08 Design of Pavement

HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
CLASSIFICATION
OF PAVEMENT DESIGN
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

CLASSIFICATIO
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

RIGID PAVEMENT
What is RIGID PAVEMENT?

N
• Rigid pavements are those, which possess note worthy Tight Rigid
Longitudinal Joint Shoulder
flexural strength or flexural rigidity.
Types of Rigid Pavement
• Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement Traverse Joint

• Jointed Reinforced Concrete Pavement

Concrete slab (jointed)
• Continuously Reinforced Concrete
Base course (non-erosive)
Pavement
Subbase course (if needed)
Subgrade (Existing Soil)
 Highway Engineering

Types of Rigid Pavement

Joint Plain Concrete Pavement

• transverse joints spaced less than about 5 m apart and

no reinforcing steel in the slab. JPCP may, however,
contain steel dowel bars across transverse joints and
steel tie bars across longitudinal joints.

Joint Reinforced Concrete Pavement

• transverse joints spaced about 9 to 12 m apart and contains

steel reinforcement in the slab. The steel reinforcement is
designed to hold tightly together any transverse cracks that
develop in the slab. Dowel bars and tie bars are also used at
all transverse and longitudinal joints, respectively.
 Highway Engineering

Types of Rigid Pavement

Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

• CRCP has no regularly spaced transverse joints

and contains more steel reinforcement than JRCP. The
high steel content influences the development of
transverse cracks within an acceptable spacing and
serves to hold these transverse cracks tightly together.
Transverse reinforcing steel is often used.
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CLASSIFICATIO
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

FLEXIBLE
PAVEMENT
What is FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT?

N
• Flexible Pavements are those, which on the whole have lowSurface Courseflexural strength and
or negligible
are rather flexible in their structural action under the loads. Base Course
Examples of Flexible Pavement Subbase (Optional, usually treated subgrade)
• Conventional
• Asphalt Surfaced
• Deep Strength
• Full Depth
• Modified Full Depth
Subgrade (Existing Soil)
MCLEOD’S
METHOD
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MCLEOD’S
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
SUBGRADE DESIGN

METHOD
There are two primary objectives for subgrade
design and construction,

a) a subgrade that will provide the highest possible

load carrying capacity throughout the year.

b) a subgrade that is so thoroughly compacted that

it will undergo a minimum of differential vertical
movement throughout the useful service life of
the superimposed flexible pavement.
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

MCLEOD’S
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF SUBGRADE
DESIGN AND

METHOD
CONSTRUCTION
1) Establish the right-of-way of a road or airport runway on sandy
rather than on clayey soils wherever possible. Clay soils
become weaker and weaker as they absorb more and more
moisture, whereas sands maintain high supporting value in
either the wet or dry condition.
2) When some choice exists between clayey and sandy soils for
subgrade construction, but the quantities of sandy soils are
limited, place the clay and other poor soils as low in the
subgrade as possible, and conserve the sandy soil for the top
layer of the subgrade.
3) By means of adequate drainage installations, protect the
subgrade from sources of moisture that might enter and soften
the subgrade soil, Figure 2.
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MCLEOD’S
SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

PRINCIPLES OF SUBGRADE
DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
4) Establish the top of the subgrade at least four feet above the ground
water table, Figure 3. This helps to maintain the upper part of the

METHOD
subgrade in a drier and stronger condition.
5) Excavate pockets of frost-affected soils, (usually fine sands and silts).
that are susceptible to acute frost heaving and frost boils, to one-
half the depth of frost penetration, but to a minimum depth of two
feet, and replace with soils of non-frost heave texture, Figure 4.
6) Deposits of peat, muck, or other highly organic soils should be
either,
a) completely displaced from under the subgrade, Figure 5, by
excavation, temporary surcharge, jetting with water, or blasting
with dynamite, or
b) thoroughly consolidated during construction by temporary
surcharge if there is ample time, or by the use of sand drains,
Figure 6, if the construction period must be short.
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MCLEOD’S
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF SUBGRADE
DESIGN AND

METHOD
CONSTRUCTION
7) Compact subgrade soils in relatively thin layers at approximately
optimum moisture content by means of sheepsfoot, pneumatic-
tired, or steel-wheeled rollers, or by vibratory compactors, etc., for
at least the top 12 inches of cut sections, and for the full depth of
embankments, Figure 7, to increase their density in place.
Mechanical compaction tends to increase subgrade strength,
provide more uniform subgrade bearing capacity, and reduce
differential vertical movement
THICKNESS
OF PAVEMENT
USING
MCLEODS’S METHOD
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
THICKNESS
DESIGN
OF EQUATION
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

PAVEMENT
minimum thickness of granular
base course needed to carry any
specified
wheel load over any given
subgrade 𝑷
𝑻 = 𝑲 ∗ 𝒍𝒐𝒈 ∗
𝑺

USING
where,
T = required thickness of granular base in inches,
P = gross single wheel load to be carried on the runway of
highway.
S = subgrade support measured for the same contact area

MCLEOD’S
as
that of the loid P,
K = the base course constant, which is an inverse
measure of
the supporting value of the base course per unit thickness.
U.S. CORPS
OF
ENGINEERS
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U.S.
ABOUT CORPS O
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 37,000 dedicated Civilians and

ENGINEERS
Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries
worldwide.

