Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-6, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in
Analysis of Flexible Pavements using IIT Pave
Harish G R
Assistant Professor , New Horizon College of Engineering, Bengaluru
Abstract: The traffic pattern has changed since then
and so has the technology. The volume of tandem,
tridem and multi-axle vehicles has increased
manifold and heavier axle loads are common. Since
pavements are constructed as per the standards and
specifications of design, which may not serve for the
design period efficiently, safely, and economically
due to early deterioration of materials with different
properties. Due to environmental concerns as well as
legal restrictions on quarrying, the focus has shifted
from large scale use of conventional aggregates to
use of local, recycled and engineered marginal
aggregates in construction. It is generally known that
failure of asphalt pavement is due to fatigue cracking
and rutting deformation, caused by excessive
horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the
bituminous layer and vertical compressive strain on
top of the subgrade. This presented study aim at
expanding the scope of pavement design by including
alternate materials like cementitious and reclaimed
asphalt materials, and subjecting them to analysis
using the software IITPAVE. In this study a road
stretch is selected around Bangalore and
engineering properties of subgrade soil has been
studied. The different pavement composition
materials like Cementitious Base and Cementitious
Sub-base of aggregate interlayer for crack relief.
Cementitious base and sub-base with SAMI at the
interface of base and the bituminous layer.Foamed
bitumen/bitumen emulsion treated RAP or fresh
aggregates Cementitious sub-base has been
designed, analyzed and compared with the
conventional granular base and granular sub base.
The use of different composition materials in
pavement structure improves serviceability based in
comparison with conventional granular base and
granular sub-base. Among all the composition the
cemented base and sub base with SAMI gives better
serviceability because of substantial reduction in
strains, thickness and cost effective compared to
other design. Hence it can be recommended for
stretch selected for studies.
1. Introduction
A flexible pavement structure is not easily amenable
to accurate structural analysis because the materials
forming the pavement layers and the subgrade soil
supporting the pavement are exhibiting non-uniform
properties. The various factors to be considered for
Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
the design of pavements are wheel load, subgrade
soil properties, climatic factors, stress distribution
characteristics of pavement component materials and
environmental factors. Pavements are constructed as
per the given guidelines by considering various
parameters. It is generally known that failure of
asphalt pavement is due to excessive strain and
plastic deformation at critical locations.
Rutting is the permanent deformation in
pavement usually occurring longitudinally along
the wheel path. The rutting may partly be caused
by deformation in the subgrade and other non-
bituminous layers which would reflect to the
overlying layers to take a deformed shape.
fatigue cracking is conventionally considered as
a bottom-up cracking phenomenon, the fatigue
cracking of the bottom of asphaltic concrete due
to heavy axle loads. Many researchers are
previously carried out the design and analysis of
flexible pavement for different components
materials [1-7]. The results from the studies
encourages the use of different composition
pavement materials not only improves the life
and performance of the pavement, but also the
economic consideration.
The aim of the study undertaken is to design
and evaluate the rutting and fatigue
performance of flexible pavements for different
composition of pavement materials like
cementitious base, cementitious sub base , crack
relief layer of aggregates, treated RAP and
SAMI as per IRC provisions and mechanistic
empirical software IITPAVE.
2. Methodology
The method used in data analysis is mechanistic-
empirical method which considered the design life of
pavement to last till the fatigue cracking in
bituminous surface extended to 20 per cent of the
