pavement design project notes by denis ssekamatte
Overview
Ahighwaypavement isastructureconsistingofsuperimposedlayersofprocessed
materialsabovethenaturalsoilsub-grade,whoseprimaryfunctionistodistributethe
appliedvehicle loadstothesub-grade.Thepavementstructureshouldbeableto providea surfaceof
acceptableridingquality,adequateskidresistance,favorablelight reflectingcharacteristics,andlownoisepollution.Theultimateaimistoensurethat thetransmittedstressesduetowheelloadaresufficientlyreduced,sothattheywill
notexceedbearingcapacityofthesub-grade.Twotypesofpavementsaregenerally
recognizedasservingthispurpose,namelyflexiblepavementsandrigidpavements. Thischaptergivesanoverviewofpavementtypes,layers,andtheirfunctions,and
pavementfailures.Improperdesignofpavementsleadstoearlyfailureof pavements
affectingtheridingquality.
Requirements ofa pavement
Anidealpavementshould meetthefollowingrequirements:
Sufficientthicknesstodistributethewheelloadstressestoasafe valueonthe sub-gradesoil,
Structurallystrongtowithstandalltypesofstressesimposedupon it,
Adequatecoefficientoffrictiontopreventskiddingofvehicles,
Smoothsurfacetoprovidecomforttoroadusersevenat highspeed,
Produceleastnoisefrommovingvehicles,
Dustproofsurfacesothattrafficsafetyisnotimpairedbyreducingvisibility,
Impervioussurface,sothatsub-gradesoiliswellprotected,and
Longdesignlifewithlowmaintenancecost.
Types ofpavements
Thepavementscanbeclassifiedbasedonthestructuralperformanceintotwo,flexible pavementsandrigidpavements.Inflexiblepavements,wheelloadsaretransferredby
grain-to-graincontactoftheaggregatethroughthegranularstructure.Theflexible pavement,havinglessflexuralstrength,actslikea
flexiblesheet(e.g.bituminous road).Onthecontrary,inrigidpavements,wheelloadsaretransferredtosub-grade
soilbyflexuralstrengthofthepavementandthepavementactslikea rigidplate(e.g.
cementconcreteroads).Inadditiontothese,compositepavementsarealsoavailable.
Athin
layerofflexiblepavementoverrigidpavementisanidealpavementwithmost desirablecharacteristics.However,suchpavementsarerarelyused
innew constructionbecauseof highcostandcomplexanalysisrequired.
Flexible pavements
Flexiblepavementswilltransmitwheelload stressestothelowerlayersbygrain-to- graintransferthroughthepointsofcontactin thegranularstructure(seeFigure1).
Figure1:Loadtransferingranularstructure
Deflectiononflexiblepavement
Thewheelloadactingonthepavementwillbedistributedtoawiderarea,andthe stressdecreaseswiththedepth.Takingadvantageof thisstressdistribution
characteristic,flexiblepavementsnormallyhas manylayers.Hence,thedesignof
flexiblepavementusestheconceptoflayeredsystem.Basedonthis,flexible
pavementmaybeconstructedinanumberoflayersandthetop layerhastobeof best
qualitytosustain maximumcompressivestress,inadditiontowearandtear.The lowerlayerswillexperiencelessermagnitudeof
stressandlowqualitymaterialcan
beused.Flexiblepavementsareconstructedusingbituminousmaterials.Thesecanbe
eitherintheformofsurfacetreatments(suchasbituminoussurfacetreatments generallyfoundonlowvolumeroads)or,asphaltconcretesurfacecourses(generally
usedonhighvolumeroadssuchasnationalhighways).Flexiblepavementlayers reflectthedeformationofthelower layersontothesurfacelayer(e.g.,ifthereisany
undulationinsub-gradethen
itwillbetransferredtothesurfacelayer).Inthecaseof
flexiblepavement,thedesign isbasedonoverallperformanceof
flexiblepavement, andthestressesproducedshouldbekeptwellbelowtheallowablestressesofeach
pavementlayer.
Types
ofFlexible Pavements
Thefollowingtypesofconstructionhavebeenusedinflexiblepavement:
Conventionallayeredflexiblepavement,
Full- depthasphaltpavement,and
Containedrockasphaltmat(CRAM).
Conventionalflexiblepavementsarelayeredsystemswithhighqualityexpensive
materialsareplacedin thetopwherestressesarehigh,andlowqualitycheap materialsareplacedinlowerlayers.
Full- depthasphaltpavementsareconstructedbyplacingbituminouslayersdirectly
onthesoilsub-grade.This
ismoresuitablewhenthereishightrafficand local materialsarenotavailable.
