This paper provides an in‐depth synthesis of knowledge acquired over the last several decades pertaining to the analysis and design of doweled slab‐on‐grade pavement systems. This task is accomplished on the basis of rigorous, theoretically sound engineering principles, and relies extensively on the application of dimensional analysis for the interpretation of finite element data pertaining to the behavior of doweled joints. A design procedure is derived that allows, for the first time, the determination of the dowel diameter and spacing required to achieve a desired level of load transfer, or a threshold value of dowel‐concrete bearing stress. The proposed approach eliminates the need for any a priori assumptions with respect to the distribution of dowel shear forces. An efficient and general method for the backcalculation of the modulus of dowel reaction, K, from deflection data is also suggested. These research findings constitute a mechanistic structural model for JPCP and contribute significantly toward a new design code for pavements that will be based on fundamentally sound theoretical precepts, verified using experimental data. They may also be used to validate the performance‐based algorithms of more empirical approaches currently widely in use.

A stochastic model for pavement design is developed within an analytically derived mechanistic framework for predicting pavement distresses in terms of fundamental material behavior and structural response to traffic loads. The full‐distribution reliability methods employed in the model provide an analytically consistent approach for determining the reliability of a pavement section without the limitations and inconsistencies of current probabilistic methods in pavement design. A numerical illustration demonstrates that the impact of variations in design, construction, and operational variables on pavement performance can be explicitly evaluated.

An accelerated testing system (ATS) has been designed with which simulated truck traffic can be applied to a pavement test section. Materials as well as environment and loading conditions can be controlled. A number of pavement materials, structures, and loading factors can be evaluated in the facility. Pavement damage due to load repetition and rutting in asphalt materials was used to define the limiting design parameters for the ATS. The goal was to compress the effects of 10 years of interstate‐type traffic into less than one year of operation of the ATS for both types of pavement damage. Traffic assumed was $35\times {10}^6$ equivalent single‐axle loads. Load damage was evaluated using the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) load equivalency factors (LEF). Rutting damage was evaluated using the Shell rutting model. The ATS design incorporates a unique mechanical loading system that eliminates the deficiencies of other loading systems and simplifies the design and implementation. More importantly it substantially reduces the cost of the ATS.

The effects of tire pressure, tire type, axle load, and axle configuration are investigated under actual truck loading and highway speed on instrumented test sections. The various tire types are tested against the 11R22.5 tire to evaluate their relative damage to pavements. The wide‐base single tires consistently have significantly higher strains and deflection than dual tires. The fatigue and rutting damage factors for the wide‐base single tires range from 1.5 to 1.7 and from 1.2 to 2.0 for the single and tandem axles, respectively. Three groups of load equivalency factors (LEF's) are also developed; 10% and 45% fatigue and rutting LEF. The LEF's for the wide‐base tires are higher than the dual‐tire LEF's by 50% and 70% for single and tandem axles, respectively. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) LEF's are higher than the singleaxle LEF's calculated from this study, while they compare favorably with the tandem‐axle LEF's. However, tire type, axle load, and axle configuration have significant effects and cannot be ignored in the avement‐design process.

This paper describes methods for determining and utilizing Markov chains in the evaluation of highway bridge deterioration. Using a data base of 850 bridges in New York State, Markovian transition matrices (MTM) are first found for the overall bridge condition. Then, transition matrices are developed for the condition rating of individual bridge components (e.g., superstructures, decks, and piers). In each case, chains are determined for various types of construction. Also discussed is the modeling of correlated elements such as the primary structure and joint condition and the ability to determine the correlation for a set of data. The consequence of small data bases is discussed, and an explanation is offered for unexpected values of the transition probabilities. Finally examined is the use of Markovian analysis for predicting the evolution of the average condition rating of a set of bridges, and expected value of condition rating for a single bridge. Markov transition matrices are introduced to model the effects of repairs and to determine repair policies that will lead to constant average condition rating.

The existing (average‐volume) method for estimating earthwork volumes of curved roadways is approximate and is suitable only for application to level terrains. For linear or fluctuating profiles, such as in hilly and mountainous terrains, no exact method is currently available. In this paper, a mathematical model that provides the exact volume of curved roadways with linear profiles between stations is developed. The model, which is based on triple integration, assumes that the ground cross slope is constant between stations. Closed‐form solutions are developed for cut (or fill) and transition sections, where the ground profile changes from cut to fill or vice versa. The application results indicate that the volume of the average‐volume method may deviate greatly from the exact volume and that the mathematical model is also reasonably accurate when the ground cross slope changes moderately.

When searching for an operational system for vehicle‐damage investigation, photogrammetry is found to provide a practical solution. A system is designed featuring low capital investment and operational cost as well as providing simple operation and requiring only a minimum of data‐handling procedures. This photogrammetric system is based on the stereo‐camera concept and the enlarger‐digitizer procedure. It utilizes primarily inexpensive off‐the shelf components for both data acquisition and evaluation. This paper describes the system, its components, and operation. The results of a number of practical cases are presented and compared to those obtained by conventional means.

An actuated controller performs well when the traffic is light to medium. When the traffic volume increases and one or more phases of an actuated controller reach the maximum green interval, the controller performance starts deteriorating. The green intervals no longer remain proportional to the traffic demand. A knowledge‐based expert system (KBES) has been developed that implements the logic of switching controller operation from actuated to pretimed during heavy traffic conditions and vice versa. The KBES is called signal control at isolated intersections, version II (SCII‐2). It is developed for adaptive signal control operation. The aforementioned switching capability is a part of its realtime control strategies. Different field tests are made to validate and calibrate the switching logic of this KBES. The field test indicates that during heavy traffic flow, a pretimed controller performs better than an actuated controller. Thus, the appropriateness of switching signal operation from one mode to the other is verified.