CIE511/CIE711

Pavement Design

Grace Abou-Jaoude
Syllabus
Course Objectives
 Describe the objectives of pavement design and the basic scientific
principles behind it

 Identify the controlling conditions and design parameters for different

types of pavements

 Identify and measure traffic loads, types of vehicles and axle loads
(ESAL) for highway design and aircraft mix for airport design

 Analyze traffic data to develop design parameters

 Design flexible pavements for highways and airports

 Design rigid pavements for highways and airports

Guides and References
 AASHTO (1993) Guide for Design of Pavement Structures

 Principles of Pavement Design, 2nd Edition, E.J. YODER & M.W.

WITCZAK, John Wiley and Sons 1975
Grade Policy
The final grade will be determined based on the following percentages:
 Minimum (Exam I, Exam II) 25%
 Maximum (Exam I, Exam II) 35%
 Final Exam 40%

Course grades will be computed according to the following scale:

A=90-100; A-= 87-89;
B+=83-86; B=80-82; B-=77-79;
C+=73-76; C=70-72; C-=67-69;
D+=63-66; D=60-62;
F<60.
Course Policy
 The course content will be divided into topics and will be posted on
blackboard.

 In regular classroom mode, students can miss no more than the

equivalent of two weeks of instruction (excused or otherwise), in any
course, and still receive credit for that course.

 Exams will be conducted in-person and on-campus

 Final Exam is cumulative and will be administered on the final exam

date.

 Make-ups and incompletes are only allowed for the Final Exam, and will
be given only in cases where a valid excuse of an emergency is
available, and where the student’s grade in the course is a passing one.
 Grade Appeal
 Graded exams will be returned and the instructor will solve them in a class
session. In case a student finds that an error has been made in grading
his/her exam, he/she must inform the instructor before leaving the
classroom.

 After that, the student has the right to deliver to the instructor a written
complaint no more than one week after the graded exam was returned.

 The instructor will regrade the whole exam, with special attention to the
alleged error. A grade reconsideration may raise the grade, lower the
grade, or leave the grade unchanged.

 A grade change will be made only if there is an arithmetic error or if it has

been determined that the performance of the student on the exam
deserves a lower or a higher grade after it has been reviewed by the
instructor.
Introduction
Outline
 Pavement Function
 Basics of Pavement Design
 Test Roads for Pavement Design
 Pavement Types
 Flexible
 Rigid
 Pavement Performance
 Structural performance
 Functional performance
 Safety
 Design Process
 Pavement Function
 Access under all climatic conditions
 Durable under specific design loads
 Smooth to provide good ride quality and level
 Safe with adequate road friction

1st asphalt roadway in Newark, NJ (1870) 1st concrete pavement in Bellefontaine, OH

Pavement Function

Washington-Richmond Road in 1919

Pavement Function

Washington-Richmond Road in 1920

Pavement Function

Washington-Richmond Road in 1947

Basics of Pavement Design

 Field of pavement design is dynamic

 Experience
 Availability of material for construction
 Location

 Design factors in all pavement designs

 Study of soils and paving materials
 Study of pavement behavior under loads
 Design under all climatic conditions
Basics of Pavement Design

 Existing Soil
 Subgrade soil is the source of support for any
pavement structure
 Pavement performance is dependent on type of
subgrade soil
 Plastic soils (clays, silts) show higher degree of
distress than granular soils
 Knowledge of soil mechanics is ESSENTIAL
Basics of Pavement Design

 Topography
 Access = Road
 Hydrology = Drainage
 Cost = Cut/Fill

 Weather: rainfall and temperature variation

 Drainage
 Frost/Heave action
 Durability of asphalt / Portland Cement Concrete
(rutting, bleeding, cracking)
Basics of Pavement Design

 Traffic Volume

 Use and Design Life

 Quality
 Maintenance

 Available Materials / Contractors

 Asphalt Concrete vs. Portland Cement
 Stabilization Requirements
Test Roads for Pavement Design

 FHWA and AASHTO since 1920 have been

constructing test roads to evaluate the effect
of loads and materials on pavement design

 AASHTO Guide (1993) is based on the

AASHO Test Road in Ottawa, IL
Test Roads for Pavement Design

 AASHO Road Test

 Constructed in the late 50’s
 Objective: determine the relationship between the
number of load repetitions with the performance of
various pavements
 Resulting data used in the design criteria

 AASHTO Guide recommends that local

agencies develop their database of pavement
performance based on their location
Test Roads for Pavement Design

 Advantages of AASHO Road Test

 Demonstrated the influence of traffic loads and
repetitions on design thickness

 Defined the serviceability-performance method

which presented a quantifiable way of defining the
“failure” conditions of a highway based on a user-
oriented definition
Test Roads for Pavement Design

