Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Flexible Pavement Design

Indian Roads Congress Method

Dr. K. Sudhakar Reddy

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
India
Email: ksreddy@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

The IRC Guidelines

IRC:37-2001
Guidelines for the Design of Flexible Pavements

Result of different research efforts made in

India
More rational than its previous version IRC:37-
1984
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Scope of the Guidelines

Applicable for new pavements
Applicable for design of flexible pavements for
expressways, National Highways, State
Highways, MDR and other categories of roads
carrying predominantly motorised vehicles
Flexible Pavements bituminous surfacing
with granular base and sub-base
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Design Criteria
Three main types of distresses are considered to
be critical
Rutting due to permanent deformation in
subgrade
Rutting due to permanent deformation in
bituminous layer
Fatigue cracking in bituminous layer
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Rutting due to permanent deformation

in subgrade

Rut Depth
Bituminous Layer
Granular Layer

Subgrade
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Rutting due to Permanent Deformation in

Bituminous Layer

Rut Depth

Bituminous Layer

Granular Layer
Subgrade
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Fatigue Cracking in Bituminous Layer

Crocodile Cracking
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Mechanistic Parameters controlling
Pavement Performance / distresses

h1 E1, Bituminous
t

h2 E2, Granular
z

E3, Subgrade
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Mechanistic Parameters as indices for
Pavement Performance
vertical strain on top of subgrade ( z) is
considered to be causative factor for permanent
deformation in subgrade

horizontal tensile strain ( t) at the bottom of the

bituminous bound layer is an indicator for fatigue
cracking in bituminous layer
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Performance Criteria
Flexible Pavements should be designed to perform
satisfactorily without developing unacceptable levels
of distresses during the design life period
Main distresses
Fatigue cracking in bituminous layer cracking
of 20% of paved area considered critical
Rutting Average rut depth of 20mm is taken
as critical condition
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Performance Criteria
To ensure that unacceptable levels of distresses do
not occur during design period, the critical
mechanistic parameters identified as indices for
performance should be kept within acceptable limits
Fatigue Cracking Horizontal Tensile Strain strain at
the bottom of bituminous bound layer ( t)
Rutting Vertical strain on top of subgrade ( z)
These parameters are to be computed using a
suitable theory
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Limiting Strains
The design of the pavement (layer thicknesses
and materials) should be selected in such a way
that the computed strains will be less than the
limiting strain values corresponding to the design
traffic selected.

The limiting strains correspond to the initial

condition of the pavement

Limiting strains will be smaller for higher design

traffic volumes (or longer design life periods)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Computation of Strains
Indian Roads Congress (IRC:37-2001) adopts
Linear Elastic Layered Theory for analysis of
flexible pavements

Recommends that the pavements be modeled as 3

Layer Systems with Bituminous surface, granular
base and subgrade

Interfaces between layers are considered to be

rough

The top two layers are assumed to be infinite in

horizontal direction while the subgrade in semi-
infinite.
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Computation of Critical Strains

h1 E1,

h2 E2,

E3,
Inputs required for analysis
thicknesses of the first two layers
elastic moduli of the three layers
Poisson Ratio values of the three layers
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Computation of Critical Strains
Loading Considered
Standard axle load (80 kN) One dual wheel
set only is considered, tyre pressure 0.56
MPa (80psi)
20kN 20kN

310 mm
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Computation of Strains - Loading

Circular contact area assumed

Uniform Vertical stress at Pavement surface

No horizontal surface stresses considered

for analysis
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Performance Criteria adopted in IRC:37-2001

Correlate Performance with Critical Strains
Performance Number of equivalent repetitions of
standard axle load (80kN) that can be served by the
pavement before excessive rutting or fatigue
cracking develop
The general form of performance criterion is
N = k1 (I / initial strain) k2
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

IRC Performance Criteria

The criteria developed by IIT, Kharagpur were adopted

These criteria were developed on the basis of the vast

data collected by a number of institutions in India on
the performance of flexible pavements under different
loading and climatic conditions

Data were collected as part of different research

schemes sponsored by the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways (MORTH)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Rutting Criterion
NR = 4.1656 * 10-8 (1/ez)4.5337
Where
NR = Cumulative std. Axle load repetitions before
the pavement develops 20mm average rut depth

z= Initial vertical strain on top of subgrade

If the pavement has to serve 50 million standard
axle load repetitions without developing excessive
rutting the initial vertical strain must be limited to
4.7201*10-04
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Fatigue Criterion
NF = 2.21 * 10-4 (1/et)3.89(1/Eac)0.854
Where
NF = Cumulative std. Axle load repetitions before the
pavement develops 20% fatigue cracking
t= Initial horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of
bituminous layer
Eac = Elastic Modulus of bituminous layer, MPa
For the pavement to serve 50 msa load repetitions without
developing excessive fatigue cracking, and if the modulus
value of the bituminous layer is 1000MPa, the initial tensile
strain must be limited to 2.6453*10-04
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
IRC Performance Criteria
The pavement layer thicknesses and materials
must be selected in such a way that both the
computed strains will be less than the
corresponding limiting strains

