Overlay

Design as per
IRC – 81 - 1997
PROF. SUHAS R
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION
TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
DAYANANDA SAGAR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
 Need for Evaluation and
Rehabilitation
• Pavements deteriorate functionally & structurally
with time due to traffic loading and the action of
different climatic factors
• Necessary to evaluate the condition of the existing
pavement in terms of its functional and/or
structural condition periodically
• Evaluation will enable the timely assessment of
the condition of the pavement and the need for
maintenance and rehabilitation
 Overlay
Pavements that do not have adequate structural
strength to carry the projected future traffic will
have to be reinforced by providing additional
pavement layers

Overlay
Existing
Pavement

Subgrade
 Indian Roads Congress
Overlay Design
• IRC:81 – 1997
• Guidelines for Strengthening of Flexible Road
Pavements using Benkelman beam Deflection
Technique
• First version in 1981; First revision in 1997
• Based extensively on the findings of MORTH
research scheme R–6 entitled “Development of
Methods such as Benkelman Beam Deflection
method for Evaluation of Structural Capacity of
Existing Pavements and also for Strengthening of
any Weak Pavement
 IRC:81 Scope and
Principle
• For evaluation of the strengthening requirement of
existing flexible road pavements using Benkelman
beam technique
• Pavement performance is closely related to the
elastic deflection of pavement under wheel loads
• Elastic deflection under standard loading conditions
depends upon subgrade soil type, moisture
condition, degree of compaction, thickness and
quality of the pavement courses, drainage
conditions, and pavement surface temperature, etc.
 Benkelman beam
Benkelman beam is a simple apparatus commonly
used for measuring the surface deflection of a
pavement under standard loading conditions

2.44 m 1.22 m
 Benkelman beam
Slender beam of length 3.66 m hinged at 2.44 m
from pivot end

Observed deflection

Rebound deflection
 Benkelman beam
• Static/Creep Loading
• Apparatus used for measuring the surface
deflection of the pavement subjected to standard
truck load
 Benkelman Beam
Evaluation of Pavements
• Maximum Surface deflection is measured using
Benkelman Beam in two different modes

• WASHO Method (Western American State Highway

Officials method) – Deflection noted as the wheel
load approaches the point

• CGRA Method (Canadian Good Roads

Association) – Rebound deflection measured as
the load is removed from the point
 Benkelman Beam Evaluation of
Pavements

WASHO Method

Deflection = 0

Maximum Deflection noted

 Benkelman Beam
Evaluation of Pavements
CGRA Method

Maximum Initial Deflection

Deflection = 0
 CGRA Method – Beam Details

• Length of beam from Hinge to Probe = 2.44 m

• Length of beam from Hinge to Dial = 1.22 m
• Distance from Hinge to front legs = 0.25 m
• Distance from Hinge to rear legs = 1.66 m
• Lateral spacing of front support legs = 0.33 m
CGRA Method – Loading
Details
• 5 Tonne truck is recommended to apply
load
• Rear axle = 8170 kg (equally distributed
over the two dual wheel sets
• Spacing between tyres = 30 – 40 mm
• Tyres – 10 x 20, 12 ply
• Tyre pressure = 5.6 kg/cm2
Deflection Measurement – Other Accessories

• Pressure measuring gauge

• Thermometer (0-100 oC)
• Mandrel for making 4.5 cm
deep hole in the pavement
for temperature measurement
Deflection Measurement – Procedure
• Mark the Point on the pavement at 60 cm from
pavement edge for single lane roads and at 90
cm from pavement edge for wider lanes
• For divided four lane highways, the point should
be selected at 1.5 m from the edge
• Place the outer dual wheel set at the location
(centered)
• Insert probe of the beam between the dual
wheels. Probe will be on the selected point
• Locking pin removed; support frame levelled
Deflection Measurement Location