 Limitations of AASHO Road Test

 Load Equivalency Factors defined from road test
are based on
 Limited pavement types
 Limited axle loads and axle configurations
 Limited Testing Period
 Environment
Pavement Types
 Pavement Types

 Flexible Pavements – Asphalt Concrete

(Thick section of low stiffness materials)

Asphalt Concrete Surface

Granular Base

Granular Subbase

Subgrade
Pavement Types
 Typical applications of flexible
pavements
 Traffic and auxiliary lanes, shoulders,
ramps, and parking areas

 Advantages of flexible pavements

 Adjusts to limited differential settlement
 Can be easily repaired, additional
thickness can be applied at any time
 Quieter and smoother
 Can tolerate greater ranges of
temperatures
 Pavement Types

 Rigid Pavements – Portland Cement Concrete

(Thin section of high stiffness materials)

Portland Cement Concrete

(PCC) Slab

Granular Subbase

Subgrade
Pavement Types
 Typical applications of rigid
pavements
 High volume traffic lanes, freeway
to freeway connections, exit
ramps with heavy traffic, airfields

 Advantages of flexible
pavements
 Good durability
 Long service life
 High durability in flooding and
subsurface water conditions
Pavement Types

 Essential difference between flexible and rigid

pavements is the way the load is distributed
over the subgrade

 Flexible pavements distribute the load through

the mutli-layers that compose the pavement
structure

 Rigid pavements distribute the load through

the structural capacity of the concrete slab
Pavement Types

 Difference between highway and airfield

pavements
 Number of load repetitions
 Distribution of traffic
 Geometry of pavement

 Highway pavements are usually thicker than

airfield pavements because of larger number
of load repetitions and loads are applied
closer to pavement edge.
Pavement Performance and Distresses
Pavement Performance

 Structural Performance
 The ability of the pavement to support traffic
without developing appreciable distress

 Functional
 The ability of the pavement to provide a smooth,
safe ride for the comfort and convenience of the
traveling public
Distresses

 Load related distresses – caused by improper

design

 Non-load related distresses – caused by

deficiencies in construction, materials, and
maintenance
Flexible Pavement Distresses

Load Related Non-Load Related

Permanent Deformation Thermal Cracking
Fatigue Cracking Block Cracking
Reflective Cracking Reflective Cracking
Bleeding Stripping/Raveling

Potholes
Roughness
Permanent Deformation/Rutting
Causes:
High
Temperatures

Heavy
Loading

Problem:

Vehicle
Hydroplaning
when ruts filled
with water
Fatigue Cracking
Causes:
Intermediate
Temperatures

Heavy
Loading

Problem:
Roughness
Potholes
Pavement Disintegration
Reflective Cracking

Causes:
Cracks in a flexible
overlay over an existing
crack or joint.
Problem:
The cracks occur directly Allows moisture infiltration,
over the underlying roughness
cracks or joints.
Bleeding

Causes:
Excessive asphalt binder
Problem:
Low HMA air void content Loss of skid
resistance when wet

Unsightly
Thermal Cracking

Causes:
Low
Temperature

Problem:
Allows moisture
infiltration

Roughness
Block Cracking

Causes:
Daily Problem:
Temperature Allows moisture
Cycling infiltration

Roughness
Stripping/Raveling
Causes:
Disintegration of
HMA

Dislodgement of
aggregate
particles

Problem:
Loose debris on
pavement

Roughness

Hydroplaning

Loss of skid
resistance
Potholes
At what temperature

 Rutting is most critical?

 Fatigue is most critical?

 Thermal cracking is most critical?

Rigid Pavement Distresses

Load Related Non-Load Related

Joint Spalling Faulting
Polished Aggregate Shrinkage Cracking
Pumping Durability Cracking
Linear Cracking
Joint Spalling
Causes:
Heavy traffic

Poor quality
concrete

Presence of
water in joint

Problem:
Unsightly

Corner Breaks

Blowups
Faulting
Causes:
Settlement

Pumping

Temperature
and moisture
changes

Problem:
safety
Polished Aggregate

Causes:
Heavy Traffic

Problem:
Loss of skid resistance
Shrinkage Cracking

Causes:
High evaporation
of water due to
high temperature

Problem:
Unsightly
Pumping

Causes:
Active vehicle loads

Fine materials present in subbase

move along with water

Large voids are created due to

repeated expulsion

Problem:
Loss of base
Linear Cracking

Causes:
Traffic loads at
repeated levels

Temperature
gradient

Moisture loading

Problem:
Divides slab into two
or three pieces
Durability Cracking

Causes:
Freeze and thaw
action

Problem:
Patterns of cracks
on the concrete
surface

Complete
disintegration of the
whole slab
Blow-up
 LTPP Distress Identification Manual
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/13092/13092.pdf

 Description
 Severity Levels
 How to Measure