Containedrockasphaltmatsareconstructedbyplacingdense/opengraded
aggregatelayersinbetweentwoasphaltlayers.Modifieddensegradedasphalt
concreteisplacedabovethesub-gradewillsignificantlyreducethevertical compressivestrainonsoilsub-gradeandprotectfromsurfacewater.
Typicallayers ofaflexible
pavement
Typicallayersofaconventionalflexiblepavementincludessealcoat,surfacecourse,
tackcoat,bindercourse,primecoat,basecourse,sub-basecourse,compactedsub- grade,andnaturalsub-grade(Figure2).
SealCoat:
Sealcoatisathinsurfacetreatmentusedto water-proofthesurfaceandtoprovide
skidresistance.
TackCoat:
Tackcoatisaverylightapplicationofasphalt,usuallyasphaltemulsiondiluted with
water.It
providesproperbondingbetweentwolayerofbindercourseand mustbe thin,uniformlycovertheentiresurface,andsetveryfast.
PrimeCoat:
Primecoatisanapplicationoflowviscouscutbackbitumentoanabsorbentsurface
likegranularbasesonwhichbinderlayer isplaced.It providesbondingbetweentwo layers.Unliketackcoat,primecoatpenetratesintothelayerbelow,plugsthevoids,
andformsawatertightsurface.
Figure2:Typicalcross
sectionofaflexiblepavement
Surfacecourse
Surfacecourseisthelayerdirectlyincontactwithtrafficloadsand
generallycontains superiorqualitymaterials.Theyareusuallyconstructedwithdensegradedasphalt concrete(AC).Thefunctionsandrequirementsofthislayerare:
It providescharacteristicssuchasfriction,smoothness,drainage,etc.Alsoit
willpreventtheentranceof excessivequantitiesofsurfacewaterintothe
underlyingbase,sub-baseandsub-grade,
It mustbetoughtoresistthedistortionundertrafficandprovidea smoothand skid-resistantridingsurface,
It mustbewaterprooftoprotecttheentirebaseandsub-gradefromthe
weakeningeffectofwater.
Bindercourse
Thislayerprovidesthebulkoftheasphaltconcretestructure.It'schiefpurposeisto
distributeloadtothebasecourseThebindercoursegenerallyconsistsofaggregates
havinglessasphaltanddoesn'trequirequalityashighasthesurfacecourse,so replacingapartofthesurfacecoursebythebindercourseresultsinmoreeconomical design.
Basecourse
Thebasecourseisthelayerofmaterialimmediatelybeneaththesurfaceof binder
courseandit
providesadditionalloaddistributionandcontributestothesub-surface
drainageIt maybecomposedof crushedstone,crushedslag,andotheruntreatedor stabilizedmaterials.
Sub-Basecourse
Thesub-basecourseisthelayerofmaterialbeneaththebasecourseandtheprimary functionsaretoprovidestructuralsupport,improvedrainage,andreducetheintrusion
offinesfromthesub-gradeinthepavementstructureIfthebasecourseisopen
graded,thenthesub-basecourse withmorefinescanserveasafillerbetweensub-
gradeandthebasecourseAsub-basecourseisnotalwaysneededorused.For example,a pavementconstructedoverahighquality,stiffsub-grademaynotneedthe
additionalfeaturesofferedbyasub-basecourse.Insuchsituations,sub-basecourse
maynotbeprovided.
Sub-grade
Thetopsoilorsub-gradeisalayerofnaturalsoilpreparedtoreceivethestressesfrom thelayersabove.It
isessentialthatat notimesoilsub-gradeisoverstressed.It
should
becompactedtothedesirabledensity,neartheoptimummoisturecontent.
Failure offlexible
pavements
Themajorflexiblepavementfailuresarefatiguecracking,rutting,andthermal
cracking.Thefatiguecrackingofflexiblepavementisduetohorizontaltensilestrain
at thebottomoftheasphalticconcrete.Thefailurecriterionrelatesallowablenumber ofloadrepetitionstotensilestrainandthisrelationcanbedeterminedinthe
laboratoryfatiguetestonasphalticconcretespecimens.Ruttingoccursonlyon
flexiblepavementsasindicatedbypermanentdeformationorrutdepthalongwheel loadpath.Twodesign methodshavebeenusedtocontrolrutting:onetolimitthe
verticalcompressivestrainonthetopofsubgradeandothertolimitruttingtoa tolerableamount(12mmnormally).Thermalcrackingincludesbothlow-temperature crackingandthermalfatiguecracking.
Rigidpavements
Rigidpavementshavesufficientflexuralstrengthtotransmitthewheelloadstresses
toa
widerareabelow.Atypicalcrosssectionoftherigidpavementisshown in Figure3.Comparedtoflexiblepavement,rigidpavementsareplacedeitherdirectly
onthepreparedsub-gradeoronasinglelayerofgranularorstabilizedmaterial.Since thereisonlyonelayerofmaterialbetweentheconcreteandthesub-grade,thislayer canbecalledasbaseor sub-basecourse.
