Mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide(MEPDG):a bird's-eye view

Past editions of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials （AASHTO） Guide for Design of Pavement Structures have served well for several decades; nevertheless, many serious limitations exist for their continued use as the nation＇s primary pavement design procedures. Researchers are now incorporating the latest advances in pavement design into the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide （MEPDG）, developed under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program （NCHRP） 1-37A project and adopted and published by AASHTO. The MEPDG procedure offers several dramatic improvements over the current pavement design guide and presents a new paradigm in the way pavement design is performed. However, MEPDG is substantially more complex than the AASHTO Design Guide by considering the input parameters that influence pavement performance, including traffic, climate, pavement structure and material properties, and applying the principles of engineering mechanics to predict critical pavement responses. It requires significantly more input from the designer. Some of the required data are either not tracked previously or are stored in locations not familiar to designers, and many data sets need to be preprocessed for use in the MEPDG. As a result, tremendous research work has been conducted and still more challenges need to be tackled both in federal and state levels for the full implementation of MEPDG. This paper, for the first time, provides a comprehensive bird＇s eye view for the MEPDG procedure, including the evolvement of the design methodology, an overview of the design philosophy and its components, the research conducted during the development, improvement, and implementation phases, and the challenges remained and future developments directions. It is anticipated that the efforts in this paper aid in enhancing the mechanistic-empirical based pavement design for future continuous improvement to keep up with changes in trucking, materials, construction, design concepts, computers, and so on.

Preliminary <i>k</i>-Values of Unbound Natural Quartzitic Gravels for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design

The generalized constitutive model relating the resilient modulus (MR) of flexible pavement layer materials to stress state, adopted by the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), contains a set of constants known as k-values (k1, k2, and k3) which are associated with the physical state of the layer materials. In Ghana, natural gravels constitute the predominant and sometimes the sole layer materials for most flexible pavements yet representative k-values of gravel materials, have not been determined to permit full application and implementation of the mechanistic-empirical design concept to pavements involving such materials. In this study, k-values characterising typical natural quartzitic gravels used for road construction in the country were derived by regression techniques from MR values determined using laboratory repeated load triaxial test. Using multiple linear regression technique, correlation relationships were then developed between the k-values and the physical properties of the gravels, namely, percentages of materials passing the 9.5 mm (P9.5) and 2.0 mm (P2.0) sieves, liquid limit (LL), maximum dry density (ρdmax), and optimum moisture content (wopt). The regression analysis returned k1 values which ranged between 441 and 958 with a mean of 516;k2 which varied between 0.0636 and 0.2168 with a mean value of 0.1216;and, k3 values which ranged between 0.1257 and 3.1590 with a mean value of 1.723. Contrary to what is mostly reported in literature, the analysis returned positive k3 values for all but one gravel material, suggesting stress hardening under octahedral shear stress for those materials. While an expanded sample base is required to fully characterize the whole gamut of natural gravels used in pavement construction in the country, this study on limited quartzitic gravel samples has given a good indication of strong linear correlations between the k-values and the index properties of the gravels, to permit estimates of the constants for such gravels be made where capability and opportunity for conducting resilient modulus tests do not exist.However, further work is recommended to fully characterise the exact nature of k3 values for quartzitic gravels in the country.

Flexible Pavement Design Simulation Using Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

The KDOT （Kansas Department of Transportation） is currently adopting MEPDG （mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide） to replace the 1993 AASHTO （American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials） design method. The main objective of this study was to compare flexible pavement design using 1993 AASHTO design guide and MEPDG. Five newly built Superior PERforming Asphalt PAVEments （Superpave）, designed using the 1993 AASHTO Design Guide, were selected as test sections for the design simulation study. Deflection data were collected approximately 8 to 10 weeks after construction using FWD （falling weight deflectometer）. The FWD deflection data were used to back-calculate the pavement layer moduli using three different back-calculation programs. The existing pavement structures were analyzed for a 10-year analysis period. The maximum numbers of years the existing pavement structures will be in a serviceable condition as well as the minimum thicknesses of different layers to serve for 10-years were also determined. Effects of changing subgrade modulus, target distress, and reliability were also investigated. The MEPDG design analysis shows that the 1993 AASHTO Guide-designed flexible pavements do not show the distresses currently observed in Kansas for the 10-year design period. The MEPDG design simulation shows that the thinner the pavement sections, the higher the permanent deformation. The existing pavement structures can serve for more than 20 years as per the MEPDG design analysis if the default failure criteria and nationally-calibrated models are used.

