Proposed Loading Waveforms and Loading Time Equations for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design and Analysis
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 6
Abstract
Under the same applied traffic loading, time is traditionally assumed to be a function of only the vehicle speed and the depth beneath the pavement surface. Additionally, no definite loading waveform has been established and/or recommended for any one special loading situation. After numerous computations and analyses in this study, it was found that the loading time is not only a function of the vehicle speed and the depth beneath the pavement surface but is also a function of the moduli ratio between the layer of interest and the immediate succeeding layer below. Furthermore, the loading waveform changed with depth beneath the pavement surface and the moduli ratio. Based on the results of this study, new equations for more accurately determining the loading time were proposed. Additionally, the corresponding loading waveform, which is a function of the depth beneath the pavement surface and the moduli ratio, was recommended. Plausible results were also obtained when an iterated method was introduced to calculate the loading time using the equations proposed in this paper.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Al-Qadi, I. L., Elseifi, M. A., Yoo, P. J., Dessouky, S., Gibson, N., Harman, T., Dangelo, J., and Petros, K. (2008a). “Accuracy of current complex modulus selection procedure from vehicular load pulse in NCHRP 1-37A Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide.” Transportation Research Record. 2087, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.
Al-Qadi, I. L., Loulizi, A., Elseifi, M., and Lahouar, S. (2004). “The Virginia Smart Road: The impact of pavement instrumentation on understanding pavement performance.” Electron. J. Assoc. Asph. Paving Technol., 73, 427–466.
Al-Qadi, I. L., Xie, W., and Elseifi, M. A. (2008b). “Frequency determination from vehicular loading time pulse to predict appropriate complex modulus in MEPDG.” Electron. J. Assoc. Asph. Paving Technol., 77, 739–772.
Al-Qadi, I. L., Yoo, P. J., and Elseifi, M. A. (2005). “Effects of tire configurations on pavement damage.” Electron. J. Assoc. Asph. Paving Technol., 74, 921–962.
Barksdale, R. D. (1971). “Compressive stress pulse times in flexible pavements for use in dynamic testing.” Highway Research Record. 345, Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., 32–44
Brown, S. F. (1973). “Determination of Young’s modulus for bituminous materials in pavement design.” Highway Research Record. 431, Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., 38–49
Brown, S. F., Darter, M. M., Larson, G., Witczak, M., and El-Basyouny, M. (2006). “Independent review of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide and software.” NCHRP research results digest 307, NCHRP, Washington, D.C.
Dongré, R., et al. (2005). “Field evaluation of Witczak and Hirsh models for predicting dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt.” Electron. J. Assoc. Asph. Paving Technol., 74, 381–442.
Dongré, R., Myers, L., and D’Angelo, J. (2006). “Conversion of testing frequency to loading time: Impact on performance predictions obtained from the M-E Pavement Design Guide.” Transportation Research Board, CD-ROM, Washington, D.C.
Hu, S., et al. (2008). “Consideration of HMA resilient modulus (Mr) for M-E pavement design and analysis.” Electron. J. Assoc. Asph. Paving Technol., 77, 663–708.
Huang, H. Y. (1993). Pavement analysis and design, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.
Katicha, S., Flintsch, G. W., Loulizi, A., and Wang, L. (2008). “Conversion of testing frequency to loading time applied to the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide.” Transportation Research Board, CD-ROM, Washington, D.C.
Loulizi, A., Al-Qadi, I. L., Lahouar, S., and Freeman, T. E. (2002). “Measurement of vertical compressive stress pulse in flexible pavements: Representation for dynamic loading tests.” Transportation Research Record. 1816, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.
Mclean, D. B. (1974). “Permanent deformation characteristics of asphalt concrete.” Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program. (2004). “Guide for mechanistic-empirical design of new and rehabilitated pavement structures.” Final Rep., NCHRP Project 1-37A, TRB, Washington, D.C., ⟨http://trb.org/mepdg/guide.htm⟩ (March).
Timm, D. H., and Newcomb, D. E. (2006). “Perpetual pavement design for flexible pavements in US.” Int. J. Pavement Eng., 7(2), 111–119.
Walubita, L. F., and Scullion, S. (2007). “Perpetual pavements in Texas: The Fort Worth SH 114 perpetual pavement in Wise County.” Technical Rep. No. FHWA/TX-05/0-4822-2, TTI, College Station, Tex.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 6 • June 2010
Pages: 518 - 527
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 4, 2008
Accepted: Oct 9, 2009
Published online: Oct 14, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2010
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.