(CE-860)

PAVEMENT DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

Spring Semester 2020

20 Jan 2020 to 22 May 2020
 Lec-04

Dr. Arshad Hussain

drarshad@nit.nust.edu.pk , Office Room # 107,
Tel: 05190854163, Cell: 03419756251

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering (SCEE)

National University of Science and Technology (NUST)
NUST Campus, Sector H-12, Islamabad
PAVEMENT DESIGN
APPROACHES

EMPIRICAL APPROACH

MECHANISTIC APPROACH

MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL

APPROACH
 EMPIRICAL APPROACH

“An empirical approach is one which is

based on the results of experiments or
experience.”
Generally, it requires a number of
observations to be made in order to
ascertain the relationships between
input variables and outcomes.
 EMPIRICAL APPROACH

It is not necessary to firmly

establish the scientific basis for
the relationships between
variables and outcomes as long
as the limitations with such
approach are reorganized.
 BENEFITS- EMPIRICAL

It uses material properties that relates

better to actual pavement performance
 It provides more reliable performance
predictions
It better defines the role of construction
It accommodates environmental and
aging effects on materials.
LIMITATIONS….AASHO
Procedure
LIMITATIONS….AASHO
Procedure

Current design traffic is far

beyond road test limits.

Current design is > 100 million

 MECHANISTIC APPROACH
 Mechanics is the science of motion
and the action of forces on bodies.
Thus, a mechanistic approach seeks to
explain phenomena only by reference
to physical causes.
In pavement design, the phenomena
are the stresses, strains and
deflections within a pavement
structure, and the physical causes
are the loads and material properties
of the pavement structure.
MECHANISTIC APPROACH

 A method that involve

numerical capability to calculate
the stress, strain, or deflection
in a multi-layered system, such
as a pavement, when subjected
to external loads, or the effects
of temperature or moisture.
MECHANISTIC APPROACH

 A method that refer to the ability

to translate the analytical
calculations of pavement
response to performance.
(Function of Traffic &
Environment)
MECHANISTIC SOFTWARE

 BISAR

 CHEVRON

 MICHPAVE
MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL

 Along with this mechanistic

approach, empirical elements are
used when defining what value
of the calculated stresses, strains
and deflections result in pavement
failure. 
MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL
MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL
 MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL

The basic advantages of a

mechanistic-empirical pavement design
method over a purely empirical one
are:
Itcan be used for both existing pavement
rehabilitation and new pavement
construction
It accommodates changing load types
Itcan better characterize materials
allowing for:
 MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL

• Better utilization of available

materials
• Accommodation of new materials
• An improved definition of existing
layer properties

2002 AASHTO DESIGN

WHEEL CONFIGURATION

1. Trucks
 2 Axle Truck – 4 Tired
 2 Axle Truck – 6 Tires
 3 Axle Truck – 6 Tired
 3 Axle Truck – 10 Tired
WHEEL CONFIGURATION

2. Tractors-Trailer Unit

 3 Axle – 6 Tired
 3 Axle – 10 Tired
 4 Axle – 8 Tired
 4 Axle – 14 Tired
 5 Axle – 10 Tired
 5 Axle – 18 Tired
 AXLE CONFIGURATIONS
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear

Single Axle Tandem Axle

(Legal Axle Load = 6t) (Legal Axle Load = 18t)

Single Axle With Dual

Wheel
(Legal Axle Load = 10t) Tridem Axle
(Legal Axle Load = 24t)
 TRUCK CONFIGURATION

2 Axle Truck – 16t 5 Axle Truck – 40t

3 Axle Truck – 24t 4 Axle Semi Articulated – 34t

 STANDARD AXLE

Single axle with dual wheels

carrying a load of 80 kN (8
tonnes) is defined as standard
axle
80 kN

Standard Axle
 TIRE IMPRINT

If the effect of the tire wall is

ignored, the contact pressure
between the tire and pavement
must be equal to the tire pressure.
for low pressure tires, however, the
contact pressure under the tire wall
may be greater than at the center of
the tire. For high-pressure tire the
reverse is true.
 TIRE IMPRINT
For most problems, however,
assumption is made that contact
pressure are uniform over the
imprint area. In the majority of the
problems, circular tire imprints are
assumed. Hence the radius of
contact is
a=[P/pπ]1/2
Where a= Radius of contact (inches)
P= Total load on the tire (lbs)
p= Tire pressure (psi)
 TIRE IMPRINT
The tire imprint in case of aircraft is
assumed to be oval in shape and
the dimensions are calculated by
the following formula:

L = [A/0.5227]0.5
Where

A = Area in in2 = P/p

P = Total load on tire (lbs)
P = Tire pressure (psi)
 AIRCRAFT TIRE CONFIGURATION

1. Nose Gear
(Carrying approximately 5 % of the
gross load)
 Single Wheel
 Dual or Twin Wheel
AIR CRAFT TIRE CONFIGURATION

2. Main Gear
(Carrying approximately 95% of the
gross load)
 Single Wheel
 Dual or Twin Wheel
 Dual Tandem or Twin Twin Wheel
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
PAVEMENT SERVICEABILITY AND
AGE
The primary factor overriding
most design decisions is that of
functional failure, however it is
also necessary that the proposed
design pavement structure should
also be able to resist structural
failure during design life.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
PAVEMENT SERVICEABILITY AND
AGE
Newly constructed pavement
serviceability is almost 5.
With passage of time and traffic
applications the serviceability decrease.
After year y, with and without routine
maintenance the level of serviceability
& the rate of reduction in serviceability
is different.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
PAVEMENT SERVICEABILITY AND
AGE

After year y1 major maintenance

application (resurfacing), serviceability
is brought back to original level.
This process continues throughout the
life of the pavement.
 Typical PSI vs. Time

p0
Serviceability (PSI)

p 0 - pt

pt

Time
Thanks