• With environmental sustainability as a guiding principle, the Corps team is working

diligently to strengthen our Nation’s security by building and maintaining America’s
infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train,
work and live. They are also researching and developing technology for their war
fighters while protecting America’s interests abroad by using their engineering
expertise to promote stability and improve quality of life.
CALIFORNIA
RESISTANCE
VALUE METHOD
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H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
CALIFORNIA
pavement thickness varies directly
with R value and logarithm of load
repetitions, and varies inversely
with fifth root of computer value

𝑲 ∗ 𝑻. 𝑰. ∗ 𝟗𝟎 − 𝑹

RESISTANCE
where,
𝑻= 𝟏
𝑪𝟓
T = total thickness of pavement, cm
K = coefficient constant of 0.166
T.I. = Traffic Index

VALUE
R = Stabilometer Resistance Value
C = Cohesiometer Value
EXPANSION
PRESSURE
METHOD
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H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

EXPANSION
Standard Test Method
for Resistance R-Value
and Expansion
PRESSURE
Pressure of Compacted
Soils
According to ASTM D2844 / D2844M – 18, this test method is
used to measure the potential strength of subgrade, subbase,
and base course materials for use in road and airfield

METHOD
pavements. The R-value is used by some agencies as criteria
for acceptance of aggregates for base course and bituminous
courses.
The expansion pressure testing has been used in conjunction with
the R-value test to determine cover requirements (thickness) and
construction controls to reduce pavement distortion from expansive
subgrade soils.
GOLDBECK’S
FORMULA
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H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

GOLDBECK’S
DESIGN EQUATION
stress at the corner of the slab
using Goldbeck’s Formula

𝟑𝑾

FORMULA
where,
𝒅=
𝝈𝒎𝒂𝒙

d = depth of concrete pavement

W = wheel load
σmax = maximum stress
WIDTH OF
WIDENING OF A
CURVE SECTION OF
ROAD
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

WIDENING OF
Widening of Pavement
on Horizontal Curve

PAVEMENT IN
The pavement is extra widened on the horizontal curves
due to the following reasons:

a) The wheel base of the vehicles is rigid and therefore while

taking the turn, only front wheel are able to change
direction. Path traveled by the front will be different and will
be at certain distance outwards from the path traced by the

CURVE inner wheel.

b) There is a tendency of the driver to take the outer path at
the curves to have more sight distance visible ahead.
c) While overtaking operations on horizontal curves driver will
need more spacing from the other vehicles to feel safer.
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H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

WIDENING OF
Widening of Pavement
on Horizontal Curve

PAVEMENT IN
Factors governing the widening of the pavement on the
horizontal curves :

a) Length of wheel base

b) Radius of the curve negotiated, R
c) Psychological factor which depends upon the velocity of the
vehicle and the Radius of the curve.

CURVE
In general, extra width is provided on the horizontal curves when
the radius is less than 300 m.
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WIDENING OF
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
Determine the extra width by adding
the width due to mechanical widening
and width due to psychological

PAVEMENT IN
widening
𝑾𝒆 = 𝑾𝒎 + 𝑾𝒑
𝒏 ∗ 𝒍𝟐 𝑽
𝑾𝒆 = + 𝟏
𝟐𝑹
[𝟗. 𝟓𝑹𝟐 ]

CURVE
where,
We = extra width for pavement design
Wm = mechanical widening width
Wp = psychological widening width
n = number of traffic lanes l = length of the wheel base
V = design speed in kmph R = radius of the horizontal curve
in m
TRIAXIAL

TEST
METHOD
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H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

TRIAXIAL
Triaxial Test Method of
Flexible Pavement
Design
TEST
Triaxial test is conducted on soil specimen under 160 kN/m 2

of lateral pressure. Hence modulus of elasticity is calculated

from stress strain curve. Traffic coefficient X and saturation
coefficient Y are introduced in this method. These are
multiplied with the load system to get the total pavement
thickness.

METHOD
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TRIAXIAL
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
Total pavement thickness by triaxial
test method

TEST
where,
𝑻=
𝟑𝑷(𝑿𝒀)
𝟐𝚫𝝅𝑬
𝟐
− 𝒂𝟐

METHOD
T = total pavement thickness
P = wheel load
Δ = design deflection = 0.25 cm
E = modulus of elasticity
X = traffic coefficient
Y = saturation coefficient
a = radius of the contact area, cm