pavement surface area or rutting in the pavement
reached the terminal rutting of 20 mm, whichever
happened earlier.. The mechanistic empirical
software called IIT-PAVE is used to analyze the
pavement responses. The structural analysis of
flexible pavement for IIT-PAVE is based on the
multi-layer theory.
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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-6, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in
A flexible pavement is modeled as an elastic
multilayer structure. Stresses and strains at critical
locations (Fig.1)are computed using a linear layered
elastic model. The Stress analysis software IITPAVE
has been used for the computation of stresses
andstrains in flexible pavements. Tensile strain, t,
at the bottom of the bituminous layer and the vertical
subgrade strain, v, on the top of the subgrade are
conventionally considered as critical parameters for
pavement design to limit cracking and rutting in the
bituminous layers and non-bituminous layers
respectively. The computation also indicates that
tensile strain near the surface close to the edge of a
wheel can be sufficiently large to initiate longitudinal
surface cracking followed by transverse cracking
much before the flexural cracking of the bottom layer
if the mix tensile strength is not adequate at higher
temperatures.
Figure 1. Critical strain locations in flexible pavement
In this study SH 74 connecting karahalli and
Doddaballapur having heavy volume traffic
movement and unconditioned pavement surface was
selected. Traffic survey data of the year 2013
collected from public works department and the
present year traffic was calculated as per IRC
guidelines. Soil sample was collected near shoulders
at subgrade level for investigation of engineering
properties of soil.
Table 1: Engineering properties of subgrade soil
Sl
No
Property Value
1 Specific Gravity 2.64
Consistency Limits (%)
2 Liquid Limit 31
Plastic Limit 12
Plasticity Index 19
Soil Classification
3
HRB Classification System A 6
Compaction characteristics
4 Modified Proctor Test
a) Max. dry unit
weight (kN/m3) 16.38
b) OMC (%) 13.6
Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Unconfined Compressive Strength
5
(kPa)
a) Unsoaked 270
b) Soaked 150
CBR
6 a) Unsoaked 9%
b) Soaked 6%
3. Design and Analysis
The classified traffic data collectedfrom the public
works department given the insight to the
commercial vehicles of different axles and the
vehicle damage factor as 6331 CVPD and 4.5
respectively. The pavement design and analysis has
been carried out for different pavement components
materials as per IRC 37-2012
3.1 Fatigue model
Two fatigue equations were fitted, one in which the
computed strains in 80 per cent of the actual data in
the scatter plot were higher than the limiting strains
predicted by the model (and termed as 80 per cent
reliability level in these guidelines) and the other
corresponding to 90 per cent reliability level. The
two equations for the conventional bituminous mixes
designed by Marshall method are given below:
Nf= 2.21 * 10-04x [1/t]3.89* [1/MR]0.854.(1)
Nf= 0.711 * 10-04x [1/t]3.89* [1/MR]0.854 .(2)
Where,
Nf = fatigue life in number of standard axles,
t = Maximum Tensile strain at the bottom of the
bituminous layer,
MR = resilient modulus of the bituminous layer.
3.2 Rutting model: Rutting model also has been
calibrated in the studies using the pavement
performance data collected during the studies at 80
per cent and 90 per cent reliability levels. The two
equations are given below:
N = 4.1656 x 10-08 [1/v] 4.5337(3)
N = 1.41x 10-8x [1/v] 4.5337 ...(4)
3.3 Resilient Modulus: The behavior of the
subgrade is essentially elastic under the transient
traffic loading with negligible permanent
deformation in a single pass. Resilient modulus is the
measure of its elastic behavior determined from
recoverable deformation in the laboratory tests. The
modulus is an important parameter for design and the
performance of a pavement. The relation between
resilient modulus and the effective CBR is given as:
MR (MPa) = 10 * CBR for CBR 5..(5)
MR (MPa) = 17.6 * (CBR)0.64 for CBR > 5 (6)
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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-6, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

