WHY ALL IMPORTANT PAVEMENTS SHOULD BE WELL DRAINED

During the hours, days, and months that pavements are filled with water, heavy vehicle loads cause severe damaging actions such as erosion and pumping, disintegration of cement-treated bases, stripping of asphalt coatings from bituminous-treated bases and subbases, and overstressing of weakened subgrades. The presence of liberal amounts of water causes or increases non-load-bearing damage such as D-cracking, blow-up, frost action, expansion, shrinkage cracking, accelerated oxidation and loss of flexibility, and general deterioration of pavements and bases. Pavements designed without fast internal drainage can stay filled with water during much of the year while they are also subjected to damaging environmental conditions. If pavements are provided with fast internal drainage, water-related damage is almost entirely eliminated, which increases pavement life substantially and saves billions of dollars a year in the United States alone. Even though the need for good drainage and the benefits it can provide have been known for centuries, few modern pavement designers use it. In this author's view, the best methods available should be used in designing pavements, and in addition every important pavement should be provided with an internal drainage system capable of rapidly removing all water that enters.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1988/1188/1188-006.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=WHY+ALL+IMPORTANT+PAVEMENTS+SHOULD+BE+WELL+DRAINED&author=H.+Cedergren&publication_year=1988
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309047579
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1188, Effects of Geosynthetics on Soil Properties and of Environment on Pavement Systems. 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:
  • Cedergren, Harry R
• Publication Date: 1988

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 56-62
• Monograph Title: Effects of geosynthetics on soil properties and of environment on pavement systems
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1188
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Defects; Deterioration; Drainage; Impacts; Loss and damage; Pavement design; Pavement distress; Pavements; Water
• Old TRIS Terms: Water effects
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00488604
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309047579
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 31 1989 12:00AM