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Analysis and Design of Flexible Pavement Using Empirical-Mechanistic Based

Software (KENPAVE)

Conference Paper · February 2019

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International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering, MUET, Pakistan (23 th – 25th Nov, 2017)

Analysis and Design of Flexible Pavement Using

Empirical-Mechanistic Based Software (KENPAVE)
Touqeer Ali Rind1, Naeem Aziz Memon2, Abdul Sami Qureshi2
Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Jamshoro, Sindh 1
Professor, Department Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Jamshoro,
Sindh 2

Abstract: Premature failures like Rutting and fatigue in the flexible pavements of Pakistan are considered to be the most severe
violent distresses because of their high severity and densities and their huge effect on pavement performance. Instant increases of
heavy vehicles and truck axle loads, improper pavement design procedures to meet local environmental conditions and errors
occurring during manual design are major factors responsible for premature failures now days in Pakistan. Thus, it is bare need to
minimize these premature failures for economical design. Aim of this research is to reduce these failures by using
Empirical-Mechanistic based real software like KENPAVE. This software is used to calculate stresses and strain in flexible and rigid
pavement. The object of this research work is to validate and compare KENPAVE design software with existing empirical design
approaches and to investigate the effect of variation in thicknesses of wearing course and base course on pavement performance and
on design life with respect to fatigue and rutting damage. For this purpose, NHA (N-55) (JAMSHORO TO SEHWAN) section of
road taken as a test section. Various probable cross-sections that may be used in Pakistan for wearing course and base course are
considered by varying their thickness +25% and -25%. By doing that there are total 10 cross-sections to be analyzed. These 10
cross-sections are analyzed for allowable number of load repetitions in terms of rutting (Nr) and fatigue (Nf) depending upon
maximum allowable ESAL on N-55 road. Result shows that most failure resisting pavement cross-section in terms of allowable
number of load repetitions to prevent rutting (Nr) and fatigue (Nf) failure are crossection-5 and crossection-10 and cost of
construction of designed crossection-5 and crossection-10 are nearly equal. However, crossection-10 is economical in terms of design
life and failure resisting properties.

Keywords: Premature failures, Rutting, Fatigue, KENPAVE, Design life, Empirical-Mechanistic design.

I. INTRODUCTION

Highways are important in the growth of any nation’s economy [1]. Most countries use asphalt pavements for construction of
roads and also Pakistan uses asphalt pavements for construction of roads. In Pakistan highways are designed on traditional
methods which give slightly uneconomical road construction. Empirical-Mechanistic design method which uses different
number of distress models for design is the most effective technology now days for flexible pavement design [2]. In design and
analysis of flexible roads, heavy axle loads on the pavements turn out two types of critical strains, that are horizontal tensile
strain (fatigue) at the bottom of the bituminous layer (εt) and vertical compressive strain (rutting) at the top of sub grade (εc)
[3,4]. Instant increases of heavy vehicles and truck axle loads, improper pavement design procedures to meet local
environmental conditions and errors occurring during manual design are the major factors responsible for premature failures in
Pakistan now days [5]. For a flexible pavement it is necessary that it should have durable surface and failure resistant life and
it very much important to minimize cracking and rutting within pavement layers [6]. Thus, it is bare need to minimize these
premature failures for economical design. Aim of this research is to reduce these failures by using Empirical-Mechanistic based
real software like KENPAVE.

II. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Premature failures like Rutting and fatigue in the flexible pavements of Pakistan are considered to be the most severe violent
distresses because of their high severity and densities and their huge effect on pavement performance. In Pakistan Present
pavement design procedure are based on empirical methods, in which design is result of experimental results or experiences that
are limiting the premature failures bellow the critical level. Moreover, these approaches are only accurate for the exact
conditions for which they were developed and may be invalid outside the range of variables used in their development. Now a
day’s Empirical-Mechanistic design method are considered to be the most popular design method, which evaluates accurately
stresses and strains in flexible pavements at different stages of the design. This may also help in predicting the design life
accurately from the pavement response. For a flexible pavement it is necessary that it should have durable surface and failure
resistant life and it very much important to minimize cracking and rutting within pavement layers. Thus it is bare need to
minimize these premature failures for economical design by using Empirical-Mechanistic based real software like KENPAVE.

III. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

This research study is aimed to design and analyze the flexible pavements using KENPAVE pavement design software. With
this study we will be able to introduce the latest and more efficient, economical, mechanistic based flexible pavement design
methods including KENPAVE software. Main objectives of the research are to validate and compare existing design

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International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering, MUET, Pakistan (23 th – 25th Nov, 2017)

approaches with KENPAVE design software and to examine the effect of variation in AC wearing course and AC base course
thicknesses on the pavement performance.

IV. INTRODUCTION OF KENPAVE SOFTWARE

KENPAVE software was developed at University of Kentucky by Haung, 2004. KENPAVE is Microsoft-Windows base
software. KENLAYER and KENSLAB are the main two parts of KENPAVE software. However, KENLAYER part is used for
the analysis of flexible pavements and KENSLAB for the analysis of rigid pavements. The KENPAVE software can analyze
linear, non-linear and visco-elastic material properties for each layer. KENPAV software can performs damage analysis and can
handle up to 19 layers either bounded or unbounded. KENLAYER can be applied to layer systems under various axle
conditions (dual, tandem, tridem or their combination). Each year is divided into maximum 12 periods for damage analysis, and
each period must have 12 load groups. Finally design life is estimated by summing the damages caused by fatigue, rutting and
overall deformation of each load group. Input parameters in KENLAYER software are mainly load groups, loading condition,
material properties and layer thicknesses. Main advantage of KENLAYER over other programs is that it can solve either
linear-elastic, nonlinear-elastic and visco-elastic material properties and it evaluates design life of pavement by performing
damage analysis, damage caused by fatigue and rutting distresses.

Fig.1 Main screen of KENPAVE software

V. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Flexible pavements are designed to have a durable and failure resistant life. In Pakistan represent design methods followed are
the Empirical design methods such as AASHTO design method, CBR method, GI (Group Index) method, ROAD NOTE
methods etc. These methods are only correct for the scenario for which they were designed and developed and may not give
satisfactory results outside the range of their development and in case of variation in conditions and variables [7]. However now
a days most popular design method is mechanistic design method that evaluates accurately stresses and strains in flexible
pavement. The theme of this research is to introduce Empirical-Mechanistic based software in the field of pavement design in
Pakistan. The software to be used in this study is KENPAVE. This software can accurately estimate stresses and strains in
flexible pavement using different distress models. Thus, to investigative the effect of AC wearing course and AC base coarse
thickness on the design life and pavement performance with respect to rutting and fatigue damage, NHA (N-55) (Jamshoro to
Sehwan) section of road has been taken as a test section. The test section has five layers and it is a two-lane road; including AC
Wearing coarse (5cm) or (2.0”), AC Base course (16.5cm) or (6.6”), Aggregate Base course (30cm) or (12”), Fill material
(30cm) or (12”) and a Sub grade as shown in Figure.

Fig. 2 NHA N-55 Road Cross-section

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International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering, MUET, Pakistan (23 th – 25th Nov, 2017)

Various probable cross-sections that may be used in Pakistan for AC wearing course and AC base course are considered by
varying their thickness +25% and -25% that is (0.98”, 1.48”, 2.0”, 2.46”, 2.95”) for AC wearing coarse and (3.25”, 4.87”, 6.6”,
8.12”, 9.74”) for AC base course. By varying these thicknesses with each other we have total Twelve 12 cross-sections
including original cross-section. Every cross-section is checked for Max: Horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of bituminous
layer (εt) and Max: vertical compressive strain at the top of sub-grade layer (εv). This actually helps in manually calculating
Max: Allowance for Number of load repetitions to prevent Rutting failure (Nr) and Maximum Allowance for Number of load
repetitions to prevent Fatigue failure (Nf). The cross-section which gives Maximum Allowance for Number of load repetitions
to prevent Rutting failure (Nr) and Fatigue failure (Nf), that will be considered as optimum cross-section in terms of design life
of pavement and failure resisting properties.

