1.

List down design considerations of flexible pavements as listed by AASHTO There are nine (9) types of design considerations of flexible pavements as listed by AASHTO : (i) Pavement performances (ii) Types of traffic flows and traffic volumes (iii) Roadbed soil (iv) Materials of construction (v) Environment (vi) Drainage (vii) Reliability (viii) Life-cycle cost (ix) Shoulder design

2. Discuss the structural component of a flexible pavement.

Wearing Course
Surface Course

Binder Course

Base Course Sub Base Course

Subgrade

(i)

Bituminous Surface (Wearing Course). The bituminous surface, or wearing course, is made up of a mixture of various selected aggregates bound together with asphalt cement or other bituminous binders. This surface prevents the penetration of surface water to the base course; provides a smooth, well-bonded surface free from loose particles, which might endanger aircraft or people; resists the stresses caused by aircraft loads; and supplies a skid-resistant surface without causing undue wear on tires.

(ii)

Binder Course. The bound layer(s) overlying the base course. Apart from supporting and dispersing the traffic load, it also resists shear.

(iii)

Base Course. The base course serves as the principal structural component of the flexible pavement. It distributes the imposed wheel load to the pavement foundation, the sub base, and/or the subgrade. The base course must have sufficient quality and thickness to prevent failure in the subgrade and/or sub base, withstand the stresses produced in the base itself, resist vertical pressures that tend to produce consolidation and result in distortion of the surface course, and resist volume changes caused by fluctuations in its moisture content. The materials composing the base course are select hard and durable aggregates, which generally fall into two main classes: stabilized and granular. The stabilized bases normally consist of crushed or uncrushed aggregate bound with a stabilizer, such as Portland cement or bitumen. The quality of the base course is a function of its composition, physical properties, and compaction of the material Sub base. This layer is used in areas where frost action is severe or the subgrade soil is extremely weak. The sub base course functions like the base course. The material requirements for the sub base are not as strict as those for the base course since the sub base is subjected to lower load stresses. The sub base consists of stabilized or properly compacted granular material. Subgrade. The subgrade is the compacted soil layer that forms the foundation of the pavement system. Subgrade soils are subjected to lower stresses than the surface, base, and sub base courses. Since load stresses decrease with depth, the controlling subgrade stress usually lies at the top of the subgrade. The combined thickness of sub base, base, and wearing surface must be great enough to reduce the stresses occurring in the subgrade to values that will not cause excessive distortion or displacement of the subgrade soil layer.

(iv)

(v)