RURAL ROADS AND FARM TRACKS. COMPARISON OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

ROUTES RURALES ET CHEMINS D'EXPLOITATIONS AGRICOLES - COMPARAISON DU DIMENSIONNEMENT ET DES METHODES DE CONSTRUCTION DANS DIFFERENTS PAYS

The progress of mechanization and motorization in agriculture has prompted public authorities to pay more attention to rural roads and farm tracks. The pavements of such roads should always be characterized by acceptable cost and sufficiently long service life involving low maintenance expenses. From the point of view of investment saving it follows that the width most commonly adopted for the paved part of the roadway destined for agricultural traffic will range from 2.5 to 3 M for rigid pavements and from 3.5 to 4 M for flexible ones. The dimensions of the pavement structure will depend mainly on traffic volume, the soil bearing capacity and the mechanical characteristics of the pavement. Actual traffic can be expressed in terms of equivalent axle loads, and the destructive effect of each vehicle can be compared with that of a 8.16 t standard axle load. Four categories of traffic can be distinguished: fairly heavy, medium, light, and very light. The soils can be classified into three categories according to their bearing capacity: low bearing capacity, medium bearing capacity, and fairly high bearing capacity. Generally, the design thicknesses of rural road pavements are not calculated, but determined empirically. However the present trend is to base the design of these pavements on traffic volume and soil characteristics. The choice of pavements must be guided chiefly by economic factors. The advantages of concrete pavements are detailed: load distribution capacity, strong and stable edges, no wear and tear, and rigidity that prevents rutting. It is increasingly common practice to place the concrete directly on the subgrade, slab thickness ranging from 14 to 18 cm, depending on traffic density. Slabs do not exceed 5 M in length and slip-form pavers are being increasingly used for the construction of these types of road. (TRRL)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Papers presented at the International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Tara Hotel, Kensington, London, September 13-15, 1982.
• Corporate Authors:

  Concrete Society

  Terminal House, Grosvenor Gardens
  London,   England 
• Authors:
  • Vanwelden, M
• Publication Date: 1982

Language

• French

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 12 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Bearing capacity; Classification; Conferences; Construction management; Costs; Design methods; Farm roads; Flexible pavements; Highways; Pavement design; Paving; Properties of materials; Rigid pavements; Road construction; Rural areas; Rural highways; Slip form pavers; Soils; Traffic flow
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil properties
• ITRD Terms: 3067: Axle load; 3085: Bearing capacity; 8513: Classification; 8525: Conference; 224: Cost; 2793: Farm road; 2755: Highway; 3055: Pavement design; 2964: Rigid pavement; 3665: Road construction; 328: Rural area; 3660: Slip form paver; 4156: Soil; 671: Traffic flow
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373152
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 30 1983 12:00AM