4. Discussions and Conclusions

Where, MR = Resilient modulus of subgrade soil
MR_granular= 0.2* h0.45* MR subgrade (7)
Where, h = thickness of granular sub-base and base,
mm.
The design thickness for different composition of
materials has been found out using design catalogue
given in code. The different compositions are
mentioned below,
i. Granular base and granular sub base ( C- 1)
ii. Cemented base and cemented sub base with
crack relief layer (C-2)
iii. Cemented base and cemented sub base with
SAMI (C-3)
iv. Foamed bitumen/ bitumen emulsion treated
RAP/ aggregate over cemented base ( C-4)
Table 2: pavement thickness for different composition
Total thickness in
Composition
mm
C- 1 655
C- 2 560
C- 3 500
C- 4 480
Allowable Horizontal tensile strain (t) was
determined for all the pavement compositions by
adopting 90% reliability using eq.2 and also by
analyzing in IITPAVE and the corresponding values
are given in table.3 as given below
Use of different composition materials in pavement
structure decreases the required design thickness
table (2) for the same subgrade properties and
design traffic. and also improves the serviceability.
Horizontal tensile strength which causes fatigue
cracks in the bituminous layer is also decreased in
other compositions compared to granular base and
granular sub base composition. Also there is
considerable decrease in vertical compressive strain
which causes rutting in different compositions
structure compared to conventional granular base and
sub base structure. Out of all the different
compositions the cemented base and cemented sub
base with SAMI interface at the interface of
cemented base and the bituminous layer provides
good serviceability when compared to other
compositions as reflected in table 3 & 4. This is
because of presence of SAMI (Stress absorbing
membrane interface) in the structure which acts as
stress relieving interlayer. This interlayer designed to
dissipate energy by deforming horizontally or
vertically, therefore allowing the movement
(vertical/horizontal) of the underlying pavement
layers without causing large tensile stresses in the
bituminous layer. The purpose of the SAMI is to
reduce the tensile stress in the bituminous layer in
the vicinity of the crack in the underlying layer and
hence absorb stress and delays the propagation of
cracks .The application of stress-relieving systems at
the interface between the bituminous layer and the
old cemented base reduces the shear stiffness of the
interface. Hence it provides better serviceability and
reduces the overall cost of the pavement structure.

Table 3: Horizontal tensile strength 4. Acknowledgement

Composition IRC equation IITPAVE The author acknowledges the final year students
C- 1 140.815x10-6 255.1x10-6 Anthony Francis , Prasanna and Monica H D for
C- 2 140.815 x 106 130.5x10-6 their outstanding work and efforts in this research
C- 3 140.815 x 106 -11.45x10-6 work.
C- 4 140.815 x 106 130.26x10-6.
5. Reference
Allowable vertical compressive strain (v) was
determined for all the pavement compositions by [1] Swapan Kumar Bagui (2012) Pavement Design for
adopting 90% reliability using eq.4 and also by Rural Low Volume Roads Using Cement and Lime
analyzing in IITPAVE and the corresponding values Treatment Base Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering,
are given in table.4 as given below Volume 6, No. 3, 2012.
[2] Ahmed Ebrahim Abu El-MaatyBehiry (2013)
Evaluation of steel slag and crushed limestone mixtures as
Table 4: Vertical compressive strain
subbase material in flexible pavement Ain Shams
Engineering Journal (2013) 4, 4353
Composition IRC equation IITPAVE [3] M. Isola a, G. Betti b,, A. Marradi b, G. Tebaldi
C- 1 311.005x10-6 255.1x10-6 (2013) Evaluation of cement treated mixtures with high
C- 2 311.005 x 106 222.8x 106 percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement Construction
C- 3 311.005 x 106 202.6x 106 and Building Materials 48 (2013) 238247
C- 4 311.005 x 106 289.94x 106 [4] P. Selvi, (2014)Fatigue and Rutting Strain Analysis
on Lime Stabilized Subgrades to Develop A Pavement
Design Chart

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 817

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-3, Issue-6, 2017
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

[5] Swapan Kumar Bagui: (2013) Analytical Investigation

for Determining Ressilient Modulus for Interface Layer of
Aggregates
[6] MonteparaA.a, Tebaldi G.a*, MarradiA.b,
BettiG.b:(2012) Effect on Pavement Performance of a
Subbase Layer Composed by Natural Aggregate and RAP
[7] A hilmilav, M.aysenlav, A burakgoktep, (2005)
Analysis of a stabilized fly ash as pavement base
materials.
[8] IRC 37-2012Guidelines for design of flexible
pavements IRC publications

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 818