SPDM 3.

User Manual

This document is CONFIDENTIAL. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be
disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent of Shell International Oil Products B.V.,
The Hague.

The copyright of this document is vested in Shell International Oil Products B.V., The Hague. All
rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be reproduced, stored in any
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic,
recording or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

Bitumen Business Group

May 1998
Contents

1. Introduction 3
2. The SPDM 3.0 Package 4
3. System Requirements 6
4. Installing SPDM 3.0 7
4.1 Installation from CD-Rom 7
4.2 Installation from Diskettes 9
5. Brief Explanation of the Design Modules 12
5.1 Thickness Design 12
5.2 Rutting Calculation 12
5.3 Overlay Design 12
6. Starting SPDM 3.0 14
7. File and Database Management 16
Editing existing Projects 16
Deleting Input Data 18
Accessing and Deleting Previous Calculations 19
Database Maintenance 19
Saving Project Input and Calculations 20
8. Printing in SPDM 3.0 21
Print Preview 21
Printing to the printer 22
9. Outline of Performing SPDM Calculations 23
9.1 Thickness Design 23
9.2 Rutting Calculations 31
9.3 Overlay Design 35
9.3.1 Bound Existing Asphalt Layer 36
9.3.2 Cracked Existing Asphalt Layer 40
11. SPDM 3.0 Reports 42
12. Error Messages 49
Thickness Design 49
Rutting Calculation 50
Overlay Design 51
References 52

Page 2
1. Introduction

The Windows program SPDM 3.0 contains modules for Thickness Design, Rutting Calculations
and Asphalt Overlay Design. The program represents the current state of the Shell Pavement
Design Method (SPDM), which is also applicable to modified bitumens.

The development of the method started with the issue of a series of Design Charts in 1963,
which represented a partly analytical and partly empirical method for the thickness design of
flexible pavements. In 1978 this system was extended significantly with analytical components
and published as the Shell Pavement Design Manual1. The design charts in the Design Manual
were the results of BISAR2 calculations and included the effect of temperature, traffic density
etc. The asphalt was characterised by selected stiffness and fatigue classes for conventional
bitumens used at that time. In 1985 a review of experience with the use of the Manual resulted
in the publication of the Addendum3, giving guidelines on the use of safety factors or
confidence levels into the design.

In 1992 the first release of SPDM-PC4 (the Shell Pavement Design Method on a personal
computer) was issued. The package essentially followed the design philosophy of the 1978
manual but the computer program allowed the use of a wide variety of temperatures, bitumen
grades etc, which avoided cumbersome interpolations needed when using the book. The PC
version gave the possibility to provide specific material properties, but use of nomographs and
charts (e.g. the standard fatigue nomograph, designed for conventional bitumens) was still the
default method.

With the release of the windows version of SPDM (release 3.0) much more emphasis is given to
specific material properties and input of such data (e.g. required for the fatigue behaviour of
polymer modified asphalt) is now the standard procedure. The program still follows the SPDM
thickness design philosophy, but the default material properties listed in the 1978 book should
not be considered as part of the method and only be used as fall-back position.

The rutting calculation method in the 1978 Manual and in the first release of the PC-program
was limited with respect to variations in traffic. The shape of the traffic spectrum was fixed and
only the number of traffic loads could be adjusted. The second release, was able to deal with
specific traffic configurations (including super singles), but the rutting calculations were still
based on static creep characteristics, which appeared to be not applicable to modified binders5.

The rutting part of the Windows version of SPDM 3.0 is based on creep characteristics obtained
from dynamic tests. In this new version it is possible to provide user specific viscosity data for
the bituminous binder. Rutting calculations for polymer modified bitumens require input of these
data, because the viscosity of such bitumens cannot be estimated from standard routine
properties.

Refinement of SPDM designs can be carried out by means of BISAR 3.0, a program which is
suited to calculate stress and strain profiles for complex structures and load patterns as in
airfield designs.

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2. The SPDM 3.0 Package

The SPDM 3.0 package consists of three modules:

1. Structural thickness design for new asphalt road pavements

2. Estimation of permanent deformation (rutting) in the asphalt layers.

3. Structural thickness design for asphalt overlays on existing asphalt road pavements

The BISAR program is included as a subroutine to calculate strains at critical points in the
pavement structure. The individual layers of the pavement (subgrade, sub-base, asphalt and
overlay) are characterised by Young’s modulus of elasticity (E-modulus or stiffness modulus),
the Poisson’s ratio and the layer thickness. Within the BISAR model the structure is assumed to
have the following characteristics:

- the pavement and the sub-base consist of horizontal layers of uniform thickness resting on a
semi-infinite subgrade

- the layers are homogeneous and extend infinitely in the horizontal direction

- all the materials are isotropic, purely elastic and have a linear stress-strain relationship.

The package is suitable to deal with conventional standard bitumens and with modified
bitumens like MULTIPHALTE and CARIPHALTEi.

The windows version of the SPDM program follows the design philosophy of the Shell
Pavement Design Manual (1978). With Release 3.0 much more emphasis is given to specific
material properties and specific design criteria. Input of user specific data is preferred and
forms the first option in the SPDM input screens.

Default material properties as given listed in the 1978 book should not be considered as part of
the method and should only be used in a fall-back position. The BANDSii nomographs to predict
the stiffness of the bitumen, the stiffness of the asphalt mix and the asphalt fatigue properties
are included in SPDM. These nomographs were developed for conventional S-type bitumens on
the basis of rheological properties typical for that class of binders. These nomographs should
certainly not be used for fatigue behaviour (thickness and overlay design) and for viscosity-
temperature relationships (used in the Rutting module) of polymer modified bitumens.