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

A. General Disscussion

The facts and figures used in this research study are taken from NHA (National highway authority). Various layer thicknesses,
poison’s ratios and elastic modulus values were taken from NHA guidelines. According to NHA Specifications for Asphalt
concrete wearing course is taken of Class-A which has the elastic modulus of 400000 psi and poisons ratio of 0.25. Asphalt
concrete base course is taken as Class-A which has the elastic modulus of 350000 psi and poisons ratio as 0.2. The Aggregate
base course has the elastic modulus of 200000 psi and poisons ratio as 0.3. The Sub-grade (Fill material) has the elastic
modulus of 10000 psi and poisons ratio as 0.4 and the Sub-grade (natural) has the elastic modulus of 5000 psi and poisons
ratio as 0.45. The analysis of pavement is done on the upper two layers i.e. Asphalt concrete (AC) wearing course and Asphalt
concrete (AC) base course. In this analysis the properties of wearing course and base course are kept constant but thickness is
varied ±25%. Due to all this we have total twenty one 12 sections which are to be analyzed by pavement design software
KENPAVE and are given below.
Table 1: Thicknesses of each designed Cross-section
Designed Cross AC wearing AC base Granular Fill Material Natural Sub-grade
Section # coarse coarse base coarse (Sub-grade) thickness
thickness thickness thickness thickness
Existing 2.0” 6.6” 12” 12” ∞
Pavement
x-section1 0.98” 6.6” 12” 12” ∞
x-section2 0.98” 3.25” 12” 12” ∞
x-section3 0.98” 4.87” 12” 12” ∞
x-section4 0.98” 8.12” 12” 12” ∞
x-section5 0.98” 9.47” 12” 12” ∞
x-section6 1.48” 6.6” 12” 12” ∞
x-section7 1.48” 3.25” 12” 12” ∞
x-section8 1.48” 4.87” 12” 12” ∞
x-section9 1.48” 8.12” 12” 12” ∞
x-section10 1.48” 9.47” 12” 12” ∞

The output obtained from KENPAVE as a text is discussed in previous chapter. In this chapter KENPAVE results and graphs
after analyzing KENPAVE output as a text are discussed. Analyzed parameters from KENPAVE output as a text are Vertical
deflection (Δz), Vertical stress (z), Vertical Strain (z) and Horizontal P. Strain (t).
The results of KENPAVE output as text for each cross-section gives the idea of variation of maximum deflection, maximum
vertical stress, maximum tensile strain and maximum compressive strain at each depth. But for rutting analysis Maximum
vertical compressive strain (εz) at the top of sub-grade layer and for Fatigue analysis Maximum horizontal tensile strain (εt) at
the bottom of bituminous layer is taken into account. Then those (z) and (t) will help in calculating maximum allowable
number of load repetitions to prevent rutting failure (Nr) and Fatigue failure (Nf) simultaneously for particular section.
B. Analysis of KENPAVE Results
The results of maximum Fattigue and maximum Rutting can be obtained from graphs of each cross-section. The results of the
Maximum tensile strain and the maximum vertical strain are than used as inputs for the models used to predict the number of
allowable repetition to prevent Fatigue and Rutting failure in the flexible pavement given by the Asphalt Institute (AI 1982),
which are given bellow
Model for fatigue failure
Model to predict the Number of allowable repetitions to cause the fatigue cracking is given below.
Nf = 0.0796* ( et ) ^ - 3.291* E1 ^ - 0.854 (1)

Where, Nf = Number of Repetitions required to prevent Fatigue cracking

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International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering, MUET, Pakistan (23 th – 25th Nov, 2017)

Model for rutting failure

Model to predict the Number of allowable repetitions to cause the rutting in the pavement is given below.
Nr = 1.36 * 10^-9 * ( er ) ^ - 4.477 (2)

Where, Nr = Number of Repetitions required to prevent Rutting

Total number of allowable road repetitions to prevent rutting (Nr) and fatigue (Nf) failure for each cross-section can be obtained
by using graphs discussed bellow and with the help of above formulas.
The detailed discussion of obtaining maximum Nr and Nf from maximum z and t is given in the graphs shown bellow.