Analysis of Roadbed Pavement Designs for Highway Reconstruction and Upgrading

This paper focuses on the route and roadbed pavement design in highway reconstruction and upgrading projects.It discusses the importance of project design for highway reconstruction and upgrading,highlighting key aspects of route design and roadbed pavement design.The analysis reveals that the main design considerations in these projects include controlling factors of route reconstruction,expansion,and upgrading,as well as route plan design and longitudinal section design combined with roadbed pavement.In roadbed pavement design,it is crucial for designers to thoroughly collect existing data and make reasonable use of the current roadbed and pavement to develop a comprehensive design scheme.This analysis aims to provide a reference for the reasonable design of such projects.

Structural Design of Roadbed and Pavement in Transition Section of Roads and Bridges

As the lifeline of social development,road and bridge projects are the main channel to realize resource transportation and economic circulation.Ensuring the quality of road and bridge project construction is crucial for the development of society,the economy,and people’s livelihoods.This paper studies the design of roadbed pavement structures in road and bridge transition sections.It aims to provide technical references and significance for China’s road and bridge engineering design and construction units,promoting scientific and standardized design in these actions.This will contribute to the safety and stable operation of road and bridge projects,offering effective technical support.Furthermore,it seeks to foster the sustainable and healthy development of China’s road and bridge engineering on a macro level.

Study on the Design Criteria for Prestressed Concrete Pavements

With a concrete pavement slab prestressed, its load carrying capacity can be significantly increased; thus a thinner slab may be used for the same loading. Prestressing modify the structural behavior of the pavement slab and there is a greater resistance to impact, vibration and overloading. This paper discusses the major design considerations necessary in the successful construction of prestressed concrete pavements and presents a design procedure developed to predict the compressive stress due to prestressing in the pavements at early stage, during service and after cracking. Variation in the approach for repetitive and nonrepetitive loads is clearly distinguished. Check on the recovery after cracking for overloading in prestressed pavements is also needed. Finally, a design example is illustrated the application of the approach developed.

Multi-gene genetic programming extension of AASHTO M-E for design oflow-volume concrete pavements

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement DesignGuide (AASHTO M-E) offers an opportunity to design more economical and sustainable high-volume rigid pavementscompared to conventional design guidelines. It is achieved through optimizing pavement structural andthickness design under specified climate and traffic conditions using advanced M-E principles, thereby minimizingeconomic costs and environmental impact. However, the implementation of AASHTO M-E design for low-volumeconcrete pavements using AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (Pavement ME) software is often overly conservative.This is because Pavement ME specifies the minimum design thickness of concrete slab as 152.4 mm (6 in.). Thispaper introduces a novel extension of the AASHTO M-E framework for the design of low-volume joint plain concretepavements (JPCPs) without modification of Pavement ME. It utilizes multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP)-based computational models to obtain rapid solutions for JPCP damage accumulation and long-term performanceanalyses. The developed MGGP models simulate the fatigue damage and differential energy accumulations. Thispermits the prediction of transverse cracking and joint faulting for a wide range of design input parameters and axlespectrum. The developed MGGP-based models match Pavement ME-predicted cracking and faulting for rigidpavements with conventional concrete slab thicknesses and enable rational extrapolation of performance predictionfor thinner JPCPs. This paper demonstrates how the developed computational model enables sustainable lowvolumepavement design using optimized ME solutions for Pittsburgh, PA, conditions.

GMA material design and construction quality control for asphalt pavement of steel box girder: Case study of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge

To improve the quality of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge paving project,a new paving layer material,Guss-mastic asphalt(GMA),was proposed in this paper by combining the advantages of two types of cast asphalt mixtures:mastic asphalt(MA)and Guss asphalt(GA).Based on the characteristics of GMA,to simulate its actual production process,this study developed a small-simulated cooker mixing equipment.Moreover,the flow degree,60C dynamic stability,and impact toughness were proposed to be used to evaluate the construction and ease,high temperature stability,and fatigue resistance of GMA cast asphalt mixtures,respectively.Moreover,the quality control standards for GMA paving materials by indoor tests,field trial mix GMA material performance tests,and accelerated loading tests were finalized.The study showed that the developed simulated cooker yielded consistent mixing results in the same working environment as the engineering cooker device.Increasing the coarse aggregate incorporation rate,coarsening the mastic epure(ME)gradation composition,and using a smaller oil to stone ratio can reduce the flowability of the GMA materials to varying degrees.The four-point bending fatigue life and impact toughness of the different GMA materials are correlated well.A mobility of<20 s,60C dynamic stability of 400–800 times/mm,15C impact toughness of400 N⋅mm,and cooker car mixing temperature control standard of 210C–230C form an appropriate control index system for the design and production of GMA cast asphalt mixtures.Simultaneously,accelerated loading tests verified the accuracy and reliability of the quality control index system that has been used in the GMA paving project of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge deck and has achieved good application results.

OPTIMUM DESIGN OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT STRUCTURE BY FLEXIPLEX TOLERANCE METHOD

The optimum design for flexible pavement structure is studied by using themethod of mathematical programming.The mathematical model is founded on the basisof“Design Code of Highway Flexible Pavement”issued by the Ministry of Communica-tions of China.The objective function is the cost of pavement structure.The optimal solu-tions of the mathematical model were searched successfully by flexiplex tolerance method.The relevant program has been developed on DPS-8 and IBM-PC computers.And thecalculated results show good convergence and accuracy for engineering applications.

Measures for the Optimization of Subgrade and Pavement Design in the Reconstruction and Expansion of Highways

In comparison to the construction of modern highway engineering,several of China’s early pavement construction concerns,such as pavement collapse,are rather clear.Limited by historical and technical factors,the subgrade and pavement design for highways lacks scientificity,thus inducing potential safety problems in the operation.In order to comprehensively improve the subgrade and pavement design as well as ensure the quality and safety of highway engineering projects,this paper takes the reconstructed and expanded highway projects as research subjects and focuses on proposing optimization measures for the subgrade and pavement design of reconstructed and expanded highways,so as to provide adequate reference.

Structural Design of Asphalt Pavement for Low Cost Rural Roads

On the basis of the equivalent axle load action frequency, the traffic classifications of rural roads as well as their corresponding types are classified. The asphalt pavement structure, road surface types and thickness of the rural roads are suggested for the various action frequency of the equivalent axle load. Furthermore, the roadbase thickness graphs are provided according to different equivalent axle load action frequency with different roadbed modulus and road surface modulus taken into account.

Estimation of the Equivalent Design Temperature of a Pavement in Burkina Faso

The bituminous pavements of the city of Ouagadougou(Burkina Faso)are made using old design methods which take into account the climate from the notion of equivalent temperature.Thus an equivalent temperature of 30°C is often used for the design of bituminous pavements.The observation that has been made is that this temperature does not currently make it possible to reduce the problems of early degradation of the pavements linked to meteorological fluctuations.The objective of this article is to propose a numerical approach for determining the equivalent temperature from temperature measurements taken at the surface of the pavement.This approach consists in jointly using the Alizé-Lcpc sizing software and the Comsol Multiphysics software using the finite element method.For a four-layer bituminous pavement,located at 12.38°North and 1.48°West,in Ouagadougou,consisting of a surface course of bituminous concrete of 8 cm and a base course of gravel bitumen of 16 cm,an equivalent temperature of 35°C was obtained.

A Full Simulation Study for the Design Optimization of Open-Graded Pavement

Water trapped within the HMA(Hot Mix Asphalt)layers of a flexible pavement causes the loss of strength and durability of the material producing surface damages and deteriorations such as stripping and ravelling.Open-graded pavements are considered potentially to be effective solutions to avoid these forms of infiltration-related distress.The main property that influences the performance of HMA is the hydraulic permeability.The permeability is a function of several properties of HMA which make the process of mix design very complex and uncertain.In this paper,starting from different grading curves,we evaluate the dependence of the permeability by the size distribution of aggregates using a full numerical model that has yet been validated through experimental tests and theoretical calculations.The correlation between the grain size distributions and the hydraulic permeability is very useful in order to simplify and optimize the design of open-graded pavements.

Research on the Integration of Structural Design and Material Parameters of Long-life Asphalt Pavement

In order to reduce the disease risk stemming from asphalt concrete pavement and ensure the safety of road operation,we should pay attention to the structural design of long-life asphalt pavement,strengthen the selection of long-term pavement materials,scientifically set the pavement mechanical performance indexes based on the calculation results of pavement structure thickness combination and modulus combination,and ensure the stability and durability of road pavement structure through the real-time establishment of three-dimensional finite element calculation model,as well as the integrated design that takes into consideration the aspects of road subgrade,semi-rigid base and asphalt layer.

Subgrade and Pavement Design Strategies for Different Road Settlement Sections

The quality of road engineering construction largely determines the road operation safety and driving comfort. However, in road engineering construction, the settlement of subgrade and pavement has always been an insurmountable problem. Therefore, in road construction practice, targeted treatment should be carried out for the sections prone to settlement, and subgrade and pavement design strategies for these settlement sections should be carried out, so as to reduce the risk of settlement and ensure the improvement of road engineering quality and safety.

A systematic review of rigid-flexible composite pavement

Rigid-flexible composite pavement has gained significant popularity in recent decades.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research progress concerning rigid-flexible composite pavement,aiming to promote its application and address key issues while identifying future directions.The design theory and methodology of rigid-flexible composite pavement are discussed,followed by a description of its structural and mechanical behavior characteristics.The load stress,temperature stress,and their interactive effects between the asphalt layer and the rigid base were analyzed.It is clarified that the asphalt layer serves a dual role as both a“functional layer”and a“structural layer”.Typical distresses of rigid-flexible composite pavement,which primarily occur in the asphalt layer,were discussed.These distresses include reflective cracking,top-down cracking,rutting,and compressive-shear failure.Generally,the integrity of the rigid base and the interlaminar bonding conditions significantly impact the performance and distress of the asphalt layer.The technology for enhancing the performance of rigid-flexible composite pavement is summarized in three aspects:asphalt layer properties,rigid base integrity,and interlaminar bonding condition.The study concludes that developing high-performance pavement materials based on their structural behaviors is an effective approach to improve the performance and durability of rigid-flexible composite pavement.The integrated design of structure and materials represents the future direction of road design.

装配式临时预制混凝土板路面优化计算及应用研究

采用装配式预制混凝土板作为临时道路路面,具有经济环保的优点。以不产生疲劳断裂作为设计标准和不产生极限断裂作为验算标准,针对路面板的厚度、配筋和混凝土标号等主要参数进行优化计算分析,获得满足临时道路路面条件下最优的装配式预制混凝土板尺寸及材料参数。阐述了装配式预制混凝土板路面在施工道路建设及维护中的优点,并基于现场实际工程应用,介绍了具体的施工技术要点和工艺,实现了施工效率、施工质量与经济效益的全面提升,达到安全可靠、经济适用和绿色环保的目的。

Theoretical Development and Engineering Practice of Pavements in China

This paper presents a comprehensive review of historical theory development and current construction practice of pavement engineering in China. Mechanical models, design guides, construction techniques, evaluation methods and maintenance standards are elaborated for Portland cement concrete （PCC） pavements methodology among pavements of rural highways, urban roads and asphalt concrete （AC） pavements. Differences in design and airport fields are discussed based on service requirements. Lessons and experiences based on the past 20 years＇ construction practice and pavement performance are summarized. Current research areas in pavement engineering associated with unconventional geological and/or landscaping in China＇s highway construction and national strategic plan for pavement engineering are also covered.