Use of specific data and criteria is not limited to the characteristics of the asphalt layer, but also
applies to the granular sub-base layer and the soil (subgrade). It is recommended to use the
modulus of the granular layer from field or laboratory tests. It is also possible to select a user
specific criterion for the sub-grade strain. In this way the SPDM-package can be used to include
requirements from other design methods. The approach in the 1978 Manual and 1985
Addendum (various confidence levels) for sub-base modulus and subgrade strain remains
available.

The overlay design part can deal with two different states of the existing asphalt layer: as a
bound layer having a residual life with respect to asphalt fatigue, or as an extensively cracked
layer which is considered as an unbound base layer in the design. The overlay module assumes
that the sub-base layer consist of unbound granular material. The method does not contain a
failure criterion for cementitious materials and is therefore is not suited to deal with cement-
bound base layers. Reflective cracking phenomena are not considered within the Overlay
module.

i MULTIPHALTE and CARIPHALTE are Shell Trade Marks.

ii Full use of these nomographs can be made with the BANDS 2.0 computer program.

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The Rutting part contains an improved methodiii to account for the effect of traffic
characteristics, when compared to the method described in the 1978. In that manual it was
implicitly assumed that the traffic distribution could be represented by the spectrum as reported
by de Henau in 1967. Consequently, the method did not respond to changes in type of axle
loads, but only to the number of commercial axles. The current traffic weighting method can
cope with an arbitrary traffic spectrum including the use of super singles5. Within the first SPDM
rutting model, the effect of the binder on permanent deformation was incorporated via a relation
between the stiffness of the asphaltic mix and the bitumen under long loading time conditions
as obtained from static creep tests. That approach did not correctly predict improvements in
rutting behaviour obtained with modified binders like MULTIPHALTE and CARIPHALTE5. The
SPDM rutting method has been improved by replacing the static creep curves by stiffness
relations obtained from (dynamic) LTTiv tests. It is realised that the LTT creep characteristics
are not readily available and it is recommended to use stiffness relations obtained from dynamic
(unconfined or triaxal) creep tests. SPDM 3.0 does not contain a correction (dynamic factor)
anymore.

iii The improved traffic weighting method was already included in the previous computer program
(SPDM-PC Release 2.0).
iv Measurements in the circular Laboratory Test Track in the Shell Research and Technology Centre
Amsterdam.

Page 5
3. System Requirements

The minimum requirements for the computer system to run SPDM 3.0 are as follows:

Part Description

Computer IBM (or compatible) PC with a 486DX2-50 MHz or higher processor

Operating system Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0
Memory 4 MB of memory (8 MB recommended for Windows 95,
16 MB recommended for Windows NT)
Disk-drive The program is supplied on CD-Rom. On request it is available on
two high density diskettes of 1.44 MB
Hard disk 6 MB of available disk space
Screen VGA display or better
Mouse Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
Printer Any Windows compatible printer

Page 6
4. Installing SPDM 3.0

4.1 Installation from CD-Rom

In Windows 3.x

• Start Windows (or close all running programs if Windows is already started)

• Place the CD-Rom in your CD-Rom drive

• Select File/Run from the Program Manager

• Type: D:\SPDM3\SETUP (where D: is the drive assigned to your CD-ROM drive)

• Press the [Enter] key

• Follow the instructions in the section “Installation Screens (CD-ROM)” below

In Windows 95/NT

• Start Windows 95/NT (or close all running programs if Windows 95/NT is already started)

• Place the CD-Rom in your CD-ROM drive

• Select Run from the Start menu

• Type: D:\SPDM3\SETUP (where D: is the drive assigned to your CD-ROM drive)

• Press the [Enter] key

• Follow the instructions in the section “Installation Screens (CD-ROM)” below

Page 7
Installation Screens (CD-Rom)

Once the installation of SPDM 3.0 has started, the following screen will be displayed:

It is recommend that SPDM 3.0 is installed in a directory called SPDM3, however, a different
directory may be specified. Pressing the OK button starts the process of installing the
SPDM 3.0 files into the specified directory.

As files are installed, a progress meter is updated as shown below:

Installation is complete when the following window is displayed:

Page 8
4.2 Installation from Diskettes

In Windows 3.x

• Start Windows (or close all running programs if Windows is already started)

• Place the disk labelled “SPDM 3.0 Disk 1 of 2” in Drive A:

• Select File/Run from the Program Manager

• Type: A:\SETUP

• Press the [Enter] key

• Follow the instructions in the section “Installation Screens (diskettes)” below

In Windows 95/NT

• Start Windows 95/NT (or close all running programs if Windows 95/NT is already started)

• Place the disk labelled “SPDM 3.0 Disk 1 of 2” in Drive A:

• Select Run from the Start menu

• Type: A:\SETUP

• Press the [Enter] key

• Follow the instructions in the section “Installation Screens (diskettes)” below

Page 9
Installation Screens (diskettes)

Once the installation of SPDM 3.0 has started, the following screen will be displayed:

It is recommend that SPDM 3.0 is installed in a directory called SPDM3, however, a different
directory may be specified. Pressing the OK button starts the process of installing the
SPDM 3.0 files into the specified directory.

As files are installed, a progress meter is updated as shown below:

When the following screen is displayed, remove DISK 1 and replace it with DISK 2 before
pressing the OK button.

Page 10
Installation is complete when the following window is displayed:-

Installation Troubleshooting

If installation appears to be extremely slow, or if problems are encountered as installation

progresses, files may be manually copied to your hard disk and installed from there. To do this,
follow the instructions below.

• Using File Manager (in Windows 3.x) or Windows Explorer (in Windows 95) create a
temporary directory on your hard disk.

• Copy all of the files from both SPDM 3.0 installation disks to this temporary directory.

• Run the SPDM 3.0 SETUP program from this temporary directory.

Once installation has completed, the temporary directory may be removed.

Network Installation

Although SPDM 3.0 may be installed on and run from a network, it is not recommended since
the internal database is not designed for multi-user access.

Page 11
5. Brief Explanation of the Design Modules

5.1 Thickness Design

The thickness design of an asphalt layer in a new pavement structure is based on a three layer
system: the asphalt layer, the sub-base layer consisting of unbound (granular) material and the
subgrade (soil).

The calculation of the recommended asphalt thickness, the final result of this design procedure,
is carried out in an iterative way. In each iteration step BISAR calculates strains at four critical
positions in the construction (bottom of the asphalt layer, top of the subgrade, under a wheel
and between the wheels). The strains at these points are compared with the design strains for
subgrade and asphalt. The minimum actual life (related to the maximum strain in the four
positions) is compared with the design life.

The results of the BISAR calculations are used in a self-iterative manner to determine the
minimum asphalt layer thickness satisfying critical strain criteria at the top of the subgrade and
at the bottom of the asphalt.

When this actual life and the design life differ 2.5% or less, the corresponding thickness is
reported as the final result of the design. It is indicated whether the final design is determined
by the permissible subgrade strain criterion or by the asphalt fatigue criterion. The program
gives a warning when the maximum strain in the asphalt is not positioned at the bottom of this
layer, but continues to consider the strain at the bottom as critical.

5.2 Rutting Calculation

The Rutting part of SPDM 3.0 is independent of the Thickness Design and Overlay parts. The
module estimates rutting originating in the asphalt layers. Rutting originating in sub-base and
subgrade is not included. In rutting calculations on structures obtained from the Thickness
Design part rutting due to permanent subgrade deformation will be negligible.

Within the SPDM-PC rutting model the asphalt layer is divided into three sub-layers: a top layer
of 4 cm, a second layer of 4 cm, and a third layer of variable thickness. The sub-division of the
asphalt layer allows introduction of different bitumen and asphalt mix properties, e.g. for
wearing-, binder- and base course. The model ascribes different effective temperatures to the
asphalt mix in each of the sub-layers, emphasising the effect of temperature on rutting
performance at the top of the pavement. The total estimated rutting equals the sum of the rut
contributions in the three asphalt sub-layers and reflects the rutting due to permanent asphalt
deformation.

It is required to define the creep behaviour of the asphalt(s) layers, by selecting parameters
which describe the relationship between the stiffness of the mix and of the bitumen under long
loading time conditions as obtained from dynamic creep tests. The strain in uniaxial loading in
the laboratory creep test is translated into effective stresses (confined loading) in the actual
construction by means of Z-factors calculated with BISAR.

Differences between the SPDM 3.0 rutting model and the 1978 method are described in ref 5.

5.3 Overlay Design

The design of the thickness of an overlay is based on a four layer model: the overlay, the
existing asphalt layer, the unbound sub-base and the subgrade. The procedure shows great
similarities with a new Thickness Design. The order of displaying the menu’s differs and some
screens require more detailed input data. The procedure consists of two parts, depending on
the state of the existing asphalt layer.

If the existing layer is still a bound layer, the original life (expressed in 80kN standard axles) has
to be provided together with an estimate of its residual life. In this case the fatigue properties of
the existing layer are critical in the overlay design. If the existing layer is cracked it is treated as

Page 12
an unbound base-layer. The fatigue properties of the overlay are critical in the design and the
modulus of the existing asphalt layer must be estimated.

In case of a bound existing asphalt layer and a low residual life, there is a risk that the
recommended thickness of the overlay is larger than it would be in case of a cracked asphalt
layer. The program offers the opportunity to carry out a check on this occurrence.

Page 13
6. Starting SPDM 3.0

The program is started by double-clicking the SPDM icon

and the main window appears with the following pull-down menus
• Project
• Help
The options for the Project pull-down menu are:
• New
• Open
• Previous Calculations
• Delete
• Compact Database
• Repair Database
• Exit

New and Open are used for the actual calculations and have as sub-options the three SPDM
modules
• Thickness Design
• Rutting Calculation
• Overlay Design

New is used to set-up a new project while Open is used to edit input of already existing
projects. These options are explained in sections 7 and 9 of this manual.

Previous Calculations is used to access the reports (output) of previous projects. Delete is
used to for deleting input with the following options

• Thickness Design Input

• Rutting Calculation Input
• Overlay Design Input
• Climate Data
• Design Life Data
• Traffic Spectrum Data
• Base Layer Data
• Existing Asphalt Layer Data (for Overlay calculations only)
• Subgrade Strain Data
• Asphalt Mix Composition Data
• Asphalt Fatigue Data
• Routine Bitumen Property Data
• Creep Characteristics

Details for Previous Calculations and Delete are given in section 7.

Compact database and Repair Database are used to maintain the internal SPDM databases
(see section 7)

Exit closes the application.

When opening a New or existing project (Open) following additional pull-down menus become
available:

• Edit
• (Copy From)
• Results
• Window
• Help

Page 14
Edit is used to undo all changes within project input data. Copy From is only used for Rutting
Calculations. Results is used to start the calculations.

The Window pull-down menu offers the possibility to use the well-known general Windows
options

• Cascade
• Windows

for arranging and selecting various windows.

The Help menu offers the general Windows Help options

• Contents
• Search For Help On
• About SPDM 3.0

Help is also always available when pressing F1, except when displaying reports. For details
using Help, refer to your Windows Manual on Help.

Page 15
7. File and Database Management

Input and output (reports) are stored in an internal SPDM 3.0 database. In this way, the user is
not troubled with the management of separate input and output files on his computer via the
File Manager or the Windows Explorer. This set-up implies that all file management has to be
done within the SPDM program. It allows the use of narrative descriptions (long names) for the
various database parts.

The structure of the internal database is as follows:

Thickness Design Input Contains all input data for a specific project
Rutting Calculation Input
Overlay Design Input

Previous Calculations Contains input and output for a certain Project

(Thickness Report, Rutting Report, Overlay Report, Iteration
Report).

The Thickness Design, Rutting Calculation and Overlay Design modules have one common
database for specific input parts, which can be saved and retrieved when preparing input for a
certain project:

Climate Data Contains monthly mean air temperatures

Design Life Data Contains details on design period and design life

Traffic Spectrum Data Contains traffic spectra

Base Layer Data Contains thickness, modulus and Poisson’s Ratio for
unbound sub-base and subgrade

Existing Asphalt Layer Data Contains details for the old asphalt layer (used in Overlay
Design)

Subgrade Strain Data Contains parameters for the subgrade strain relationship as
defined by the user

Asphalt Mix Composition Data Contains volumetric composition of the asphaltic mix

Asphalt Fatigue Data Contains parameters for the fatigue line as defined by the
user

Routine Bitumen Property Data Contains routine bitumen properties as penetration,

softening point and viscosities

Creep Characteristics Contains parameters of the relationship between stiffness

modulus of the mix and of the bitumen under long loading
time conditions

Editing existing Projects

Editing input data in existing projects is done via Project, Open and e.g. Thickness Design
from the main SPDM window:

Page 16
resulting in display of a window like

to select a certain project for editing e.g.

which screen allows all input options as explained for starting a New Thickness Design Project
(see section 9.1)

Page 17
Deleting Input Data
The option to delete specific input (for full projects or specific data) can be approached via
Delete:

Note that this option is only available when all projects are closed.

After selecting a certain item, a following window (or similar) is displayed to delete

Page 18
Accessing and Deleting Previous Calculations
The content of Previous Calculations can be assessed via Project, Previous Calculations and
one of the SPDM modules, resulting (in case of Thickness Design) in display of a window like

Via this way it is possible to select project output

• for browsing and printing by choosing a specific report (see Section 9)

• to Delete specific output.

Database Maintenance
Under certain circumstances (e.g. loss of power in the middle of a calculation) it is possible that
the SPDM 3.0 database is corrupted. If this occurs then the following message will be displayed
when attempting to open or save projects:

Selecting the Repair Database option will remove any corruption of data which might have
occurred and SPDM 3.0 operation will continue normally.

When projects and results are deleted from the SPDM 3.0 database, the space that they once
occupied is not automatically reclaimed. The Compact Database option manually reclaims this
space. Please note that if used infrequently, database compaction can take one or two minutes
to complete.

Page 19
Saving Project Input and Calculations
Project Input can be saved at any time through use of the Project menu options:

either via Save or via Save as.

Page 20
8. Printing in SPDM 3.0

Whenever a report is created in SPDM 3.0 a preview window similar to the following is
displayed:

The arrow buttons at the top of the preview window enable you to move backwards and
forwards in your report. The action of those buttons is as follows:

Moves you to the first page of the report

Moves you to the previous page

Moves you to the next page

Moves you to the last page of the report

Cancels page formatting. For long reports, page formatting may take a few
moments. If you want to stop the page formatting, press this button.

Previews the page to be printed

Sends your report to the printer

NOTE: You can also use the keyboard to move around in the print window. [Ctrl]+[Home] moves
you to the first page, [Pg Up] moves you to the previous page, [Pg Dn] moves you to the next
page, [Ctrl]+[End] moves you to the last page, and [Esc] closes the print window.

NOTE: You can use the scroll bars to move around individual pages of the report.

Print Preview
The magnifying glass button is the print preview button. This button lets you see each page in
its entirety, as it will print. When you Click this button, the program displays the page that’s

Page 21
currently in the preview window, reduced in size so the entire page fits in the window at one
time.

Printing to the printer

To send the displayed report to the printer, click the printer button. A screen similar to the
following will be displayed. Note that SPDM 3.0 will print the report on your default printer. To
select a different printer in Windows 3.x use the printers option in the control panel. To select a
different printer in Windows 95, use the printers option in My Computer.

The Print Range option allows you to print all or just part of your report. Select All to print the
entire report or specify a page range for a partial report.

The default number of copies printed is 1, however this may be changed by specifying a
different number in the copies box.

The Collate Copies option determines how multiple copies of a report are printed. To print
multiple copies of a multiple page report in the order 1,1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3, etc. leave this option
empty. To print multiple copies of a multiple page report in the order 1,2,3...,1,2,3…, etc. then
select this option. Note that certain printers do not respond to this collating option and will
always print a report in the order 1,2,3…,1,2,3…, etc.

Page 22
9. Outline of Performing SPDM Calculations

9.1 Thickness Design

A new project is started via selecting Project, New and Thickness Design resulting in display
of the input window:

which gives the possibility to provide the required input by selecting the separate screens for

• Climate (activated when starting)

• Traffic & Design Life
• Base Layers and Subgrade Strain
• Asphalt Mix Composition & Fatigue
• Asphalt Stiffness & Layer Thickness

The name for a new project is ‘untitled’. The project title can be given when starting the
calculations.

Climate
The effect of climatic conditions in the design is reflected in w-MAAT, the weighted Mean Annual
Air Temperature.

The Climate data input screen can be used in three way’s:

• input of twelve MMAT (Mean Monthly Air Temperatures) values, which can be stored via
Save
• select MMAT-values from the database via Retrieve
• direct input of a w-MAAT value by clicking the corresponding checkbox.

NOTE: The algorithm for the w-MAAT calculation has been changed. This may result in small,
negligible, differences in w-MAAT values when compared to previous SDPM releases.

Traffic & Design Life

Within SPDM the design life is defined as the equivalent number of standard 80kN axles per
lane during the design (service) period. The standard axle is assumed to have two dual 20 kN

Page 23
wheels, each with a constant contact stress of 6 x 105 Pa and a radius of 0.105 m for the
circular contact area.

Traffic data have to be entered via pressing the Traffic & Design Life button, resulting in
display of the screen:

Traffic data can be treated in different ways:

• Direct input of the Design Life by clicking the checkbox ‘Enter Equivalent Number of
Standard Axles per Lane for design Period’. This option will in general be used for trend
studies
• By pressing Traffic Spectrum for more practical designs requiring a specified axle load
distribution

Page 24
The above screen provides possibilities for

• input of Axle Load and number of axles per lane and day, which data can be stored via Save
• select a traffic spectrum from the database via Retrieve

When closing the Traffic Spectrum window, the program returns to the previous screen,
displaying the corresponding ‘Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane per Day’. After
filing in the additional information on

• Number of Days with Traffic per Year

• Rate of Traffic Growth per Year (negative values are allowed)
• Design Period of Pavement

the resulting ‘Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane for design Period’ is displayed
immediately:

Page 25
The Save and Retrieve options are available for these Design Life Data, as well as for the
‘Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane for design Period’ only.

The Traffic & Design Life screen also gives the opportunity to correct for lateral movement of
the traffic and to account for healing effects in the asphalt during rest periods between
subsequent wheel loadings. The user can define his specific correction factors. The default
factors are 2 and 5, which implies that the number of fatigue cycles used in the design
calculations corresponds to the design life (number of standard 80 kN axles) divided by 10. This
factor was used to develop the design charts in the 1978 Manual (see also Asphalt Mix
Composition and Fatigue).

Base Layers & Subgrade Strain

This screen is used to provide input for the pavement base layers and to select the sub-grade
strain criterion.

The default mode for a new project is to provide actual data for the modulus of the unbound
base layer and to select your specific Subgrade Strain Criterion.

It is obligatory to provide input for the modulus of the subgrade (E3) and the thickness of the
sub-base (h2). It is recommended to input your own value for the modulus of the sub-base (E2).
When a value for E2 is not readily available, it is possible to make an estimate according to (h2
expressed in mm)
E 2 = k . E 3 and k = 0.2 . h20.45 (2 ≤ k ≤ 4 )

This formula is valid at a confidence level of 50% (1978 Manual). For 85 and 95% confidence,
the k-value is corrected (see Addendum 1985).

The Poisson numbers are by default set at 0.35 for both layers, but can be adjusted.

The subgrade strain criterion is derived from the relation between the permissible number of
axle loads and the number of standard axles (design life N), in formula
N sub = l . ε µm taking N sub = N
with the strain expressed in µm/m (εµ).The SPDM program requires input of the exponent m
and of 10log l.

Page 26
This option can be used to define a specific design criterion on the basis of properties of the
soil under consideration or, alternatively, to apply a specific design method v.

The default criterion at 50% corresponds to the relation described in the 1978 Manual, while the
85 and 95% confidence levels correspond to the relations explained in the 1985 Addendum.

Asphalt Mix Composition and Fatigue

The next input screen is used to provide the volumetric asphalt mix composition and fatigue
criteria.

The input of the composition is facilitated by entering two contents, whatever are readily
available. The volumetric composition is used to estimate the stiffness of the mix from the
stiffness of the bitumen (see screen Asphalt Stiffness & Layer Thickness) and is used together
with the default fatigue nomograph.

Again it emphasised that the fatigue relationship should preferably be provided by the designer.
This is certainly true when dealing with polymer modified binders. Use of the default fatigue
nomograph will in general underestimate the benefits of such premium binders.

The fatigue relationship reads

N fat = k . ε µn

Nfat is defined as the number of cycles at which the stiffness has decreased to 50% of the
original value. It is left to the designer whether the relation has been obtained from fatigue test
under constant stress or under constant strain. The program requires input of the exponent n
and of 10log k. Again, the strain is expressed in µm/mvi.

In the thickness design calculations Nfat is related to the design life N via
N fat = N / (healing factor * lateral distribution factor )
(see Traffic & Design Life).

v In other design methods, the strain in this type of equations is often expressed unit-less (m/m). Care
has to be taken in deriving the proper numerical value of the input parameter 10log l.
vi In other design methods, the strain in this type of equations is often expressed unit-less (m/m). Care
has to be taken in deriving the proper numerical value of the input parameter 10log k.

Page 27
If desired, the Default Fatigue Nomograph is available by clicking the option in question. It is
emphasised that this nomograph was developed for conventional bitumens with three point
tests carried out at constant strain.

Asphalt Stiffness & Layer Thickness

By pressing the button Asphalt Stiffness & Layer Thickness, a following screen is shown:

The input of the Asphalt Mix Stiffness Modulus (Smix) can be provided in three ways:

• Enter mix stiffness: Actual data for Smix under traffic conditions (temperature and loading
time)

• Enter bitumen stiffness: Actual data for the stiffness of the bituminous binder, Sbit, and
estimation of Smix

• Enter routine bitumen properties: Input of penetration and softening point and calculation
of Sbit with aid of the Van der Poel nomograph. It is also possible to use other combinations
of penetrations, softening point and penetration index.