Fig. 3(a) Bar Chart for Maximum horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of bituminous layer (t) and Fig. 3(b) Bar Chart for
Maximum vertical compressive strain at the top of sub-grade (v)

Fig. 4(a) Bar Chart for Allowable number of load repetitions to prevent Fatigue failure (Nf) and Fig. 4(b) Bar Chart for
Allowable number of load repetitions to prevent Rutting failure.
It can be concluded from Fig. 3(a) that cross-section number 10 is giving maximum allowance for number of load repetitions in
terms of fatigue failure (Nf), that is 9.30E+08 cycles of tandem axle load. Also, it can be observed from Fig.3(b) that
cross-section number 10 is giving maximum allowance for number of load repetitions in terms of rutting failure (Nr), that is
1.21E+10 cycles of tandem axle load
Since optimum cross-section satisfying failure resisting conditions is cross-section number 10, thus the allowable cross-section
to be constructed on NHA road is cross-section number 10. Particulars of cross-section number 10 are given bellow

 AC Wearing coarse (3.75cm) (1.48”).

 AC Base course (24.05cm) (9.47”).
 Aggregate Base course (30cm) (12”).
 Fill material (30cm) (12”) and a
 Sub grade

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International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering, MUET, Pakistan (23 th – 25th Nov, 2017)

Fig. 5 Designed Cross-section of road.

VII. CONCLUSION
This research work is carried out to investigative the effect of AC wearing course and AC base coarse thickness on the design
life and pavement performance with respect to rutting and fatigue damage analysis with the following conclusions.
 KENPAVE (KENLAYER computer program) can be used to predict the performance of flexible pavement more easily
and efficiently and it is users friendly.
 The design obtained from manual and KENPAVE analysis is almost same. KENPAVE software is equally reliable and
applicable for analysis and design of the pavements with much less complications and in a very short time with almost
same accuracy of the results. An additional advantage of using this software is that it can be used for multiple layers
while on the other hand manual calculation for multiple layers is very complicated and time taking venture. Therefore,
the given calculations and results clearly validate the software results and gives a rational understanding of why it is
better to use software than manual work for the on-site works of pavement analysis.
 In Rutting analysis, increase in the thickness of AC wearing coarse increases the allowance for load repetitions to
prevent rutting damage and decreasing the thickness of AC wearing coarse decreases the allowance for load repetitions
to prevent rutting damage. Similarly increase in the thickness of AC base course increases the allowance for load
repetitions to prevent rutting damage and decreasing the thickness of AC base course decreases the allowance for load
repetitions to prevent rutting damage. 
 In Fatigue analysis, increase in the thickness of AC wearing coarse increases the allowance for repetitions to prevent
rutting damage and decreasing the thickness of AC wearing coarse decreases the allowance for load repetitions to
prevent rutting damage. Similarly increase in the thickness of AC base course increases the allowance for load
repetitions to prevent rutting damage and decreasing the thickness of AC base course decreases the allowance for load
repetitions to prevent rutting damage.
 The economical cross-section in terms of Rutting and Fatigue life and cost analysis achieved is cross-section number 10,
which gave maximum allowance for number of load repetitions in terms of rutting failure (Nr) equals to 1.21E+10
cycles of tandem axle load and maximum allowance for number of load repetitions in terms of fatigue failure (Nf)
equals to 9.30E+08 cycles of tandem axle load. 

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