Flexible Pavement Design Evaluation Using Mechanistic-Empirical Approaches

Abstract

This study presents an evaluation of different pavement design sections using a software developed by AASHTO Pavement Design Guide and a mechanistic software known as “Kenlayer”. The basic aim was to ascertain the effect of different parameters like pavement thickness, asphalt layer thickness, material properties of each layer on pavement performance indices likerut depth, international roughness index and stress-strain response. Present study further predicts the sensitivity of different parameters involved in a pavement design. Study reveals that the asphalt thickness component contributes significantly towards reducing the pavement rut value, and international roughness index, as compared to aggregate base course thickness. Subgrade material properties overall contributed in affecting the IRI. This study also reveals that the poisson ratio affects the performance pavement performance indices. An increase in the poisson ratio of each layer, increases the pavement rut resistance. The study provides a comprehensive approach to evaluate the materials requirement under a given pavement design conditions. The findings of the study directly applies on similar kind of pavements. It provides a guideline to the pavement designer how to evaluate the role of different layers and their properties to reduce the premature failures.