The first and preferable option is to directly enter the stiffness of the asphalt mix at the
appropriate temperature and loading time. The usual loading time of 0.02 s (corresponding to a
traffic speed of approximately 50 km/h) is displayed for reference purposes. If the designer
wants to enter stiffness modulus values for other loading times, it is recommended to enter that
loading time for reporting purposes. The corresponding asphalt mix temperature is displayed in
the field for Asphalt Layer Temperature. The value in this (protected) field depends on the value
of w-MAAT (Climate button) and the thickness of the asphalt layer and is automatically adjusted
when one of these values changes. The initial (estimated) thickness is by default set at 0.2 m.

During the SPDM Thickness Design Iteration process, the thickness varies and consequently
the stiffness modulus of the mix should be adjusted. This approach is recommended for designs
with thick asphalt layers and thin base layers. When clicking the checkbox ‘Ignore Asphalt
temperature Changes due to Thickness Variations (Constant Stiffness)’ or when using ‘routine
bitumen properties’ the iterations are done automatically.

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Thickness Design Calculations
When starting the calculations via Results, Calculate or by pressing F5

the following message is displayed:

Here the user has the opportunity to save the input data and to give a description (name) to the
project input by pressing Yes:

After filling in a Project Title and pressing OK, the actual calculations start and the result of the
thickness design is displayed

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giving the opportunity to browse and print the Thickness Report (with full details on input and
output ) and the Iteration Report (with details on intermediate results during the calculation
process).

When leaving above window via Close the following is displayed to save the results for printing
and browse via Previous Calculations later on (see section 7)

When the checkbox ‘Ignore Asphalt temperature Changes due to Thickness Variations
(Constant Stiffness)’ is not activated, only the first iteration step is carried out and the program
pauses with displaying a screen like:

The calculation will be proceeded by pressing Continue, going to the next iteration step and so
on.

The checkbox ‘Ignore Asphalt Temperature Changes due to Thickness Variations’ can be made
active again after each iteration step.

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9.2 Rutting Calculations
A new rutting project is started by selecting Project, New and Rutting Calculation resulting in
display of the input window

which gives the possibility to provide the required input by selecting the separate screens for

• Climate (activated when starting)

• Traffic & Design Life
• Structure
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd Asphalt Sub-layer

The name for a new project is ‘untitled’. The project title can be given when starting the
calculations.

Climate
Rutting calculations require detailed input of climate data. It is not sufficient to only provide an
average temperature (as in thickness design) and the full Mean Monthly Air Temperature
distribution has to be given, either by manual input or from the database via Retrieve, e.g.

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Traffic & Design Life
The SPDM rutting calculation method requires detailed input with respect to traffic data. It is
possible to provide a traffic spectrum with maximum twelve traffic classes characterised by axle
load, number of wheels per axle, number of axles per day (for the lane considered) and the
contact stress between tyre and road surface. The screen to provide the traffic spectrum has
the following lay-out:

It is not sufficient to just provide a number of standard axle loads for the design period, as
possible for thickness design calculations.

In above screen, the following data fields have to be filled in:

• Numbers of Days with Traffic per Year

• Rate of Traffic Growth per Year
• Design Period of Pavement (in years)
• Loading Time (of traffic) in seconds.

Structure
The input screen for structure data is as follows:

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Within the rutting model, the asphalt layer is sub-divided in three layers. The thickness of the
top- and of the second layer is fixed at 4 cm. The computer program asks to indicate the TOTAL
thickness of the asphalt.

The program requires input of the thickness of the unbound sub-base layer (h2) and the E-
modulus of the subgrade (E3). The modulus of the sub-base (E2) can be provided by the
designer or estimated from E3 and h2 by default (at 50, 85 and 95%. confidence level, see
section 9.1). The Poisson’s Ratio’s is by default set at 0.35, but can be adjusted if desired (the
program allows one value for the total asphalt layer)vii.

Asphalt Sub-layers
The input screens for the three sub-layers are the same. Whenever one of these input screens
is selected, the Copy From option is activated to facilitate input arrangements:

Each asphalt sub-layer screen has the following lay-out:

This screen requires input for

• bituminous binder in the specific layer

• volumetric composition of the asphaltic mix
• parameters B and Q as creep characteristics
Data can be stored and selected for each of these items via Save and Retrieve.

vii The possibility to introduce 85 and 95% confidence levels for E2 and to vary the Poisson’s Ratio is new
in this release of SPDM.

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New in SPDM 3.0 is the possibility to input viscosity data for the bituminous binder by clicking
the checkbox ‘Viscosity Input for Modified Binders?’, resulting in a screen like (after selection via
Retrieve)

The bitumen input is used to calculate its viscosity at the asphalt layer temperature. For
conventional bitumens, and also for MULTIPHALTE, this viscosity can be estimated with the Van
der Poel nomograph from penetration and softening point. This nomograph is in general not
applicable to polymer modified binders and actual viscosity data have to be provided (preferably
at temperatures in the range of 40-60 °C).

The SPDM rutting method comprises a relationship between the stiffness of the mix (Smix,v)
and the stiffness of the bitumen (Sbit,v) under long loading time (viscous) conditions, in formula
10
log S mix ,v = 10
log B + Q 10
log S bit ,v

The parameters B and Q have to be determined from experiments. In the 1978 Manual and
previous releases of the SPDM computer program, B and Q were obtained from static creep
tests while a dynamic correction factor was applied. This approach appeared to be not suitable
for modified bitumens and the present program is based on parameters obtained from dynamic
loading tests, making a correction factor from static to dynamic superfluous5.

Rutting Calculations
Calculations are started via Results, Calculate or by pressing F5. Saving project input and
results is similar as in Thickness Design. The results is displayed in a window like:

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The Rutting Report, containing all details on input and output can be printed and browsed by
selecting View Report.

9.3 Overlay Design

A new overlay design project is started by selecting Project, New and Overlay Design
resulting in display of the input window

which gives possibilities to provide the required input by selecting the separate screens for

• Climate (activated when starting)

• Existing Asphalt Layer
• Base Layers & Subgrade Strain
• Traffic and Design Life
• Overlay Mix & Specific Fatigue
• Overlay Stiffness & Layer Thickness.

The screens for Climate and Base Layers & Subgrade Strain are the same as in the Thickness
Design module and are not further explained here.

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Existing Asphalt
The screen for giving details on the condition of the old asphalt layer has following lay-out

In this screen it is asked to indicate the condition of the existing, old, asphalt layer either as

• In reasonable shape, still acting as a bound asphalt layer

• Severely cracked, acting as an unbound sub-base layer.

Depending on this selection the input required for the Existing Layer, Design Life and Fatigue
will be different.

9.3.1 Bound Existing Asphalt Layer

The designer has to enter thickness, modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the old asphalt layer. The
modulus has to be entered directly (in general estimated from pavement evaluation, e.g. Falling
Weight Deflectometer measurements). Further the volumetric bitumen content has to be given
in order to use the fatigue nomograph if desired. Properties of the existing layer can be stored
and selected via Save and Retrieve.

Traffic & Design Life

The overlay calculations with a bound existing layer requires input of

• Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane for Future Period

• Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane for Original Design
• Percentage Residual Life of Existing Asphalt Layer

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The number of standard axles for the future period can be estimated from the traffic spectrum
(in the same way as done for the design life in the Thickness Design part) via

and can also be entered directly by clicking the checkbox ‘Enter Equivalent Number of Standard
Axles per Lane for Future Period’.

The Equivalent Number of Standard Axles per Lane for Original Design has to be given
directlyviii. The program does not provide a procedure to estimate the residual life.

Overlay Mix & Specific Fatigue

The way for providing the volumetric composition of the asphaltic mix to be used for the overlay
is the same as in Thickness Design:

viii This number can easily be estimated from a traffic spectrum by just using the options for the future
period as a temporally aid

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When the old asphalt layer is still in a reasonable shape, the horizontal tensile strain at the
bottom of the old asphalt is critical in the design and the program asks automatically for
Existing Asphalt Layer Fatigue Options, when the choice for a (still) bound layer has been
made.

Although the user should preferably use own fatigue characteristics, the information on the
existing layer will often be scarce and the user has to use the nomograph.

Overlay Stiffness & Layer Thickness

The screen for providing details on the stiffness of the overlay under traffic conditions
(temperature and loading time) is similar to the Thickness Design module.
Calculations with Bound Layer

Calculations are started via Results, Calculate or by pressing F5. Saving project input and
results is the same as in Thickness Design.

The calculation process is in principle the same as for a new design but there are some distinct
differences. The design strain for the existing asphalt layer is related to a fictitious design life:
the future design life corrected for the residual life of the bound existing layer according to the
formula:

N A2 * N D1
N D2 =
N D1 − N A1

in which: ND1 = original design life of existing asphalt layer

NA1 = number of standard axles carried to date
NA2 = future design life
ND2 = fictitious design life and
ND1 - NA1 is defined as the (absolute) residual life.

The subgrade strain criterion is determined by the future life, while in this case the fatigue strain
is determined by the fictitious life.

After calculation the result is displayed in a following window with a warning message:

In this example the overlay designed is determined by the asphalt strain criterion. The program
asks for a check on the design by assuming the existing layer to be cracked (recommended in
case of a low residual life). If the designer wants to carry out this check the program auto-
matically estimates the modulus of the cracked asphalt layer from the modulus of the subgrade

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and the total thickness of the unbound (existing asphalt and granular) material. Hence, the
numerical value of the modulus is the same for both unbound layers.

The program asks again for fatigue data in the screen:

In this case you have to provide fatigue data which reflect the properties of the overlay.
Preferably the user should use own fatigue characteristics (required in case of polymer modified
binders).

After pressing Continue, the extra calculation with a cracked layer is carried out resulting in
display of a window like

The program compares both calculated overlay thickness values and indicates the final
recommended thickness (if the result with a cracked existing layer is smaller than with a bound
layer, the lowest value is recommended)ix. Via above window the Overlay Report (with full
details, including the optional calculation with a cracked asphalt layer) and Iteration Report can
be accessed for browse and printing.

ix It should be realised that SPDM-PC gives a general advice on the thickness of the overlay. Other
issues as the need to use for instance a Stress Absorbing Membrane Inter-layer (SAMI) are beyond
the scope of the computer program.

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9.3.2 Cracked Existing Asphalt Layer
In case of a cracked asphalt layer, the following screen is displayed to enter details for this
layer:

The modulus for the cracked layer has to assessed outside the scope of the program.

Overlay Mix & Specific Fatigue

In case of a cracked asphalt layer the criterion for fatigue applies to the properties of the overlay

and it is recommended to use specific material properties, certainly in case of modified binders
applied in the overlay mix.

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The screens for

• Climate
• Base Layers & Subgrade Strain
• Traffic & Design Life
• Overlay Stiffness & Layer Thickness

are essentially the same as in the Thickness Design part.

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11. SPDM 3.0 Reports

Overviews of input data and calculated results are given in the SPDM reports:

• Thickness Design Report

• Thickness Design Iteration Report
• Rutting Report
• Overlay Design Report
• Overlay Design Iteration Report

The reports comprise one page, except for Overlay Design Reports, when an additional
calculation step is asked (see 9.3.1). Examples of reports are given below.

