Pulchowk Campus

Department of Civil Engineering

M. Sc. in Transportation Engineering
Pavement Engineering, 2018
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. Explain in brief various methods of flexible pavement design: empirical, limiting shear failure
method, limiting deflection method, regression method based on pavement performance or
road test, mechanistic empirical method
2. Explain in brief various methods of flexible pavement design: Westergaard's Analysis Based on
Liquid Foundations, Discrete-Element Methods, Finite-Element Methods, Probabilistic Methods,
3. Describe the various layers and functions of a flexible pavement.
4. Describe the different types of rigid pavements.
5. Write point of comparison between flexible and rigid pavement.
6. Explain the design factors for pavement design: traffic and loading, axle loads, number of
repetitions, contact area, vehicle speed, environment (temperature: effect on flexible and rigid
pavement), frost penetration, freeing index, precipitation, materials, failure criteria, reliability.
7. Failure criteria for flexible pavements: fatigue criteria, rutting criteria, thermal cracking
8. Failure criteria for rigid pavements: fatigue cracking, pumping and erosion,
Chapter 2: Stresses and strains in flexible pavement
9. Figure 1 shows a homogeneous half-space subjected to two circular loads, each 10 in. (254 mm) in diameter
and spaced at 20 in. (508 mm) on centers. The pressure on the circular area is 50 psi (345 kPa). The half-space
has elastic modulus 10,000 psi (69 MPa) and Poisson ratio 0 .5. Determine the vertical stress, strain, and
deflection at point A, which is located 10 in. (254 mm) belowthe center of one circle.

Figure 1: Loading of homogenous half space

 Figure 2 Vertical stress due to circular loading

Figure 3 Radial stress due to circular loading

Figure 4 Vertical, Radial, and tangential strain due to superposition

 Figure 5 Tangential stress due to circular stress

Figure 6: Shear stress due to circular loading

10. Determine Stress, strain and deflection at point A load as in Figure 7.

 Figure 7: Point A load in axis of symmetry

11. A circular load having radius 6 in. (152 mm) and uniform pressure 80 psi (552 kPa) is applied on a two-layer
system, as shown in Figure 8. The sub-grade has elastic modulus 5000 psi (35 MPa ) and can support a
maximum vertical stress of 8 psi (55 kPa) . If the Asphalt Concrete has elastic modulus 500,000 psi (3 .45
GPa), what is the required thickness of a full-depth pavement? If a thin surface treatment is applied on a
granular base with elastic modulus 25,000 psi (173 MPa). What is the thickness of base course required?

Figure 8: two layer loaded system

 Figure 9: Vertical stress distribution in a two layered system

12. A total load of 20,000 lb (89 kN) was applied on the surface of a two-layer system through a rigid plate 12 in.
(305 mm) in diameter, as shown in Figure 2 .18 . Layer 1 has a thickness of 8 in. (203 mm) and layer 2 has an
elastic modulus of 6400 psi (44.2 MPa). Both layers are incompressible with a Poisson ratio of 0 .5 . If the
deflection of the plate is 0.1 in . (2 .54 mm), determine the elastic modulus of layer 1.

Figure 10: Two layered system load with rigid plate

 Figure 11: Vertical surface deflection of two layered system

Chapter 3: Stresses and deflections in rigid pavements

13. Explain the bending of infinite plate and curling stress in finite slab
14. Explain the concept of radius of relative stiffness
15. Loading as shown in the figure a concrete slab, 25 ft (7.62 m) long, 12 ft (3.66 m) wide, and 8 in . (203 mm)
thick, subjected to a temperature differential of 20°F (11 .1°C). Assuming that k = 200 pci (54 .2 MN/m3 ) and
at α = 5 x 10-6 in./in./°F (9X10-6 mm/mm/°C), determine the maximum curling stress in the interior and at the
edge of the slab.

Figure 12: Slab loading

 Figure 13: Stress correction factor in finite slab

Chapter 4: Traffic loading and volume

16. Write down the detail procedure for traffic estimation for the determination of cumulative number of standard
axles for design period needed for the determination of pavement thickness (flexible pavement) as per DoR
guidelines.
17. Explain the traffic considerations for the design of rigid pavement as per the IRC: 58-2015.

Chapter 5: Material characterization

18. Write short notes on: Resilient modulus, modulus of sub-grade reaction, California Bearing Ratio and R-value.
19.

Chapter 6: Drainage design

20. Mention the detrimental effects of water to the road pavement.
21. The Figure below shows a pavement with a thin granular drainage layer. The infiltration of surface water into
the drainage layer is 0.5 ft3/day/ft2 (0.15 m3/day/m2). The drainage layer is placed on a 5 ft (1.5 m) sand layer
with a permeability of 0.15 ft/day (5.3 X 10-5 cm/s). The sand layer is underlain by a very previous gravel
deposit, and there is no water table in the sand layer. Estimate the required discharge capacity of the drainage
layer. (Page 335 book).
 22. Describe filter criteria: clogging criteria, permeability criteria and additional criteria
23.

Chapter 7: Pavement performance

24. Describe various distress types in bituminous pavements including the distress caused by the deficiencies in
construction, materials and maintenance. (Book page 377)
25. Describe various distress types in concrete pavements including the distress caused by the deficiencies in
construction, materials and maintenance. (Book page 388)
26. Explain the terms: present serviceability, individual present serviceability rating, present serviceability rating,
present serviceability index, performance index.
27. List out the steps for the formulation of Present serviceability index.

Chapter 8: Reliability

Chapter 9: Flexible pavement design

28. Describe the general methodology of flexible pavement design. (book page 472)
29. Explain the fatigue and rutting models for flexible pavement (IRC 37-2012; chapter 6.2)
30. Design problem: design of bituminous pavement with untreated granular layers. (IRC 37-2012; Annex II)
31. Write down the selection of sub-grade CBR for pavement design. Method for determining Percentile values
(IRC 37-2012; page 67)

Chapter 10: Rigid pavement design

32. Explain the various aspects to describe the Bottom up cracking and top-down cracking. (IRC 58:2015)
:provided note by teacher)
33. Design of PCCP slab thickness: Appendix VII (IRC 58:2015)
34. Design of dowel bar: Appendix VIII (IRC 58:2015)
35. Design of tie bar: Appendix IX (IRC 58:2015)

Chapter 2: Design of overlays

36. Explain the method for the design of overlay thickness by IRC method (lecture note provided)

Assignment topics
37. Specifications of sub-base, base, sub-grade
38. DCP Test
39. Traffic forecast non-urban road (IRC 108-2012)
40. ORN -40 axel load survey
41. Sub-surface drainage
42. Pavement distress
43. Traffic Census (IRC 9-1972)
44. ORN 31
45. Low volume road (pavement design) IRC:SP72-2007
46. CRCP: with EJ IRC 101-1988