RATIONAL APPROACH IN APPLYING RELIABILITY THEORY TO PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL DESIGN

A rigorous yet practical methodology for evaluating pavement design reliability is described. Pavement design reliability is expressed in terms of the probability that a pavement will withstand the actual number of load applications--that is, the traffic--on it during a selected design life while maintaining its structural integrity. Traffic is selected as the design element to which the reliability analysis should be applied because it is the only factor common to all pavement types. The methodology therefore provides a uniform basis for evaluating the reliability of alternative pavement designs with different pavement types. Alternative expressions of reliability (such as the probability of not exceeding a specified level of pavement distress) do not provide a proper comparison of alternative pavement types. A mathematical model that can be used to evaluate the reliability of alternative pavement designs and to calculate the design traffic for the selected design is presented. A systematic process for updating and improving initial estimates of the statistical parameters needed for the evaluation of reliability is also described.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1994/1449/1449-003.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=RATIONAL+APPROACH+IN+APPLYING+RELIABILITY+THEORY+TO+PAVEMENT+STRUCTURAL+DESIGN&author=R.+Kulkami&publication_year=1994
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309060567
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1449, Design and Rehabilitation of Pavements. 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
• Authors:
  • Kulkami, Ram B
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 13-17
• Monograph Title: Design and rehabilitation of pavements
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1449
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Mathematical models; Pavement design; Reliability; Structural analysis; Traffic loads
• Uncontrolled Terms: Structural integrity
• Subject Areas: Design; Freight Transportation; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00676525
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309060567
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 10 1995 12:00AM