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12. Error Messages

The valid input ranges for the various variables are listed below. Attempts to provide input
values outside these ranges will result in error messages when starting the calculations.

Thickness Design

Panel Field Min Value Max Value

Climate w-MAAT -25 40 °C

Climate Individual Months -25 40 °C
Design Life Direct Axle Entry >0 1E+40
Design Life Axles per day & Lane >0 1E+10
Design Life Days per year 1 365 days
Design Life Traffic Growth 0 100 %
Design Life Design Period 1 100 years
Design Life Lateral Distribution Factor >0 20
Design Life Healing Factor >0 20
Traffic Spectrum Axle Load 5 500 kN
Traffic Spectrum Number of Axles 0 9999999
Base Layers Sub-base Thickness >0 1m
Base Layers Sub-base Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Base Layers Sub-base Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Base Layers Subgrade Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Base Layers Subgrade Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Subgrade Strain Slope -10 <0
Subgrade Strain Intercept -100 100
Asphalt Mix Volume % Aggregate 0 95 %
Asphalt Mix Volume % Bitumen 5 100 %
Asphalt Mix Volume % Voids 0 95 %
Asphalt Fatigue Slope -10 <0
Asphalt Fatigue Intercept -100 100
Asphalt Layer Initial Thickness 0.05 0.6 m
Asphalt Layer Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Asphalt Layer Mix Stiffness >0 50000 MPa
Asphalt Layer Loading Time 0.001 100 s
Asphalt Layer Bitumen Stiffness >0 2500 MPa
Bitumen Properties Penetration Index -3 +7
Bitumen Properties Softening Point -50 +150 °C

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Rutting Calculation

Panel Field Min Value Max Value

Climate Individual Months -25 40 °C

Design Life Axle Load 5 500 kN
Design Life Number of Wheels (2 or 4 only) 2 4
Design Life Number of Axles 0 9999999
Design Life Contact Stress 1 9999 kPa
Design Life Days per year 1 365 days
Design Life Design Period >0 100 years
Design Life Traffic Growth 0 100 %
Design Life Loading Time 0.001 100 s
Structure Total Thickness of Asphalt Layer 0.081 0.6m
Structure Asphalt Layer Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Structure Sub-base Thickness >0 1.00 m
Structure Sub-base Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Structure Sub-base Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Structure Subgrade Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Structure Subgrade Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Sub Layer Pen @ 25°C 0 500 dmm
Sub Layer Softening Point 30 100 °C
Sub Layer Viscosity Temperature 20 100 °C
Sub Layer Viscosity 1 1E10 Pa.s
Sub Layer Viscosity 1 cannot equal Viscosity 2
Sub Layer Visc Temp 1 cannot equal Visc Temp 2
Sub Layer Visc @ lower temp must exceed other Visc
Sub Layer Volume Bitumen 5 100 %
Sub Layer Volume Aggregate 0 95 %
Sub Layer Total Mix 5 100 %
Sub Layer Q 0 1
Sub Layer B -200 200

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Overlay Design

Panel Field Min Value Max Value

Climate w-MAAT -25 40 °C

Climate Individual Months -25 40 °C
Existing Layer Layer Thickness >0 0.6 m
Existing Layer Asphalt Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Existing Layer Asphalt Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Existing Layer % Volume Bitumen 5 30 %
Design Life Direct Axle Entry >0 1E+40
Design Life Axles per day & Lane >0 1E+10
Design Life Days per year 1 365 days
Design Life Traffic Growth 0 100 %
Design Life Design Period 1 100 years
Design Life Original Design Life >0 1E+30
Design Life Residual life 2.5 100%
Design Life Lateral Distribution Factor >0 20
Design Life Healing Factor >0 20
Traffic Spectrum Axle Load 5 500 kN
Traffic Spectrum Number of Axles 0 9999999
Base Layers Sub-base Thickness >0 1m
Base Layers Sub-base Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Base Layers Sub-base Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Base Layers Subgrade Modulus 1 10000 MPa
Base Layers Subgrade Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Subgrade Strain Slope -10 <0
Subgrade Strain Intercept -100 100
Asphalt Mix Volume % Aggregate 0 95 %
Asphalt Mix Volume % Bitumen 5 100 %
Asphalt Mix Volume % Voids 0 95 %
Asphalt/Overlay Fatigue Slope -10 <0
Asphalt/Overlay Fatigue Intercept -100 100
Overlay Initial Thickness 0.02 0.6 m
Overlay Poisson’s Ratio 0 1
Overlay Mix Stiffness >0 50000 MPa
Overlay Loading Time 0.001 100 s
Overlay Bitumen Stiffness >0 2500 MPa
Bitumen Properties Penetration Index -3 +7
Bitumen Properties Softening Point -50 +150°C

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References

1. “Shell Pavement Design Manual - Asphalt Pavements and Overlays for Road Traffic”, Shell
International Petroleum Company Ltd., London, 1978.
2. D.L. de Jong, M.G.F. Peutz and A.R. Korswagen, “Computer Program BISAR. Layered
Systems under Normal and Tangential Surface Loads”, Koninklijke/Shell Laboratorium,
Amsterdam, External Report AMSR.0006.73, 1973.
3. “Addendum to the Shell Pavement Design Manual”, Shell International Petroleum Company
Ltd., London, 1985.
4. C.P. Valkering and F.D.R. Stapel, “The Shell Pavement Design Method on a Personal
Computer”, 7th International Conference on Asphalt Pavements, Nottingham (1992) 351-
374.
5. J. Lijzenga, “On the Prediction of Pavement Rutting in the Shell Pavement Design Method”,
2nd European Symposium on Performance and Durability of Bituminous Materials, Leeds,
April 1997.

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