PAVEMENT DESIGN CRITERIA FOR HEAVY-LOAD VEHICLES

Extensive prototype tests were conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station to adapt Corps of Engineers (CE) flexible pavement design criteria to pavements to be used in the MX missile program. The initial shell game concept for dispersing the MX missiles required construction of approximately 8,000 miles of roads capable of sustaining numerous passes of a missile transporter weighing about 1,500,000 lb. This research resulted in increased knowledge of the performance of pavements subjected to heavy loads. Prototype test sections of bituminous surface-treated roads and gravel-surfaced roads were designed and constructed using current CE criteria. The test sections were trafficked to the design number of operations using a trafficking rig simulating the MX missile transporter. The trafficking rig was equipped with two load tires in line, each approximately 8 ft tall by 3 ft wide, inflated to 65 psi, and having a loaded weight of 62,500 lb. Test traffic was placed on the pavement and conditions were monitored for pavement distress. Analysis of the resulting test data led to the connclusion that existing CE criteria can be modified to provide a more economical pavement than was previously expected for very heavy loads. Most distress appeared in the form of deeper consolidation caused by the very heavy loads on the unusually large tires. Other load parameters such as contact area and contact pressure were in more typical ranges and, therefore, gave more typical results. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/949/949-001.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PAVEMENT+DESIGN+CRITERIA+FOR+HEAVY-LOAD+VEHICLES&author=V.+Barber&author=D.+Ladd&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/636690782
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Flexible Pavements.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Barber, V C
  • Ladd, D M
• Conference:
  • 62nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1983-1-17 to 1983-1-21
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-4
• Monograph Title: PAVEMENTS: DESIGNS FOR HEAVY VEHICLES, COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND GEOGRID REINFORCEMENTS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 949
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bituminous materials; Contracts; Defects; Design; Flexible pavements; Gravel; Heavy vehicles; Pavement design; Pavement distress; Pavements; Surface treating; Test tracks
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria
• Old TRIS Terms: Bituminous surface treatments
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389556
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309036704
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1984 12:00AM