Shoulder Pavement

0.9 m for a two lane

x 1.5 m for a divided
0.6 m for a single lane

Direction of traffic
 Deflection Measurement – Procedure
• Beam plunger brought in contact with the stem
of the dial gauge; initial reading in dial gauge
noted
• Truck driven forward to a distance of 2.7 m;
observe intermediate reading in the dial gauge
• Move the truck forward a further distance of 9 m
and note final dial gauge reading
• Dial gauge readings are to be noted when either
the rate of deformation or rate of recovery is
less than 0.05 mm
Placement of
Benkelman Beam to
measure pavement
deflection
Deflection Measurement – Procedure

• Pavement temperature is measured at least once

every hour by inserting the thermometer in the
hole made in the bituminous surface after filling
the hole with glycerol
• Tyre pressure is checked at two to three hours
interval
Benkelman Beam – Deflection
Measurement

Initial Reading

Intermediate Reading

2.7 m

9m Final Reading
Benkelman Beam –
Deflection Measurement
• Computation of rebound deflection for the point
• Subtract final dial reading from Intermediate dial
gauge reading; subtract Intermediate dial
reading from initial reading
• If difference between final and intermediate dial
readings is less than 0.025 mm, the actual
pavement rebound deflection is twice the
difference
• If the difference is more than 0.025 mm compute
the rebound deflection as follows
Benkelman Beam – Deflection
Measurement
Pavement rebound deflection = 2 (final – initial
readings) + 2.91 x 2 (difference between final
and intermediate readings)
 Benkelman Beam Deflection
Survey
Selection of Homogenous Sections
Classification Pavement Condition
Good No Cracking, rutting < 10 mm
No Cracking or cracking confined to a
Fair single crack in the wheel track, rutting
between 10 and 20 mm
Extensive cracking, & rutting > 20 mm
Poor Sections with cracking exceeding 20%
shall be treated as failed
 Benkelman Beam Deflection
Survey

Selection of Homogenous Sections

• On the basis of surface condition survey, the total
stretch is divided into uniform sections
• Length of each section kept at a minimum of 1 km
Benkelman Beam Deflection
Survey
Deflection Measurements
• For each uniform section of road, minimum of 10
points should be selected at equal distance in
each lane of traffic
• Points to be selected along outer wheel paths
• Interval between points should not be more than
50 m
• On roads with more than one lane, the points on
the adjacent lanes can be staggered
 Benkelman Beam Deflection
Survey
• In case of extreme deflection values, additional
deflection measurements to be made
• If the highest or lowest deflections differ from the
mean by more than one-third of mean then extra
deflection measurements should be made at 25 m
on either side of the point
• Measured deflections have to be corrected to
correspond to a standard pavement temperature
• Measured deflections also have to be corrected to
correspond to worst condition
 Benkelman Beam Deflection
Survey
• Correction for Standard Temperature of 35 oC
0.01 mm correction for each degree variation from 35
oC

If measured deflection at 38 oC = 0.8 mm, then the

corrected deflection = 0.8 – 3 x 0.01 = 0.77 mm
• Correction for Seasonal Variation
Weakest condition soon after monsoon; deflection will
vary with variation in subgrade strength which is
affected by the variation in moisture content with
season
 Benkelman Beam
Deflection Survey
• Correction for Seasonal Variation
• Field moisture content of the subgrade soil sample
has to be determined during the deflection survey
• Soil type (classification) also has to be determined
• Correction factors are available for different types of
subgrade soils, different rainfall conditions and
different field moisture contents
• 3-categories of soils – clayey with low plasticity (PI <
15), clayey with high plasticity (PI > 15) and
sandy/gravelly
 Benkelman Beam
Deflection Survey
• Correction for Seasonal Variation
Two rainfall categories – annual rainfall < 1300 mm and
annual rainfall > 1300 mm
Moisture Correction Factor

For a given soil type

and rainfall category

Moisture Content %
Estimation of Characteristic
Deflection
Representative rebound deflection value for the
length of the uniform stretch selected
Characteristic deflection, Dc = Mean (X) of all the
measured deflections + k * standard deviation ()
of measured deflections
For major arterial roads like NH & SH:
Dc = X + 2 
For all other roads:
Dc = X + 
 Design Steps of Overlay

