4.1 Truck A has two single axles.

One axle weighs 12,000 lb and the other weighs

23,000 lb. Truck B has an 8,000-lb single axle and a 43,000-lb tandem axle. On a
flexible pavement with a 3-inch hot-mix asphalt (HMA) wearing surface, a 6-inch
soil-cement base, and an 8-inch crushed stone subbase, which truck will cause more
pavement damage? (Assume drainage coefficients are 1.0)

Solution:

Given D1= 3 in, D2= 6 in, D3= 8 in, and M2= M3= 1.0.

From Table 4.5, for HMA: a1= 0.44

for soil-cement base: a2= 0.20

for crushed stone subbase: a3= 0.11

Structure number can be calculated using Equation (4.3).

SN = a1*D1+ a2*D2*M2+ a3*D3*M3= 3.4

Using linear interpolation for Truck A

12 kip = 0.2226

23 kip = 2.5740

Total ESALA= 0.2226 + 2.5740 = 2.7966

Using linear interpolation for Truck B

8 kip = 0.0470 23 kip = 2.7060

Total ESALB= 0.0470+ 2.7060 = 2.7530 < ESALA= 2.7966

So Truck A causes more damange.