Flexible Pavements Design Standards
(as per IRC 37:2018)
What is Pavement?
• “The structure composed of materials stronger
than natural ground and laid over it in layers to
protect it from being overstressed due to
vehicle loads is ‘Pavement’ ”
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Wheel Load
Soil Strata
Vertical compressive
stress
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Stress Distribution in Pavement Due to a Wheel load
Wheel load
Pavement Wheel load
Natural Ground
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Pavement Design - Definition
• It is a process of selecting pavement layer types
and thicknesses in order to withstand expected
traffic loads in a cost-effective manner. Pavement
design consists of two parts
– Thickness design of pavement layers
– Mix design of materials to be used in pavement layers
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Components of Flexible pavement
structure
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The IRC Method of Pavement Design (Analytical
Approach)
The three modes of Pavement failure
1. Fatigue cracking of bituminous layers, due to high
horizontal tensile strains occurring at the bottom of
bituminous layers
2. Permanent deformation or rutting, caused by high
vertical compressive strains on subgrade.
3. Permanent deformation within the bituminous layers
(viscous deformation of bituminous mix)
These failure modes are shown pictorially in the next two
slides
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IRC Method: Failure Criterion 1
Bottom-up Fatigue cracking of Bituminous layers
Cracking: failure
Criterion 1
Bituminous layer
Bitumino
usGranular
layer Base + sub-base
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IRC Method: Failure Criteria 2 & 3
Subgrade Rutting and Asphalt Mix Rutting
Rutting failure
criterion 2
Rutting failure
criterion 3
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The IRC Method (Analytical approach)
Design approach
The first two modes of failure are considered for pavement
design
The third criterion is required to be fulfilled by appropriate
asphalt mix design.
The two Failure criteria are defined quantitatively as
1. Tensile cracking of bituminous layers as reflected on to
pavement surface, not to exceed 10% of surface area.
2. Subgrade rutting (permanent deformation) as reflected
on to pavement surface , not to exceed 10 mm
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Different Types of Flexible Pavements
Structures as per IRC 37 - 2018
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Pavement design
Required pavement composition is dependent on the
subgrade strength and the magnitude of traffic
loading.
Therefore the two important tasks in pavement design
are
1. Evaluation of Subgrade strength
2. Estimation of traffic loading in the design period.
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Step - 1
Evaluation of Subgrade Strength
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Subgrade Strength Evaluation
• There are three stages of laboratory testing for
evaluating subgrade strength.
– Soil Classification
– Moisture Density Relationships
• Proctor Test
– Soil Strength Determination
• California Bearing Ratio Test
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Soil Classification
• Soils are classified by
– Grain-size Analysis
– Plasticity Characteristics
• Liquid Limit
• Plastic Limit
• Shrinkage Limit
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Soil Classification
Soils are divided into three main groups
– Coarse-grained soils
– Fine-grained soils
– Organic soils
Coarse-grained materials (those with more than 50% of
material > 0.075 mm) are known as sand and gravel.
Material in the range 0.075 mm to 4.75 mm is sand.
Sand is further divided as coarse, medium and fine
between these sizes.
Material in the range from 4.75 mm to 80 mm is gravel.
Gravel is further divided as fine and coarse.
Still bigger particles are graded as cobbles and boulders
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Soil Classification
• Fine-grained Soils (those with more than 50% material < 0.075
mm)
are known as Silts and Clays
Soils in the size group 0.075 mm to 0.020 mm are called silts
Soils below the size 0.020 mm are termed clays.
• Organic Soils
These soils contain large proportion of organic matter like peat
and decomposed vegetation. Such soils should not be used as
pavement materials.
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Soils as Subgrade material
• Clays are not good as subgrade material.
• Clays are characterized by their plasticity as low, medium
and high plasticity clays (CL, CI, CH).
• CH soils are not fit as subgrade. They have very poor
bearing strength. Water can make them soft and swell
and the whole pavement may collapse. They are either
replaced or mixed with some admixtures (stabilizers) to
make them stable and strong.
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Soils as Subgrade material
• Sandy soils are good as subgrade. But being
particulate material they need some binder to
keep the particles together.
• Clayey sands with a LL not exceeding 40 and PI
less than 10 are excellent subgrade material.
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Soil Compaction: The Proctor Test
Subgrade strength depends on soil type, moisture
content and compaction level.Soil compaction
characteristics are determined by the Proctor test.
The Proctor Test
The test results are used to determine maximum
compaction (represented by the maximum dry density, MDD)
achievable under a specified compactive effort and the
moisture content (optimum moisture content, OMC) needed
for it.
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Soil Compaction: The Proctor Test
Two standard compactive efforts are in use. They are
• Standard Proctor compaction (AASHO Test) with 2.5 kg
cylindrical rammer, 50 mm dia., 30 cm fall, Soil compacted
in 3 layers by 25 blows on each layer in a Cylindrical mould
10 cm dia., 11.7 cm high
• Modified Proctor compaction (Modified AASHO) with 4.5
kg rammer, 45 cm fall, soil compacted in 5 layers by 25
blows on each layer in same size mould
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Moisture Density Relationship
• The Proctor Test
Moisture - Dry density curve
MDD
2.14
2.12
Dry density (g/cc)
2.1
2.08
2.06
2.04
2.02
2
1.98
1.96
OMC
5 7 9 11
Moisture content (%)
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Moisture Density Relationship
• The Proctor Test
Moisture - Dry density curve
2.14
2.12
Dry density (g/cc)
2.1
2.08 97% MDD density
2.06 line
2.04
2.02
2
1.98
1.96
5 7 9 11
Moisture content (%)
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Compaction Requirements for Embankment
and Subgrade (as per MORTH Specifications)
Type of work / material Relative compaction
as % of MDD
(modified Proctor)
Subgrade & earthen shoulders Not less than 97
Embankment Not less than 95
Expansive clays
•Subgrade and 500 mm below Not allowed
subgrade
•Remaining portion of Not less than 90%
embankment
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Influence of Compaction Density on
Subgrade Strength
Effect of compaction and soaking on subgrade strength
field deg. Of CBR
MDD,
Soil type PI density, compaction,
gm/cc
gm/cc % 97% MDD at field density
unsoaked soaked unsoaked soaked
SC 10 2.12 1.83 86.3 46 36 4 1
CL 12 2.09 1.73 82.7 15 10 7 3
SM NP 2.08 1.82 87.5 61 56 4 2
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Influence of subgrade strength on pavement
composition
In f lu e n c e o f S u b g r a d e s t r e n g t h o n P a v e m e n t C o m p o s it io n
P a v e m e n t C o m p o s it io n in m m a c c o r d in g t o IR C - 3 7 - 2 0 0 1 f o r
1 0 0 M S A tra ffic
C L S o il S C S o il
Pavem ent
C B R at F ie ld C B R at
la y e r F ie ld C B R
97% M D D CBR 97% M D D
10% 3% 36% 1%
AC 50 50 50 50
DBM 130 180 130 140
W MM 250 250 250 250
GSB 200 380 X 230
S e le c t
X X X 500
S u b g ra d e
T o ta l
630 860 430 1170
t h ic k n e s s
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Estimating Design CBR
• Collect samples from test pits, one (or two) per km.
• Conduct CBR tests on remoulded samples compacted to
modified proctor compaction and soaked for 4days.
• If annual rainfall is < 500 mm and water table is deep, 4-
day soaking may be ignored.
– For design purposes CBR strength should not be seriously
under-estimated or over-estimated to avoid either high
pavement cost or risk of local failures.
– The best compromise is to use lower 10 percentile value, i.e.,
the value which is exceeded by 90% of readings in the Cum.
Frequency curve. (see figure next slide)
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Selection of subgrade CBR for Pavement Design
• The CBR value of the subgrade varies along the highway
alignment. 90 percentile CBR is considered for the design.
Determination of 90 percentile CBR is discussed below.
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Conti……
• Draw a plot between percentage of values greater than
or equal to CBR values and CBR value
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Concept of Effective CBR Values
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STEP 2
Estimate Traffic
Estimate traffic
The following inputs are required for estimating the design traffic
(in terms of cumulative standard axle load repetitions) for the
selected road for a given design period.
– initial traffic (two-way) on the road after construction in terms
of the number of commercial vehicles (having the laden weight
of 3 tonnes or more) per day (cvpd)
– average traffic growth rate(s) during the design life period
– design life in number of years
– spectrum of axle loads to determine the VDF
ESA ( equivalent standard axles) = (W/Ws)^4
ESA of (front axle + rear axle) = VDF of vehicle
– factors for estimation of the lateral distribution of commercial
traffic over the carriageway
Using above Parameters, Calculate traffic loading in MSA
(million standard axles) 37
Structural damage to Pavement by Axle Loads
• Structural damage is reckoned in terms of VDF
• VDF is the damage to pavement by front and rear
axles of vehicle relative to the damage caused by
respective reference standard axles.
It is expressed as
VDF in ESA = (WFA/WSFA)4 + (WRA/WSRA)4
• In which
WFA, WRA are front and rear axle weights
• WSFA, WSRA are standard axle weights for the
respective configuration of axles
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Different Types of Commercial Vehicles
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Standard Axle Loads and Legal Limits of Vehicle Weights
– Axle loads
• Single axle with Single Wheel 65kN
• Single axle with dual wheel 80kN
• Tandem axle with dual wheel 148kN
• Tridem axle with dual wheel 224kN
– Legal Gross Vehicle weights (GVWs)
• 2-axle truck 16.2 tonnes
• 3-axle truck 25 tonnes
• Multi axle truck 35 tonnes
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Structural damage to Pavement by Axle Loads
• Example 1
• Structural damage due to a 2-axle & 3-axle truck of GVW
25 tonnes
– 2-axle truck with a load distribution of
• front axle of 6 tonnes & rear axle 19 tonnes
VDF = (6/6.6)4 + (19/8.16)4 = 30ESA
– 3-axle truck with a load distribution of
• Front axle load of 6 tonnes and rear axle load of 19
tonnes
VDF = (6/6.6)4 + (19/15.1)4 = 3.19 ESA
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Traffic Loading in MSA
Example
• Input data
– ADT of 2-axle trucks in design lane = 2100
– ADT of LCVs in design lane = 1000
– Traffic growth rate = 7%
– Design life = 15 years
– Vehicle damage factor of 2-axle truck = 4.5 (from axle
load survey)
– Vehicle damage factor of LCV = 1.5 (from axle load
survey)
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Traffic Loading in MSA
Example
• Solution
– Cum.no. of 2-axle trucks in design life
• N1 = 365*2100*(1.07)15 – 1) / 0.07 = 19261395
• Cum.no. of standard axles = 19261395*4.5 = 86676279
(ESA1)
– Cum.no. of LCVs in design life
• N2 = 365*1000*(1.07)15 – 1) / 0.07 = 9172093
• Cum.no. of standard axles = 9172093*1.5 = 13758140
(ESA2)
– Design traffic in MSA = (ESA1 +ESA2) / 1000000 = 100
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STEP 3
Design Pavement Layers Thickness
(Pavement Design)
Schematic of Analytical Pavement Design of IRC
Method
Compute εt and εz for one application of Standard Axle
load Standard Axle load
BC E1 = 3000 Mpa
DBM E1 = 3000 Mpa
εt
h WMM E2 = E3*0.2*h0.45
GSB
Subgrade
εz E3 = 17.6*(CBR) 0.64
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Basis of The IRC Method
(the analytical approach)
Failure Criteria
Pavement is deemed to have failed if its surface cracking
reached 10% of its area
or
if the surface rutting (reflected from subgrade) is 10 mm
or more.
Select pavement composition.
Assume material properties. Calculate εz (compressive
strain on subgrade) and εt (tensile strain under asphalt)
for a single application of standard axle load.
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Basis of The IRC Method (continued)
(the analytical approach)
Estimate how many repetitions of that εt would cause
cracking of 10% of surface area from the relationship.
Suppose it is 100 million. The pavement’s life is 100 MSA
based on fatigue failure.
Estimate how many repetitions of that εz would cause a
rutting of 10 mm from the relationship. Suppose it is more
than 100 million.
The design life is lower of the two, that is, 100 MSA here
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Basis of The IRC Method
(the analytical approach)
The empirical relationships used for the estimation of rutting and
fatigue lives are
• Rutting Criterion
Nr = 1.41*10-8*(1/ εz) 4.5337
Nr = Number of cumulative standard axles to produce rutting of 10 mm
εz = Vertical subgrade strain
(The coefficients were evaluated from MOST Research Scheme R-6 data)
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Basis of The IRC Method
(the analytical approach)
• Fatigue Criterion
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The IRC Method of Pavement Design
• Design Example
Input data: Design traffic 100 MSA, Subgrade CBR 10%
Solution
BC 40 mm
DBM 150 mm
WMM 250 mm
GSB 200 mm
Subgrade 10% CBR
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End of Presentation
Thank You
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