Pavement Analysis and Design

Definition
Pavement
– Pavement is the upper part of roadway,
airport or parking area structure
– It includes all layers resting on the
original ground
– It consists of all structural elements or
layers, including shoulders
What is Design?
– Conceived/developed plan for
something to serve a specific function.
What is a pavement design?
– It is the process by which the structural
components a road segment are
determined taking into account the nature
of the subgrade, density and traffic
composition.
Functions of the Pavement

 – Reduce and distribute the traffic loading so as not to

damage the subgrade
 – Provide vehicle access between two points under all-
weather conditions
 – Provide safe, smooth and comfortable ride to road
users without undue delays and excessive wear & tear
 – Meet environmental and aesthetics requirement
 – Limited noise and air pollution
 – Reasonable economy
Pavement Design Phases

 Highway design consists of three stages

 – Geometric design (route selection or alignment design)
 – Capacity design (number of lanes to meet traffic
demand)
 – Structural design to withstand loads and environment
 Structural design consists of 3 steps
 – Selection of materials (types of pavement)
 – Proportioning of materials
 – Layer thickness design
Requirement of pavement structure

 1. Sufficient thickness to spread loading to a pressure

intensity tolerable by subgade
 2. Sufficiently strong to carry imposed stress due to traffic
load
 3. Sufficient thickness to prevent the effect of frost
susceptible subgade
 4. Pavement material should be impervious to penetration
of surface water which could weaken subgade and
subsequently pavement
 5. Pavement mat. shd be non-frost susceptible
 6. Pavement surface shd. be skid resistant
Types of Pavement Failure

Failure criteria
 Flexible Pavements
 Fatigue Cracking,
 Rutting,
 Thermal Cracking,
 Rigid Pavements
 Fatigue Cracking,
 Pumping or Erosion
 Others: Faulting, spalling, joint deterioration
Stresses and Strains in
Asphalt Pavements
Stresses and Strains in
Flexible Pavements

Pavement response to applied wheel

load
– Stress & strain are produced in each
layer
– Pavement vertically deflects
– Location and magnitude of responses
determine type and extent of pavement
deterioration and the rapidity of
deterioration.
Pavement Responses

Stresses, Strains, & Deflections

 Load-Related
 – Vertical
 – Shear
 – Tensile
 – Compression
 Non-Load-Related
 – Tensile
Structural Response Models
 Help determine pavement responses as a function of
applied load (traffic or environmental)
 Stress, Strain , Deflection
Responses are needed for two
reasons:
1. Material characterization, and
2. Predicting pavement distress.
 Tension
Compression
Stresses and Strains Flexible
Pavements
 Sources of Stress and Strain
 - Load related
 Vertical Stress and strain (rutting)
 Shear Stresses and strain
 Radial stresses and strain
 – Shrinkage stresses and strain (cracking)
 – Temperature-Induced Stresses and strains
(cracking)