A flexible pavement was designed for the following daily traffic with a 12-year design life: 1300

single axles at 8000 lb each, 900 tandem axles at 16,000 lb each, 20 single axles at 40,000 lb each, and 200
tandem axles at 40,000 lb each. The highway was designed with 4 inches of HMA wearing surface, 4 inches
of hot-mix asphaltic base, and 8 inches of crushed stone subbase. The reliability was 70%, overall standard
deviation was 0.5, ΔPSI was 2.0 (with a TSI of 2.5), and all drainage coefficients were 1.0. What was the
soil resilient modulus of the subgrade used in design?
Solution:
A1= HMA wearing surface=0.44
D1=4 inches
A2= hot-mix asphaltic base=0.40
D2=4 inches
A3= crushed stone subbase=0.11
D3=8 inches
M2=M3= drainage coefficients=1.0

SN = A1 D1+A2 D2 M2+A3 D3 M3
SN = (0.44) (4) + (0.40) (4) (1.0) + (0.11) (8) (1.0)
SN = 4.24

8-kip single-axles equivalent= 0.041(1300) = 53.3

16-kip tandem-axles equivalent= 0.057(900) = 51.3
40-kip single-axles equivalent= 22.5(20) = 450
40-kip tandem-axles equivalent= 2.03(200) = 406
Total Axle-Equivalent = 53.3+51.3+450+406 = 960.6

W18 =960.6(365 days) (12 yrs.) = 4,207,428 = 4.207428×106

R =70% (ZR=-0.524)
S0 = 0.5
∆PSI = 2.0

[ ]
∆ PSI
log ⁡( )
2.7
log10 (W18) = ZR S0+ 9.36log10(SN+1) - 0.20+ + 2.32log10(MR) – 8.07
1094
0.40+( )
( SN + 1 )5.19
 [ ]
2.0
log ⁡( )
6
2.7
log10 (4.207428×10 ) = (-0.524) (0.5) + 9.36log10(4.24+1) - 0.20+ + 2.32log10(MR) –
1094
0.40+( )
( 4.24 +1 )5.19
8.07
lb
MR= 5295.797693 2
¿

A flexible pavement was designed to have a 6-inch sand-mix asphaltic surface, 8-inch soil-cement
base and a 21-inch crushed-stone subbase (all drainage coefficients are 1.0). The pavement was designed for
800 12-kip single axles and 1600 34-kip tandem axles per day in the design direction. The reliability used
was 90%, the overall standard deviation was 0.35, initial PSI was 4.7, the TSI was 2.5 and the soil resilient
modulus was 2582 lb/in2. If the road has three lanes in the design direction (and was conservatively
designed), for how many years was the pavement designed to last?
Solution:
A1 = sand-mix asphaltic surface = 0.35
D1= 6 inches
A2= soil-cement base =0.20
D2=8 inches
A3= crushed stone subbase=0.11
D3=21 inches
M2=M3= drainage coefficients=1.0

SN = A1 D1+A2 D2 M2+A3 D3 M3
SN = (0.35) (6) + (0.20) (8) (1.0) + (0.11) (21) (1.0)
SN = 6.01

12-kip single-axle equivalent= 0.176(800) = 140.5

34-kip tandem-axle equivalent= 1.08(1600) = 1728
Total Axle-Equivalent = 140.5 + 1728 = 1868.5 daily 18-kip ESAL

R=90% (ZR=-1.282)
S0=0.35
Initial PSI=4.7
TSI=2.5
MR=2582 lb/in2
 [ ]
∆ PSI
log ⁡( )
2.7
log10 (W18) = ZR S0+ 9.36log10(SN+1) - 0.20+ + 2.32log10(MR) – 8.07
1094
0.40+( )
( SN + 1 )5.19

[ ]
2.2
log ⁡( )
2.7
log10 (W18) = (-1.282) (0.35) + 9.36log10(6.01+1) - 0.20+ + 2.32log10(2582) – 8.07
1094
0.40+( )
( 6.01+1 )5.19

log10 (W18) = 6.91293

W18 = 8183337.526

8183337.526
Years =
(1868.5)(365)
Years =11.99898465
Years =12

Multiple Choice:
1. The amount of serviceability loss over the life of the pavement.

A. ∆PSI B. SN C. So

2. Pavements can be subjected to a number of detrimental effects from traffic loads, including fatigue
failures (cracking), which are the result of the accumulating effects of traffic passing over the
pavement surface.

A. Environmental Variations B. Traffic Load Variations C. Materials and Construction

Variations

3. A mathematical combination of values obtained from certain physical measurements of a large

number of pavements so formulated as to predict the PSR for those pavements within prescribed
limits.

A. Present Serviceability Index (PSI) B. Performance Index (PI) C. Present Serviceability

Rating (PSR)
4. Account for various failure possibilities as well as uncertainties in environmental conditions.

A. Pavement Failures B. Pavement Design C. Pavement Performance

5. Its purpose is to protect the base layer from wheel abrasion and to waterproof the entire pavement
structure, and provide a skid-resistant surface that is important for safe vehicle stops and cornering.

A. Sub base B. PCC Slab C. Wearing