PCA Design

Atul Narayan, S. P.

IIT Madras

April 9, 2019
Subordinate learning objectives

▸ Behaviour of pavement materials 3

▸ Vehicle loading → Stresses/strains in pavement 3
▸ Climate → Material properties 3
▸ Stresses → Distresses 3
Pavement Analysis Method

▸ PCA Design method is based on pavement analysis using

JSLAB
▸ JSLAB uses a finite element method for rigid pavement
analysis
▸ PCA recommends using a rectangular contact area of the
following dimension for wheel loads

0.6L

0.8712L
▸ Here, L can be determined in terms of wheel load and contact
pressure.
Material Properties
Subgrade

▸ k-value of subgrade must be determined by standard methods

▸ If a subbase is to be provided on top of the subgrade, the
effective k-value can be adjusted accordingly.
▸ PCA recommends use of cement treated bases for increasing
k-value.
▸ Use of untreated aggregate subbase is uneconomical for
increasing k-value.
Effective MOSR for Untreated Subbase
Effective MOSR for Cement-treated Subbase
Material Properties
Concrete

▸ Flexural strength of concrete is determined using ASTM C78

▸ 28-day flexural strength is used as the design strength.
▸ Flexural strength is determined the same way as characteristic
compressive strength (considering reliability)
Traffic

▸ For rigid pavements, design traffic is not converted to ESALs.

▸ An Axle-load distribution table is constructed from the data
▸ PCA recommends grouping every 2-kip increments for single
axles and 4-kip increments for tandem axles
▸ PCA also recommends multiplying the axle-load by a load
safety factor (LSF).

Type of Road LSF

Interstate and multilane highways 1.2
Highways and arterials 1.1
Residential streets, etc 1.0
Climate

▸ Effect of curling and warping may be considered during design.

▸ Seasonal changes in k-value is not given importance.
▸ PCA reasons that difference in k-value does not affect slab
thickness
Rigid Pavement Distresses
Fatigue

Fatigue life estimation:

σ σ
For ≥ 0.55 ∶ log Nf = 11.737 − 12.077 ( ) (1a)
Sc Sc
3.268
σ ⎛ 4.2577 ⎞
For 0.45 ≤ ≤ 0.55 ∶ Nf = σ (1b)
Sc ⎝ Sc − 0.4325 ⎠
σ
For ≤ 0.45 ∶ Nf = +∞ (1c)
Sc
where
σ is the maximum stress in the slab due to the axle load
Sc is the modulus of rupture.
Rigid Pavement Distresses
Fatigue Damage

▸ Fatigue life depends on vehicle wander.

▸ Critical loading condition for fatigue is the axle-load
configuration placed flush with pavement edge, midway
between transverse joints.
▸ Even if the axle is 15 cm away from the edge, the damage per
axle pass is significantly lower.
▸ If wander is known, a full analysis can be conducted. Total
damage is
m
ni
Dr = ∑ (2)
i=1 Nfi

where i represents different load groups.

▸ For each axle-load location, Nf and thus, damage per pass
can be calculated and the total damage can be obtained by
summing in the above manner.
Rigid Pavement Distresses
Fatigue Damage

▸ PCA recommends calculating just the Nf , or damage per pass,

due to edge loading and determine total damage as follows:
m
0.06ni
Dr = ∑ (3)
i=1 Nfi

▸ PCA essentially says the damage caused by the entire traffic

load (with wander) is the same as damage caused by 6% of
the traffic load passing right at the edge of the pavement.
▸ However, the maximum stress due to edge loading must be
multiplied by 0.894.
Fatigue Damage Calculation Procedure

▸ For each axle-load, determine the maximum stress in the slab

when the axle is placed at critical location (flush with
pavement edge, midway between transverse joints).
▸ Multiply this stress by 0.894 and divide by modulus of rupture
Sc to obtain stress ratio.
▸ Determine Nf for the stress ratio.
▸ If Nfi is the fatigue life for each load group and ni is the
expected number of repetitions of the load group during
design period, total fatigue damage is
m
0.06ni
Dr = ∑ (4)
i=1 Nfi
Rigid Pavement Distresses
Erosion

Erosion life estimation:

log N = 14.524 − 6.777(C1 P − 9.0)0.103 (5)

2
p
P = 268.7 (6)
hk 0.73
where
N is the number of load repetitions
C1 is an adjustment factor
P is the rate if work of pumping action
p is the pressure on the foundation under the slab (psi)
h is the thickness of the slab (in)
k is the modulus of subgrade reaction (pci)
Rigid Pavement Distresses
Erosion Damage

▸ The damage equation is as follows:

C2 nj
De = ∑ (7)
j Nj

where
C2 is an adjustment factor (0.06 for pavements without
concrete shoulders; 0.94 for pavements with tied concrete
shoulders)
j identifies the load group.
Design Tables and Charts
Fatigue
▸ Two tables are available based on whether the slab is designed
with shoulders or not.
▸ The tables give equivalent stress based on slab thickness,
subgrade k-value and the type of axle- single or tandem.
▸ The equivalent stress is nothing but maximum stress due to
edge loading of the 18-kip standard single-axle or 36-kip
standard tandem axle.
▸ (Because of assumed linearity of the pavement system, the
maximum stress for any other single axle can be obtained by
σx = LLxs σeq )
▸ Stress ratio is equivalent stress divided by modulus of rupture.
▸ Chart gives number of repetitions to failure by fatigue based
on stress ratio and axle load.
▸ Nf from chart is Nf from equation divided by 0.06:
Nfe
Nfc =
0.06
Tables and charts for fatigue
Equivalent stress for slabs without concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for fatigue
Equivalent stress for slabs with concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for fatigue
Chart for fatigue life
Design Tables and Charts
Erosion

▸ Four tables are available based on whether the slab has

doweled or undoweled joints and whether it has shoulders or
not.
▸ The tablese give an erosion factor based on slab thickness,
subgrade k-value and the type of axle- single or tandem.
▸ Two charts are given.
▸ Charts give number of repetitions to failure by erosion based
on erosion factor and axle load.
▸ Ne from chart is Ne from equation divided by C2 from
equation:
Ne
Ne c = e
C2
Tables and charts for erosion
Erosion factor for slabs with dowel bars and no concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for erosion
Erosion factor for slabs with aggregate interlock and no concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for erosion
Chart for cycles to failure by erosion for slabs without concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for erosion
Erosion factor for slabs with dowel bars and concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for erosion
Erosion factor for slabs with aggregate interlock and concrete shoulders
Tables and charts for erosion
Chart for cycles to failure by erosion for slabs with concrete shoulders
Slab Thickness from Design Charts

▸ Slab thickness is determined from trial and error

▸ For a trial thickness, determine total fatigue and erosion
damage
▸ Select thickness if both of them are less than 1
Example Problem
Huang - Problem 12.3
Determine the thickness of a concrete pavement for a two-lane highway
by the PCA method. The pavement has doweled joints and no concrete
shoulders. The modulus of subgrade reaction is 200 pci and the concrete
modulus of rupture is 650 psi. Assume a load safety factor of 1.1 and a
design period of 20 years. The average daily traffic during the design
period is 2500, of which 35% are trucks. Truck weight distribution data
for single (S) and tandem (T) loads are tabulated in Table P12.3