AASHTO DESIGN METHOD

The basic objective of this method was to

determine significant relationship between the
no. of repetition of specified axle loads (of
different magnitude and arrangement) and the
performance of different thickness of pavement
layers.
The AASHTO design method states that:
“The function of any road is to carry the vehicular
traffic safely and smoothly from one place to
another”.
 STEPS FOR DESIGNING
Following are the different steps followed in
AASHTO design method while designing the
pavement.

◦ Measuring Standard Axle Load

◦ Predicting Serviceability
◦ Performance
◦ Present Serviceability Rating (PSR)
◦ Present Serviceability Index
◦ Terminal Serviceability
◦ Regional Factor
◦ Structural Number
◦ Soil Support
◦ Reliability
◦ Over all Standard Deviation
◦ Resilient Modulus
Standard Axle Load
“An axle carrying a load of 18Kips and causing a
damaging effect of unity is known as Standard
Axle Load”.
Serviceability
“Ability of a pavement to serve the traffic for
which it is designed”.
Performance
“Ability of a pavement to serve the traffic for a
period of time”. Performance is interpreted as
trend of serviceability with time.
Present Serviceability
Rating
To define PSR, the AASHTO
constituted a panel of drivers
belonging to different private
and commercial vehicles. They
were asked to
 Rate the serviceability of different
section on a scale of 0-5.
 Say whether the sections were
acceptable or not.
Present Serviceability Index
The prediction of PSR from these physical
measurements is known as PSI and defined as “Ability
of a pavement to serve the traffic for which it is
designed”. Value =4
PSI value depends on the following factors:
 Measurement of longitudinal surface irregularities
 Degree of cracking
 Extent of patching
 Depth of rutting in the wheel paths
Terminal Serviceability

“The lowest serviceability that will be tolerated

on the road at the end of the traffic analysis
period before resurfacing or reconstruction is
warned”.

Its usual value is 2 for roads of lesser traffic

volume and 2.5 for major highways.
Regional factor

It is a factor which helps the use of the basic

equations in a climatic condition other than the
ones prevailing during the road test.
Structural Number

An index number that represents the overall

pavement system structural requirements needed
to sustain the design traffic loading for the
design period. Analytically, the SN is given by:
SN=a1 D1+a2D2M2+ a3 D3M3
Where
◦ D1, D2, D3 = thickness in inches respectively of
surfacing, base and sub-base.
◦ a1 , a2, a3 = coefficients of relative strength.
  a1 =0.2 for road bricks
0.44 for plant mix
0.45 for the sand asphalt
 a2 =0.07 for sandy gravel
0.14 for crushed stone
 a3 = 0.11 for sandy gravel
0.50 to 0.10 for sandy soil
◦ M2, M3= drainage coefficients
◦ M1= 1 shows good drainage conditions
Soil Support
Its value depends on the CBR value of the layer.
Reliability
It is defined as “probability that serviceability will
be maintained at adequate levels from a user point
of view, through out the design life of the facility”
Overall Standard Deviation
It takes in to account the designer’s ability to
estimate the variation in 18K Equivalent Standard
Axle Load.
Resilient Modulus
It is defined as,
Mr= Repeated Axial Stress / Total Recoverable
Axial Strain
Mr=CBR x 1500
 AASHTO DESIGN EQUATION
This equation is widely used and has the following
form:
Log10(W18)=Zr x So+ 9.36 x log10(SN + 1)-0.20+
(log10((ΔPSI)/(4.2-1.5))
/(0.4+(1094/(SN+1)5.19)+2.32x log10(MR)-8.07
where:
◦ W18=18-kip equivalent single-axle load
◦ Zr =standard normal deviate
◦ So=overall standard deviation of traffic
SN=Structural Number (an index that is
indicative of the total pavement thickness
required)

SN= a1 D1 + a2 D2 M2 + a3 D3 M3 +...

ai =ith layer coefficient

di =ith layer thickness (inches)
mi =ith layer drainage coefficient

Δ PSI =difference between the initial design

serviceability index, po, and the design
terminal serviceability index, pt

Mr =sub-grade resilient modulus (in psi)

Nomo-graph