French flexible pavement design methodology

The integral version of Alize-LCPC includes three main modules (a) the mechanical computation module based on the determination of the stresses and strains created in the road materials by the traffic loads, named Alize-mechanical module (b) the module dedicated to the verification of the design as regards the pavement frost-thaw behaviour, named Alize-frost thaw module and (c) the back-calculation module used for the computation of the elastic modules of the pavement materials from the measured deflection bowls, named the Alize-back calculation module (LCPC 2011). 

The procedure for pavement design (use of the Alize-mechanical module) consists of the following  

Compare critical stresses, strains or deflections with allowable values. 

The Alize-frost thaw module calculates the diffusion of frost into the pavement structure and the module may be used for the analysis of positive temperature conditions. 

The back-calculation module used to compute layers elastic modulus requires data obtained from a Benkelman beam, a Lacroix deflectograph, or a FWD. 

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