Mechanistic Empirical

Pavement Design Guide

A Manual of Practice
+TKX

*MSDQHL
&CHSHNM
 2008 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 Preface | ii

Preface
This document describes a pavement design methodology that is based on engineering mechanics and
has been validated with extensive road test performance data. This methodology is termed mechanistic-
empirical (M-E) pavement design, and it represents a major change from the pavement design methods
in practice today.

From the early 1960s through 1993, all versions of the American Association for State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for Design of Pavement Structures were based on limited em-
pirical performance equations developed at the AASHO Road Test in the late 1950s. The need for and
benefits of a mechanistically based pavement design procedure were recognized when the 1986 AAS-
HTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures was adopted. To meet that need, the AASHTO Joint
Task Force on Pavements, in cooperation with the National Cooperative Highway Research Program
(NCHRP) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), sponsored the development of an M-E
pavement design procedure under NCHRP Project 1-37A.

A key goal of NCHRP Project 1-37A, Development of the 2002 Guide for Design of New and Rehabilitat-
ed Pavement Structures: Phase II was the development of a design guide that utilized existing mechanis-
tic-based models and data reflecting the current state-of-the-art in pavement design. This guide was to
address all new (including lane reconstruction) and rehabilitation design issues, and provide an equitable
design basis for all pavement types.

The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), as it has now become known, was com-
pleted in 2004 and released to the public for review and evaluation. A formal review of the products
from NCHRP Project 1-37A was conducted by the NCHRP under Project 1-40A. This review has
resulted in a number of improvements, many of which have been incorporated into the MEPDG under
NCHRP Project 1-40D. Project 1-40D has resulted in Version 1.0 of the MEPDG software and an
updated design guide document.

Version 1.0 of the software was submitted in April 2007 to the NCHRP, FHWA, and AASHTO
for further consideration as an AASHTO provisional standard and currently efforts are underway on
Version 2.0 of the software. Simultaneously, a group of state agencies, termed lead states, was formed to
share knowledge regarding the MEPDG and to expedite its implementation. The lead states and other
interested agencies have already begun implementation activities in terms of staff training, collection of
input data (materials library, traffic library, etc.), acquiring of test equipment, and setting up field sec-
tions for local calibration.

This manual presents the information necessary for pavement design engineers to begin to use the
MEPDG design and analysis method. The FHWA has a web site for knowledge exchange for the
MEPDG (http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov)

2008 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 | iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Purpose of Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Overview of the MEPDG Design Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Referenced Documents and Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1 Test Protocols and Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 Material Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 Recommended Practices and Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.4 Referenced Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3. Significance and Use of the MEPDG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.1 Performance Indicators Predicted by the MEPDG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2 MEPDG General Design Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.3 New Flexible Pavement and HMA Overlay Design Strategies Applicable for Use with
the MEPDG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4 New Rigid Pavement, PCC Overlay, and Restoration of Rigid Pavement Design
Strategies Applicable for Use with the MEPDG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.5 Design Features and Factors Not Included Within the MEPDG Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4. Terminology and Definition of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.1 General Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.2 Hierarchical Input Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.3 Truck Traffic Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.4 Smoothness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.5 Distress or Performance Indicator TermsHMA-Surfaced Pavements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.6 Distress or Performance Indicator TermsPCC-Surfaced Pavements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5. Performance Indicator Prediction MethodologiesAn Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.1 Calibration Factors Included in the MEPDG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.2 Distress Prediction Equations for Flexible Pavements and HMA Overlays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.3 Distress Prediction Equations for Rigid Pavements and PCC Overlays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6. Hierarchical Input LevelsDeciding on the Input Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
6.1 Introduction to Hierarchical Input Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
6.2 Purpose of the Hierarchical Input Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
6.3 Selecting the Input Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
7. General Project Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
7.1 Design/Analysis Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
7.2 Construction and Traffic Opening Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8. Selecting Design Criteria and Reliability Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.1 Recommended Design-Performance Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.2 Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
9. Determining Site Conditions and Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
9.1 Truck Traffic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
9.2 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

2008 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
iv | MechanisticEmpirical Pavement Design Guide

9.3 Foundation and Subgrade Soils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

9.4 Existing Pavements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
10. Pavement Evaluation for Rehabilitation Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.1 Overall Condition Assessment and Problem Definition Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.2 Data Collection to Define Condition Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.3 Analysis of Pavement Evaluation Data for Rehabilitation Design Considerations. . . . . . . . 104
11. Determination of Material Properties for New Paving Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
11.1 Material Inputs and the Hierarchical Input Concept. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
11.2 HMA Mixtures; Including SMA, Asphalt-Treated or Stabilized Base Layers, and
Asphalt Permeable-Treated Base Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
11.3 PCC Mixtures, Lean Concrete, and Cement-Treated Base Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
11.4 Chemically Stabilized Materials; Including Lean Concrete and Cement-Treated Base Layer. . 117
11.5 Unbound Aggregate Base Materials and Engineered Embankments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
12. Pavement Design Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
12.1 New Flexible Pavement Design StrategiesDeveloping the Initial Trial Design . . . . . . . . 129
12.2 New Rigid Pavement Design StrategiesDeveloping the Initial Trial Design . . . . . . . . . . 136
13. Rehabilitation Design Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
13.1 General Overview of Rehabilitation Design Using the MEPDG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
13.2 Rehabilitation Design with HMA Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
13.3 Rehabilitation Design with PCC Overlays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
14. Interpretation and Analysis of the Results of the Trial Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
14.1 Summary of Inputs for Trial Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
14.2 Reliability of Trial Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
14.3 Supplemental Information (Layer Modulus, Truck Applications, and Other Factors). . . . 182
14.4 Predicted Performance Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
14.5 Judging the Acceptability of the Trial Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Appendix: Getting Started with the Mepdg
A.1 Installing the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
A.2 Uninstalling the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
A.3 Running the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Abbreviations And Terms
Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Index
Index of words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

2008 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
444 North Capitol St. NW
Suite 249
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 624-5800
www.transportation.org

Publication Code: MEPDG-1

ISBN: 978-1-56051-423-7