THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS

A FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT IS DEFINED AS ONE HAVING LITTLE OR NO INHERENT RESISTANCE TO DEFORMATION UNDER APPLIED LOAD. FAILURE IS ASSUMED TO BE THE RESULT OF EXCESSIVE DEFLECTION OF THE SUBGRADE, CAUSING THE DEVELOPMENT OF "ALLIGATOR CRACKS." A METHOD OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT DESIGN IS PRESENTED THAT IS BASED ON THE THEORY THAT PREVENTION OF THESE CRACKS WILL RESULT IN LONGER PAVEMENT SERVICE LIFE. THE PATTERN OF SUBGRADE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION IS BELL- SHAPED, WITH MAXIMUM PRESSURE DIRECTLY UNDER THE WHEEL LOAD. THE AMOUNT OF PRESURE IS DEPENDENT ON THE THICKNESS OF THE SUBGRADE SOIL. AN EMPIRICAL EXPRESSION FOR THE PRESSURE ON THE SUBGRADE IS DEVELOPED. IF THE SUBGRADE SOIL IS QUASI-ELASTIC IN CHARACTER, THE MAXIMUM CENTRAL DEFORMATION OF PAVEMENT AND SUBGRADE CAN BE DETERMINED BY THE THEORY OF ELASTICITY. THE DESIGN THICKNESS OF THE PAVEMENT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE SAFE ALLOWABLE DEFLECTION OF EACH PAVEMENT TYPE.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/22/22-008.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 22, pp 199-224, FIGS, 15 REF. 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:
  • Spangler, M G
  • Nevitt, H G
  • Endersby, V A
  • Kpynine, D P
• Discussers:
  • Hubbard, P
• Publication Date: 1943

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Hotel Statler, St. Louis, Missouri December 1-4, 1942
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 22
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt; Cracking; Deflection; Deformation; Design load; Flexible pavements; Pavement design; Pavements; Pressure; Safety; Service life; Structural design; Subgrade (Pavements); Thickness; Wheel loads
• Uncontrolled Terms: Pressure distribution
• Old TRIS Terms: Cracked asphalt; Pavement life; Resistance
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205892
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 29 1971 12:00AM