Figure3:Typical
Cross sectionofRigidpavement
Inrigidpavement,loadisdistributedbytheslabaction,andthepavementbehaveslike
anelasticplaterestingonaviscousmedium(Figure4).Rigidpavementsare
constructedbyPortlandcementconcrete(PCC)andshouldbeanalyzedbyplate theoryinsteadoflayertheory,assuminganelasticplaterestingonviscousfoundation. Platetheoryisasimplifiedversionoflayertheorythatassumestheconcreteslabasa
mediumthickplate whichisplanebeforeloadingandtoremainplaneafter loading. Bendingoftheslabduetowheelloadand
temperaturevariationandtheresulting tensileandflexuralstress.
Elasticplaterestingonviscousfoundation
Deflectiononconcretepavement
Types
ofRigidPavements
Rigidpavementscanbeclassifiedintofourtypes:
Jointedplainconcretepavement(JPCP),
Jointedreinforcedconcretepavement(JRCP),
Continuousreinforcedconcretepavement(CRCP),and
Pre-stressedconcretepavement(PCP).
JointedPlainConcretePavement:
areplaincementconcretepavementsconstructedwithcloselyspacedcontraction joints.Dowelbarsoraggregateinterlocksarenormallyusedforloadtransferacross
joints.Theynormallyhasajointspacingof5to10m.
JointedReinforcedConcretePavement:
Althoughreinforcementsdonotimprovethestructuralcapacitysignificantly,theycan
drasticallyincreasethejointspacingto10to30m.Dowelbarsarerequiredforload transfer.Reinforcementshelptokeeptheslabtogetherevenaftercracks.
Continuous
ReinforcedConcretePavement:
Completeeliminationofjointsareachievedbyreinforcement.
Failure criteriaofrigidpavements
Traditionallyfatiguecrackinghasbeenconsideredasthemajor,oronlycriterionfor
rigidpavementdesign.Theallowablenumberofloadrepetitionstocausefatigue
crackingdependsonthestressratiobetweenflexuraltensilestressandconcrete modulusofrupture.Oflate,pumpingisidentifiedasan importantfailurecriterion. Pumpingistheejectionofsoilslurrythroughthejointsandcracksofcementconcrete
pavement,causedduringthedownwardmovementofslabundertheheavywheel loads.Other majortypesofdistressinrigidpavementsincludefaulting,spalling,and deterioration.
Theadvantagesof
flexiblepavements include-
»Adaptabilitytostageconstruction
»Availabilityoflow-costtypes thatcanbeeasilybuilt
»Abilitytobeeasilyopenedandpatched
»Easytorepairfrostheaveandsettlement
»Resistancetotheformationoficeglaze
Thedisadvantagesinclude-
»Highermaintenancecosts
»Shorterlifespanunderheavyuse
»Damagebyoils andcertainchemicals
»Weakedges
thatmayrequirecurbs oredgedevices
(i)Curbs canbeusedofconcreteis probablythemostcommonmaterialusedforbothbarrier andmountablecurbs.Concretecurbs aredurableandrelativelyeasytoconstruct.
(ii)Asphaltisfrequentlyusedforcurbing,especiallywherecurvedparkingislandsmustbe constructed.
Theyareeconomicalandeasytoconstruct.
(iii) Granitecurbs arenotas
frequentlyusedas
asphaltorconcreteunless graniteis
quarriedin thearea.Granitecurbs arefarmoredurablethanconcrete.
Problems
1. Thethinlayerofbitumencoatingbetweenanexistingbituminouslayeranda newbituminouslayer is:
1. Sealcoat
2. Intermediatecoat
3. Tackcoat
4. Primecoat
2.
Rigidpavementsaredesignedby
1. Rigidplatetheory
2. Elasticplatetheory
3. Infinitelayertheory
4. Interlockingofaggregates
Solutions
1. Thethinlayerofbitumencoatingbetweenanexistingbituminouslayeranda newbituminouslayer is:
1.
Sealcoat
2. Intermediatecoat
3.
Tackcoat
4. Primecoat
2. Rigidpavementsaredesignedby
1. Rigidplatetheory
2.
Elasticplatetheory
3. Infinitelayertheory
4. Interlockingofaggregates
Summary
Pavementsformthebasicsupportingstructureinhighwaytransportation.Eachlayer ofpavementhasamultitudeof functionstoperform whichhastobedulyconsidered duringthedesignprocess.Differenttypesofpavementscanbeadopteddepending
uponthetrafficrequirements.Improperdesignofpavementsleadstoearlyfailureof pavementsaffectingtheridingqualityalso.
Bibliography
www.SeminarsIIt.blogspot.com
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