Hawassa University

Institute of Technology
School of Civil Engineering

Highway Engineering II Worksheet

1. Figure Q1 shows a pavement structure composed of the following three layers:

5.75mm HMA with an elastic modulus of 400,000 Mpa, 23mm granular base with
an elastic modulus of 20,000 Mpa, and a subgrade with an elastic modulus of
10,000 Mpa. All layers are assumed to have a Poisson ratio of 0.5. Calculate the
maximum horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of HMA and the maximum
vertical compressive strain on the top of subgrade under a 40,000 KN wheel load
and 150 Kpa contact pressure, assuming that the contact area is a circle.
40,000
40,000NKN
40,000 KN

150
150Kpa
150 Kpa
Kpa

EE11==400,000
400,000Mpa
Mpa 5.75
5.75mm
mm

EE22==20,000
20,000Mpa
Mpa 23 mm

EE33==10,000
10,000Mpa
Mpa

Figure Q1

2. In problem 1 if the base and subgrade are combined as one layer, as shown in
Figure Q2a, what should be the equivalent elastic modulus of this combined
layer so that the same tensile strain at the bottom of HMA can be obtained? If the
HMA and base are combined as one layer with the same total thickness of
28.75mm, as shown in Figure Q2b, what should be the equivalent elastic modulus
of this combined layer so that the same compressive strain on the top of subgrade
can be obtained?

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 40,000 KN
40,000 KN
150 Kpa
150 Kpa

E1= 400,000 Mpa 5.75 mm 28.75 mm

E2= 10,000 Mpa

Figure Q2

3. A two layer pavement structure is subjected to single wheel load having a contact
radius of 115 mm and a contact pressure 500 KPa. The subgrade soil (layer two)
has an elastic modulus of 70 MPa and the allowable compressive strength of 150
KPa. If there are two material options to be used as a top pavement layer (which
has 30km length and 6m width) with the following properties:

 HMA layer with Modulus of Elasticity of 3,500 MPa and construction cost of
3,500 Birr/ m3

 Double Surface Dressing layer with Modulus of Elasticity of 700 MPa and
construction cost of 1,850 Birr/ m3

Determine the thickness of the top layer of the pavement structure (for the two
material types) and choose the economical top layer pavement material type.

4. A flexible pavement is to be designed for two lane trunk road by the ERA
method which has initial traffic volumes in terms of AADTs have been
established for 2008 for a section of a trunk road under study and the anticipated
traffic growth rate for each class of vehicles are, as follows:

Vehicle classification 2008 AADT Traffic growth rate (%)

Car 200 7
Bus 75 6
Truck 110 5.5
Truck-trailer 180 5

The opening of the road is scheduled for 2013. Assume a design period of 20 years
for this trunk road. In addition, an axle load survey has been conducted, giving
representative axle loads for the various classes of vehicles, and it is assumed that

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 the loads are equally representative for each direction of traffic. The axle loads for
the various classes of vehicles are as follows:

Cars Buses
Vehicle no. Axle Load (Kg) Axle Load (Kg)
Axle 1 Axle 2 Axle 1 Axle 2
1 3682.5 5340.5 5319 7714
2 3772.5 5271 5449 7613.5
3 3750 5246 5416.5 7577.5
4 3511.5 5086.5 5072 7347
5 3645 4191.5 5264.5 6054.5
6 3695 5200.5 5337.5 7511.5
7 3474.5 4896.5 5019 7073
8 1686.5 3792.5 2436.5 5478.5
9 1651 4150.5 2384.5 5995.5
10 1845 4122 2665 5954

Trucks Truck-trailers
Vehicle no. Axle Load (Kg) Axle Load (Kg)
Axle 1 Axle 2 Axle 3 Axle 1 Axle 2 Axle 3 Axle 4
1 6968 12496 8101 8475 10612.8 10363 8370.4
2 6932 11927 8304 7825 9690 10113 9940
3 6864 11852 8469 7938 9750 10613 9340
4 6241 11491 8086 6850 9360 9925 9470.4
5 7124 8946 7004 8063 6660 7863 10160
6 6446 11464 8696 6938 9180 10688 10150.4
7 6245 10985 7850 6875 8865 9550 9420
8 3970 10990 2582 5713 10447.8 3400 2410.4
9 3694 12026 2884 5238 11475 3888 2450.4
10 4335 11925 2790 6175 11295 3600 2800

The subgrade CBR has taken at regular interval and the load penetration data are
given in table below. Determine the CBR value for all tests and use the 90 percentile
value as design subgrade CBR.

