CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.General

Pavement performance is an important issue in the operation and planning of

highway engineering. There are several factors that affect pavement performance,
such as traffic, soil, environmental, economic and stress distribution factors. The
primary function of pavement is to provide a smooth riding surface and suitable
surface friction. Commuters and the residential public would like to see the pavement
surface smoothness last for the maximum of its life. The magnitude of road safety has
been discussed worldwide due to a day by day increase in incident rate due to road
accidents. Similarly, the related environmental effects while developing and
maintaining the long-term pavement performance is an important concern.
Department standards and specifications thoroughly insist on adhering to quality
assurance procedures. Productivity and quality control act as key control measures of
the project.

Effective pavement design is one of the most important aspects of project

design. The pavement is the portion of the highway which is most obvious to the
motorist. The condition and adequacy of the highway is often judged by the
smoothness or roughness of the pavement. Deficient pavement conditions can result
in increased user costs and travel delays, braking and fuel consumption, vehicle
maintenance repairs and probability of increased crashes.

The pavement life is substantially affected by the number of heavy load

repetitions applied, such as single, tandem, tridem and quad axle trucks, buses, tractor
trailers and equipment. A properly designed pavement structure will take into account
the applied loading. To select the appropriate pavement type/treatment and properly
design a pavement structure, the Designer must obtain information and input from the
Pavement Management System (PMS), the Pavement Design Engineer (PDE), and
Research and Materials. The Designer must also apply sound engineering judgement.
Steps in the design process include:
(1) Review Pavement Management Data- to determine the appropriate scope of
work and treatment type (i.e. new pavement, reconstruction, reclamation,
resurfacing, or pavement preservation).

(2) Evaluate existing pavement - to confirm the scope of work and determine
preliminary design and appropriate construction strategy. Research roadway
history and traffic data; verify existing pavement materials and structure.
Perform field trips to make site inspections, prepare a pavement condition
checklist, and communicate with engineering and maintenance forces for
history of roadway performance, groundwater problems and other background
information.

(3) Evaluate sub-base and sub-grade- for drainage characteristics and bearing
capacity.
 (4) Make structural calculations. The traffic, soils, and existing pavement data is used
to calculate specific pavement course requirements.

(5) Set specifications the pavement materials, construction methods, and finished
project requirements must be both practical to attain and clearly defined. The
Designer must ensure that the plans, specifications, and estimate clearly and
unambiguously define the requirements.

Highway pavements are divided into two main categories; rigid and flexible as
shown in Figure 2.1. The wearing surface of a rigid pavement is usually constructed of
Portland cement concrete such that it acts like a beam over any irregularities in the
underlying supporting material. The wearing surface of flexible pavement, on the other
hand, is usually constructed of bituminous materials such that they remain in contact with
the underlying material even when minor irregularities occur. Flexible pavements usually
consist of a bituminous surface under laid with a layer of granular material and a layer of
a suitable mixture of coarse and fine materials. Traffic loads are transferred by wearing
surface to the underlying supporting material through the interlocking of aggregates, the
friction effect of the granular materials, and the cohesion of the fine materials.

This chapter deals with the types of the pavements; pavement selection, placing finishing
and curing, and requirements of pavement.

(a) Asphalt Pavement (b) Concrete Pavement

Figure 2.1. Types of Pavement (a) Asphalt Pavement (b) Concrete Pavemen

The pavement life is substantially affected by the number of heavy load repetitions
applied, such as single, tandem, tridem and quad axle trucks, buses, tractor trailers
and equipment. A properly designed pavement structure will take into account the
applied loading. To select the appropriate pavement type/treatment and properly
design a pavement structure, the Designer must obtain information and input from
the Pavement Management System (PMS), the Pavement Design Engineer (PDE),
and Research and Materials. The Designer must also apply sound engineering
judgement. Steps in the design process include: