USE OF DEFLECTION BASINS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS

One of the most important concerns of transportation engineers today is the management of existing highways. A successful management program requires, among other things, a method of assessing remaining pavement life. This report presents a method for estimating the remaining life of flexible pavements. The method of predicting remaining pavement life uses the pavement surface deflection basin obtained with a Road Rater. The Road Rater deflection basin is described by means of the surface curvature index (SCI), base damage index (BDI), and base curvature index (BCI). To exclude the effect of environment conditions on pavement deflection, the deflection basins were corrected to the spring weather condition. An essential criterion adopted for the determination of pavement life is fatigue cracking. Field cracking data were related with the maximum tensile strain in the stabilized base course. Through the correlation between SCI and the maximum tensile strain, the relationship between SCI and cumulative traffic loading was established for each pavement section. Using this relationship, the remaining pavement life was evaluated. The results are presented graphically in terms of the structural number (SN) of the pavement section. The results obtained in this study are limited to pavements containing bituminous concrete base, because of insufficient field cracking data for other types of base course materials. It is recommended, therefore, that further research be performed on other types of base course materials, such as aggregate cement, aggregate-lime-pozzolan, and aggregate bituminous. (FHWA)

• Corporate Authors:

  Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 2926
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kilareski, W P
  • WANG, M C
• Publication Date: 1980-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 145 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deflection; Fatigue (Mechanics); Flexible pavements; Highway traffic control; Pavement cracking; Pavement management systems; Pavement performance; Pavements; Tension
• Old TRIS Terms: Pavement deflection; Pavement serviceability ratings
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334277
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-PA-80-008 Final Rpt., FCP 45C3-254
• Contract Numbers: 75-2
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 15 1981 12:00AM