Load penetration data

Penetration Load(N)
(mm) Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Test 5 Test 6 Test 7 Test 8 Test 9 Test 10
0.64 860 520 610 695 765 745 400 345 575 650
1.27 1245 745 827.5 947.5 1125 962.5 785 562.5 792.5 902.5
1.91 1520 990 1060 1120 1440 1195 1060 795 1025 1075
2.54 1867.5 1200 1335 1600 1735 1467.5 1200 1067.5 1335 1600
3.81 2117.5 1420 1555 1765 1930 1690 1460 1290 1520 1720
5.08 2545 1757.5 1810 2050 2305 1945 1685 1545 1775 2005

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7.62 3020 2160 2220 2475 2680 2355 2560 1955 2185 2430

5. A new road design is proposed to serve the following traffic with growth rate of
4.2 % and total initial volumes (ADT) of 817 veh/day. The composition of the
traffic is given. Assume the roadway has two ways having 2 lanes in each
direction. Compute design repetition for 25 years period equivalent to 80kN

standard axle load. Design details of flexible pavement by AASHTO method for
the given traffic loading. Assume a reasonable materials properties, drainage
coefficients and traffic factors.

6. A flexible pavement is to be designed for two lane link road, which has initial
traffic volumes in terms of AADTs have been established for 2009 as shown in
Table Q6.1. In addition, an axle load surveys result on the section of the road is
presented in Table Q6.2. The opening of the road is scheduled for 2014 and the
anticipated traffic growth rates for all class of vehicles are 6.5%. Assume a design
period of 20 years for this link road. It is assumed that the loads are equally
representative for each direction of traffic.
Table Q6.1 Initial volume of traffic
Vehicles class AADT of 2009
Car 350
Bus 150
Truck 120
Truck-trailer 210

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 Table Q6.2 Axle load survey results (Kg)
Vehicle type Axle 1 Axle 2 Axle 3 Axle 4
Truck-Trailer
1 5334 10483 4108 8350
2 5418 10282 5242 8375
3 4662 11701 7182 8526
Truck
1 5124 3780 6090 4603
2 4368 5460 6938 7510
3 3520 6770 2612 2357
Bus
1 4200 5376
2 1764 2604
3 3852 4200
Car
1 1764 3528
2 2520 4200

The subgrade CBR values are given in Table Q6.3. Use the 90 percentile value as
design subgrade CBR.
Table Q6.3 Subgrade CBR values
Test no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CBR Value 5 8 5 7 9 11 10 7 5 6
Based on traffic and subgrade data above and assume a thickness of 50mm for
surface dressing layers, determine the possible combinations of pavement layers
from the structural catalogue of ERA flexible pavement design standard and select
the best alternative using unit cost for different types of pavement layers from Table
Q6.4.
Table Q6.4 Unit cost for different types of pavement layers per cubic meter
construction
Layer type costs/M3
Double surface dressing 2100
Flexible bitumen surface 3450
Bituminous surface 3300
Bituminous road base 2700
Granular road base 1350

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 Granular sub base 1050
Granular capping 525
Cement/lime stabilized sub base 1170
Cement/lime stabilized road base 1 1335
Cement/lime stabilized road base 2 1215

7. Design the pavement consisting of an asphalt concrete surface, crushed

stone base, and a granular sub base using AASHTO Design Method. Initial traffic
volumes in terms of AADTs have been established for 2002 for a section of two
way two lane trunk road under study as shown in Table 7.1. The anticipated
traffic growth rate for each class of vehicle is constant and is 5% increase per year
based on GDP. The opening of the road is scheduled at the Middle of 2006. It is
assumed that the loads are equally distributed for each direction of traffic. The
area has excellent drainage quality with 30 % of the time the moisture level is
approaching saturation. The effective Roadbed Soil Resilient Modulus is 10 ksi,
the Resilient Modulus of the base is 40 ksi, and the Resilient Modulus of asphalt
concrete is 4.5 x 105 psi. Assume a reliability level of 90%, Standard Deviation, So
of 0.40, and Serviceability Loss of 1.6.

In addition, the material to be used as Sub base Course was taken from different
Quarry sites and the CBR test result for each Quarry material is shown in Table 7.2.
An axle load survey has also been conducted during traffic counting time, giving
representative axle loads for the various classes of vehicles and is shown in Table 7.3.

NOTE: Use ERA’s EALF Determination Method.

Table 7.1.Initial traffic volume in terms of AADT

Vehicle Truck -
Car Bus Truck
Classification Trailer

AADT @ 2002 211 122 88 62

Table 7.2.Sub base CBR Values taken at different stations

Quarry
Station

10+260

16+020

23+000

33+540

44+880

56+600

67+720

79+000

92+000
0+000

CBR (%) 38 33 29 30 30 39 33 35 36 31

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Table 7.3.Axle Load Survey Data (KN)

Vehicle Vehicle
Axle 1 Axle2 Axle 3
Type Number Axle 4

1 34.75 48.96 0 0

Car 2 30.02 37.93 0 0

3 36.825 53.405 0 0

1 54.165 75.775 0 0

Bus 2 50.72 73.47 0 0

3 62.645 68.545 0 0

1 33.35 89.25 42.379 0

Truck 2 61.24 79.46 60.04 0

3 59.68 114.96 71.01 0

1 79.75 101.128 98.63 78.704

Truck-
2 69.38 91.8 106.88 101.504
Trailer
3 74.38 92.5 101.13 79.6

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