Using the MEPDG to Assess Climate Change Impacts on Southern Canadian Roads

This paper is directed at using Canadian data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance program and the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG) to quantify the impacts of projected climatic changes on pavement performance of low-volume roads at six sites located in Southern Canada. A series of analyses were conducted to assess the impact of pavement structure, material characteristics, traffic loads, and changes in climate on incremental and terminal pavement deterioration and performance. Results suggest that rutting (asphalt, base and subbase layers) and both longitudinal and alligator cracking will be exacerbated by climate change with transverse cracking becoming less of a problem. In general, the pavement designs as per current practice of using temporal data will not fully achieve their design lives. In addition, it is expected that additional maintenance and rehabilitation costs may be required to compensate for additional distresses related to climate change.

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• Authors:
  • Tighe, Susan L
  • Smith, James
  • Mills, Brian
  • Andrey, Jean
• Conference:
  • Seventh International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets
  • Location: Calgary Alberta, Canada
  • Date: 2008-6-23 to 2008-6-28
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 10p
• Monograph Title: 7th International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets, June 23-28, 2008, Calgary, Alberta, Canada: "Preserving What We Have, Investing in the Future, and Finding the Balance"

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alligator cracking; Climate change; Longitudinal cracking; Low volume roads; Pavement distress; Pavement performance; Rutting; Service life; Transverse cracking
• Identifier Terms: Long-Term Pavement Performance Program; Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Pavements; I15: Environment; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01447744
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 28 2012 3:30PM