2
Objectives
Understand and complete ESAL
calculation
Know variables involved in and be
able to calculate required thickness
of rigid and flexible pavements
8
Advantages to Flexible Pavement
Adjusts to limited differential
settlement
Easily repaired
Additional thickness added any time
Non-skid properties do not deteriorate
Quieter and smoother
Tolerates a greater range of
temperatures
9
Disadvantages of Flexible Pavement
Loses some flexibility and cohesion with
time
Needs resurfacing sooner than PC
concrete
Not normally chosen where water is
expected
10
Basic AASHTO Flexible
Pavement Design Method
Determine the desired terminal
serviceability, p
t
Convert traffic volumes to number of
equivalent 18-kip single axle loads (ESAL)
Determine the structural number, SN
Determine the layer coefficients, a
i
Solve layer thickness equations for
individual layer thickness
11
Basic AASHTO Rigid Pavement
Design Method
Select terminal serviceability
Determine number of ESALs
Determine the modulus of sub-grade
reaction
Determine the slab thickness
12
Variables included in
Nomographs
Reliability, R
•Incorporates a degree of certainty
into design process
•Ensures various design alternatives will
last the analysis period
Resilient Modulus for Roadbed Soil,
MR
•Generally obtained from laboratory
testing
13
Variables included in
Nomographs
Effective Modulus of Sub-Grade
Reaction, k
•Considers:
1.Sub-base type
2.Sub-base thickness
3.Loss of support
4.Depth to rigid foundation
Drainage Coefficient, m
i
•Use in layer thickness determination
•Applies only to base and sub-base
•See Tables 20.15 (flexible) and 21.9 (rigid)
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Flexible Pavement Design
Pavement structure is a multi-layered elastic
system, material is characterized by certain
properties
Modulus of elasticity
Resilient modulus
Poisson ratio
Wheel load causes stress distribution (fig 20.2)
Horizontal: tensile or compressive
Vertical: maximum are compressive, decrease with
depth
Temperature distribution: affects magnitude of
stresses
27
Components
Sub-grade (roadbed) course: natural material that serves as the
foundation of the pavement structure
Sub-base course: above the sub-grade, superior to sub-grade course
Base course: above the sub base, granular materials such as crushed
stone, crushed or uncrushed slag, gravel, and sand
Surface course: upper course of the road pavement, should withstand
tire pressures, resistant to abrasive forces of traffic, provide skid-
resistant driving surface, prevent penetration of surface water
3 inches to > 6 inches
28
Economic Analysis
•Different treatments results in
different designs
•Evaluate cost of different
alternatives
29
Sensitivity Analysis
•Input different values of traffic
volume
•Compare resulting differences in
pavement
•Fairly significant differences in ADT
do not yield equally significant
differences in pavement thickness
30
OTHER ISSUES
Drainage
Joints
Grooving (noise vs. hydroplaning)
Rumble strips
Climate
Level and type of usage
31
FAILURE EXAMPLES
Primarily related to design or life-
cycle, not construction
All images from Distress
Identification Manual for the Long-
Term Pavement Performance
Program, Publication No. FHWA-RD-
03-031, June 2003