Causes of Cracks on Recently Constructed Flexible Pavements: A Case Study on Kabati to Mareira Road in Kenya

Increased surface roughness of road due to emergence of cracks makes travelling on the road uncomfortable to road users;reduces road safety;increases wear and tear of vehicles, which push up the operating costs of vehicles, and increases travel time leading to the loss of useful man-hours to the local economy. The main objective of the study was to establish the causes of cracks on recently constructed flexible pavements with focus to Kabati to Mareira Road. To realize the study objectives, a case study was done on Kabati to Mareira road. Primary data comprising traffic count surveys;field and laboratory data for coring for compressive strength tests, tests on bearing capacity of pavement structure, and pavement deflection measurements analysis tests on improved pavement materials were undertaken on the road under study. The Secondary data on traffic axle load survey along the road under study were obtained from Kenya Rural Roads Authority, Ministry of Roads. The traffic loading was found to be 1.1 million equivalent standard axles over a design period of 15 years at a growth rate of 5%, which is on the lower limit of T4 assumed during the design stage. The material characteristics recommended in design are sufficient for the designed traffic loading. The range of UCS values was 1.12 to 5.83 MPa for soaked cores and 4.76 to 6.94 MPa for un-soaked cores. The DCP results showed that subgrade has a mean CBR of 15% and a median of 14% (subgrade class S4);the sub-base has a mean CBR of 53%, a range of 16% to 93% and thickness of 186 mm and;the base has a mean CBR of 145% a range of 20% to 433% and thickness of 137 mm. The ratio of modulus achieved after construction for base to sub-base is 2.7:1 and 10.7:1 for the sub-base and subgrade. It is concluded that design has no aspect in development and propagation of cracks. Cracks were caused by combination of factors, namely: sub-grade does not provide sufficient support to the pavement due to high base and sub-base strengths;and the variation of strength for pavement layers and the collapse of some cores during soaking process point to cases of inadequate/non-uniform mixing and insufficient curing of the pavement layers. Recommendation is made that the stabilizer content for base and sub-base to be varied in accordance with the properties of natural material being used based on frequency set out in standard specifications;and use of fully flexible pavements where the fill material adopted is alluvial or expansive clays. Emphasis should be placed on adequate pavement support. In improved pavement construction, the stabilizer should be uniformly distributed, thoroughly mixed and pavement layers sufficiently cured.

Characterisation, Analysis and Design of Hydrated Cement Treated Crushed Rock Base as a Road Base Material in Western Australia

Hydrated Cement Treated Crushed Rock Base （HCTCRB） is widely used as a base course in Western Australian pavements. HCTCRB has been designed and used as a basis for empirical approaches and in empirical practices. These methods are not all-encompassing enough to adequately explain the behaviour of HCTCRB in the field. Recent developments in mechanistic approaches have proven more reliable in the design and analysis of pavement, making it possible to more effectively document the characteristics of HCTCRB. The aim of this study was to carry out laboratory testing to assess the mechanical characteristics of HCTCRB. Conventional triaxial tests and repeated load triaxial tests （RLT tests） were performed. Factors affecting the performance of HCTCRB, namely hydration periods and the amount of added water were also investigated. It was found that the shear strength parameters of HCTCRB were 177 kPa for cohesion （c） and 42~ for the internal friction angle （~）. The hydration period, and the water added in this investigation affected the performance of HCTCRB. However, the related trends associated with such factors could not be assessed. All HCTCRB samples showed stress-dependency behaviour. Based on the stress stages of this experiment, the resilient modulus values of HCTCRB ranged from 300 MPa to 1100 MPa. CIRCLY, a computer program based on the multi-layer elastic theory was used in the mechanistic approach to pavement design and analysis, to determine the performance of a typical pavement model using HCTCRB as a base course layer. The mechanistic pavement design parameters for HCTCRB as a base course material were then introduced. The analysis suggests that the suitable depth for HCTCRB as a base layer for WA roads is at least 185 mm for the design equivalent standard axle （ESA） of 10 million.