DESIGN OF PAVEMENTS - GREAT BRITAIN

METHODS OF PAVEMENT DESIGN CURRENTLY USED IN BRITAIN FOR BOTH FLEXIBLE AND RIGID ROADS ARE EMPIRICAL BY NATURE AND ARE BASED ON FULL SCALE EXPERIMENTS AND DETAILED STUDIES OF NORMAL PAVEMENTS IN ACTUAL USE. MOST NEW ROADS ARE BUILT TO RETAIN HIGH STANDARDS OR RIDING QUALITY FOR AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS. NOT ONLY THE SOIL FOUNDATION (SUBGRADE) BUT ALL OF THE COMPONENT LAYERS MUST RESIST DEFORMATION UNDER HEAVY AXLE LOADINGS. RECENT RESEARCH INDICATES THAT ELASTIC THEORY MAY BE A RATIONAL APPROACH TO PAVEMENT DESIGN BUT MUCH MORE INFORMATION IS NEEDED ON THE ELASTIC MODULI OF PAVEMENT MATERIALS, ON THE WAY IN WHICH TYPES OF ROAD FAIL UNDER TRAFFIC, AND ON THE STRESS CONDITIONS LEADING TO FAILURE. FULL-SCALE TRIALS HAVE SHOWN THAT THICKNESSES OF DENSE ASPHALTIC MATERIALS CAN BE LESS THAN PREVIOUSLY USED, EVEN UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC. TYPE AND QUALITY OF AGGREGATE AS WELL AS BINDER CONTENT ARE IMPORTANT. FOR CONCRETE PAVEMENTS, REINFORCED SLABS OF 8 INCH THICKNESS OR OVER ON A 3 1/2 INCH GRANULAR BASE ARE SATISFACTORY UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC. ON THE BASIS OF THE EMPIRICAL METHODS ADOPTED IN BRITAIN IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRAW UP DESIGN CHARTS RELATED TO VOLUMES OF HEAVY VEHICLES AND THESE ARE ILLUSTRATED IN THE PAPER. ROAD CROSS SECTIONS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO GIVE GOOD SURFACE DRAINAGE TO PROVIDE EFFICIENT DRAINAGE WITHIN THE PAVEMENT LAYERS AND TO REDUCE SUB-SOIL WATER. DEFLECTION BEAM MEASUREMENTS HAVE PROVIDED A RAPID MEANS OF TESTING NEW PAVEMENTS AND OF CHECKING DETERIORATION OF OLD ONES. A CIRCULAR TEST TRACK IS BEING USED TO SUPPLEMENT THE AASHO TEST RESULTS ON RELATIVE DAMAGE CAUSED BY DIFFERING WHEEL LOADS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 1-6, pp 2-12, 4 FIG
• Publication Date: 1967

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Perm Intl Assoc Road Congresses Proc
  • Publisher: Xiiith Congress, Tokyo

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Axle load force; Binders; Charts; Concrete bases; Cross sections; Deflection tests; Deformation; Empirical methods; Failure; Flexible pavements; Granular materials; Loss and damage; Modulus of elasticity; Pavement design; Reinforced concrete; Riding qualities; Rigid pavements; Slabs; Subgrade (Pavements); Subsoil; Surface drainage; Traffic volume; Water; Wheel loads
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205520
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 6 1994 12:00AM