1. Selection of design period

2. Projection of commercial traffic for the design period
3. Estimation cumulative standard axle load repetitions
for the design period
4. Selection of characteristic rebound deflection for the
existing pavement on the basis of rebound deflection
survey conducted using Benkelman Beam
Estimation of Traffic for Design Period

Traffic : A = P (1 + r)n+10

A = commercial vehicles per day in the year of

completion of construction
P = commercial vehicles per day at last count
r = annual rate of increase of commercial
vehicles (7.5%)
n = number of years between the last count and
the year of completion of overlay construction
 Estimation of Traffic for
Design Period
N = 365 x A [(1+ r)x – 1] x F
-----------------------------
r
Where:
N = cumulative number of standard axles to be catered for
during the design period
A = Initial traffic in the year of completion of construction
modified to account for the lane distribution
r = Annual rate of growth of commercial vehicles (7.5%)
x = Design life, years (10 for major roads, 5 for less
important roads)
F = Vehicle Damage Factor
Estimation of Traffic for Design
Period
Lane Distribution Factors
• Single Lane (3.75 m width) – Total two-way commercial
traffic multiplied by two
• 2-lane single carriageway (2-way traffic) – 75% of total
two-way traffic
• 4-lane single carriageway – 40% of total two way
commercial traffic
• Dual carriageway – 75 % of commercial volume in each
direction for dual 2-lane carriageway
• For each additional lane, reduce the distribution factor by
20%
Estimation of Traffic for Design
Period
Vehicle Damage Factors
To be obtained from axle load survey
Indicative VDF Values are
• 0-150 cvpd Initial traffic – 1.5 (Rolling/Plain) 0.5 (Hilly)
• 150-1500 cvpd – 3.5 (Rolling/Plain) 1.5 (Hilly)
• > 1500 cvpd – 4.5 (Rolling/Plain) 2.5 (Hilly)
 Overlay Design Chart

Thickness in terms of BM (mm)

Characteristic Deflection (mm)

 Overlay Design
• Thickness charts give the overlay requirement in
terms of Bituminous Macadam (BM) construction
• BM can be converted into other materials using
equivalency factors
1 BM = 1.5 WBM / WMM / BUSG
1 BM = 0.7 DBM / AC / SDC
• Minimum thickness of overlay = 50 mm BM with
an additional surfacing course of 50 mm DBM or
40 mm BC
Worked Example
Data Available
• Sub-grade Sandy Soil
• Moisture content 8%
• Pavement temperature was observed to be 35 ºC
• The area has annual rainfall less than 1300 mm
• The existing traffic is 5000 CVPD
• Design period = 10 years
• Traffic growth rate is 7%
• VDF is 4.5
Design the overlay required for the pavement
which is on a National Highway
 Deflection Data
Sl. No Do Di Df Di~Df Do~Df D Mean StDev Dc Moist
Corr
1 100 52 50 2 50 1.00 0.95 0.056 1.06 1.03
2 100 55 53 2 47 0.94
3 100 53 52 1 48 0.96
4 100 52 52 0 48 0.96
5 100 53 51 2 49 0.98
6 100 55 53 2 47 0.94
7 100 55 53 2 47 0.94
8 100 57 56 1 44 0.88
9 100 59 58 1 42 0.84
10 100 49 47 2 53 1.06
11 100 54 52 2 48 0.96
 Solution
Traffic Estimation

N = 365 x [(1+0.07)10 – 1] x 5000 x 0.75 x 4.5

-----------------------------
0.07
= 85.1 msa (say 85 msa)
 Solution

DA= 0.95 mm  = 0.056

Dc = DA + 2  = 1.06 mm
Correction factor for temp = 0.01 mm/ºC rise
-ve for higher than 35 ºC
+ve for lower than 35 ºC
Deflection corrected for temperature:
= 1.06 – 0 x 0.01 = 1.06 mm

Referring to the chart for sandy soil, low rainfall,

correction factor is 1.03
Corrected deflection = 1.06 x 1.03 = 1.0918 mm
 Solution

For 95 msa and 1.09 characteristic deflection,

Overlay thickness = 160 mm BM

Design thickness 50 mm BC + 70 mm BM

BM: Bituminous Macadam

BC: Bituminous Concrete