Design of Overlays for Rigid Airport Pavements
Abstract
Existing rigid and flexible overlay pavement design methods are empirical, and they use specified level of cracking or visual deflection as the defined failure condition. The existing empirical designs are based on tests run 30 years ago, and current analytical models provide greatly improved abilities to examine the overlay pavement structure. Emphasis by many agencies on life- cycle cost analysis and more sophisticated maintenance and rehabilitation strategies require methods of predicting pavement performance rather than simply developing safe designs. A layered-elastic analytical model was selected to evaluate stresses from applied loads in the pavement structure. Pavement performance was measured in terms of a structural condition index (SCI) which related the type, degree, and severity of pavement cracking and spalling on a scale of 0 to 100. Models were developed to represent the effect of cracking on the base pavement, and to account for the effects of substandard load transfer at slab joints. The predicted performance of rigid overlays and pavements using this analysis was checked against the results of full-scale acceleration traffic tests conducted by the Corps of Engineers and against current overlay design methods and was found to provide reasonable agreement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA194331
Entities
People
- Raymond S. Rollings
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration