Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design

Correlations between CBR and index properties of the soil material or DCP value have been established (National Cooperative Highway Research Program [NCHRP] 2001, 2004) and proposed to be used with the new pavement design procedures of AASHTO known as Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) (AASHTO MEPDG-1 2008). 

AASHTO MEPDG-1. 2008. Mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide A manual of practice. Washington, DC American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. 

The US practice uses the creep compliance and indirect tensile strength test, according to AASHTO T 322 (2011), as a suitable performance test for low-temperature cracking in hot mix asphalt mix design. The same procedure was selected as the material characterisation test method for the prediction of low-temperature cracking of flexible pavements in the AASFITO (2008) Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. 

Bari J. and M.W. Witczak. 2007. New predictive models for the viscosity and complex shear modulus of asphalt hinders for use with the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2001, pp. 9-19. 

Kutay M.E. and A. Jamrah. 2013. Preparation for Implementation of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide in Michigan - Part 1 HMA Mixture Characterization. Final Report RC-1593. Lansing, MI Michigan Department of Transportation. 

In the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) (AASHTO 2008), for a new pavement design, when CTA or LC material is used, the elastic modulus is required to be determined (ASTM C 469 2010). In the case of a flexible pavement only, its flexural strength is also required to be determined, according to AASHTO T 97 (2010). 

A modified version of WESLEA, referred as JULEA, has been integrated into the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide - MEPDG (NCHRP 2004). 

A brief description is also given to the recently developed AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) (AASHTO 2008). 

AASHTO MECHANISTIC-EMPIRICAL PAVEMENT DESIGN GUIDE... 

The mixture characterisation of hot mix asphalt (HMA) also differs in MEPDG. The typical differences between the Guide for Design of Pavement Structures (AASHTO 1993) and the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (AASHTO 2008) in terms of HMA mixture characterisation are shown in Figure 13.26. 

Figure 13.26 Typical differences between empirical design procedures and an integrated M-E design system in terms of mixture characterisation of HMA. (From AASHTO, Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide [MEPDG], Washington, DC American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 2008. With permission.)...

Rahman M.S., R.C. Williams, and T. Scholz. 2011. Mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide cali-hration for pavement rehabilitation in Oregon. Paper No. 13-4347-1. TRB 90th Annual Meeting. Washington, DC Transportation Research Board. 

Figure 14.3 Mechanistic-empirical pavement design method showing ...

---