factor
Failure of Materials
Fracture
Sudden fracture of brittle materials
Fatigue (progressive fracture)
Stress rupture at elevated temperatures
Ultimate stress is the important design factor

Failure theories assume that failure occurs

when some physical variable such as stress,
strain, or energy reaches a limiting value.
Failure of Materials Stress Theories
Maximum Principal Stress Theory (Rankine,
Lam)
Applied for many brittle materials (limiting normal stress)

Failure if 1 or 2 is more than yield strength

Failure of Materials Stress Theories
Maximum Shear Stress Theory (Tresca, Guest,
Coulomb)
Ductile materials (limiting shear stress)
Failure when max. shear stress exceeds max. shear
stress in a tension test at yield
Ignores possible effect of s2
Failure of Materials Stress Theories
Maximum Octahedral Shear Stress Theory
Complicated loading conditions
Failure when Oct. shear stress exceeds max. Oct.
shear stress in a tension test at yield
Failure of Materials Strain Theories
Maximum Stain Theory (saint Venant)
Inelastic failure at a particular part in a body occurs
when the normal strain in that part exceeds a
limiting value

When either of the principal strains exceeds max.

strain corresponding to the yield strength of the
material in axial compression or tension
Failure of Materials Strain Theories

Total Strain Energy Theory

Max. Distortional Energy Theory