This will ensure that the pavement will not develop

unacceptable levels of fatigue cracking and rutting
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Material Characterization for Analysis
Since linear elastic layered theory is used for
analysis, elastic moduli and Poisson Ratio values
of the three layers are required as inputs for
analysis
Subgrade Modulus
The elastic modulus of subgrade can be
determined by conducting repeated triaxial
test on representative soil sample
The subgrade modulus can also be estimated
from the CBR value determined using
representative soil sample
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Subgrade Modulus
E (MPa) = 10 * (CBR) for CBR values less than 5%

E(MPa) = 17.6 * (CBR)0.64 for CBR => 5%

Where E is the elastic modulus of subgrade and

CBR is the California Bearing Ratio of subgrade
soil

For a CBR of 4 % E = 10 * 4 = 40 MPa

For a CBR of 7%, E = 17.6 (7)0.64 = 64.8 MPa
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Elastic Modulus of Granular Layer

E of Granular material has to be determined by
conducting repeated triaxial test on the granular
material

In the absence of the equipment, the modulus value is

to be estimated from the expression

E(Granular base) = E (subgrade) * 0.2 * (h)0.45

Where h = thickness of granular layer in mm

For a 300mm thick granular layer placed over a

subgrade having 40MPa modulus, the granular layer
modulus will be 104.2 MPa
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Elastic Modulus of Bituminous layer

Different types of mixes are used in India

Bituminous Concrete (BC) 40, 50mm surfacing
Semi Dense Bituminous Concrete (SDAC)
Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM)
Bituminous Macadam (BM)
Mixes prepared using different binders 30/40,
60/70, 80/100 and modified binders
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Elastic Modulus of Bituminous Mix

Pavement temperature is an important parameter
in selecting E of Bituminous layer
350C is considered as the average annual
pavement temperature for most parts of India
Research carried out at Kharagpur and other
places in India yielded typical elastic modulus
values that can be selected for different average
pavement temperatures applicable for different
parts of India
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Elastic Modulus of Bituminous Mix

Mix Binder 200C 250C 300C 350C 400C
Type
BC/ 80/100 2300 1965 1450 975 800
DBM
BC/ 60/70 3600 3125 2580 1700 1270
DBM
BC/ 40/70 6000 4930 3810 1945 2275
DBM
BM 80/100 --- --- --- 500 ---

BM 60/70 --- --- --- 700 ---

 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Converting DBM into other material

Part of the DBM can be substituted by BM using
the equal flexural stiffness principle
(E1H13) / (12 (1- 2) = (E2H23) / (12 (1- 2)

where E1, H1, and E2, H2, and are the elastic
modulus, thickness and Poisson ratio of DBM and
BM layers respectively
Considering moduli values of 700 and 1700 MPa
for BM and DBM respectively, 1 mm of DBM will
approximately be equivalent to 1.34mm of BM
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Poisson Ratio Values

The Poisson ratio value for bituminous mix for high
temperatures (35 and 400C) is taken as 0.50
For temperatures from 20 to 300C the value
recommended is 0.35.
For granular layer and subgrade, a value of 0.4 is
recommended
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Design Approach
Select Inputs
Climatic Conditions
Average pavement temperature
No. of layers in the pavement
Materials to be used in each layer
Binder to be used
Design subgrade CBR
Design traffic (Cumulative standard axle load
repetitions)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Design Approach
Select trial designs and evaluate
Select trial thicknesses for pavement layers
Assign appropriate elastic moduli and Poisson
ratio values for each layer
Compute critical responses (tensile strain at the
bottom of bituminous layer and vertical strain on
top of subgrade)
Use linear elastic layered theory for analysis
Consider standard loading
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Design Approach

310 mm
20kN 20kN

Contact pressure = 0.56MPa

h1 t
E1,

h2 E2,
z

E3,
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Design Approach
Evaluate the trial design (thicknesses)
Compare the computed strains with allowable
strains (for rutting and fatigue considerations)
Allowable strains to be estimated from design
traffic
Both allowable strain criteria should be satisfied
If criteria are not satisfied, select a new thickness
combination and re-analyse
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Design Approach
Design Charts
For convenience of the users a number of thickness
charts have been developed following the
procedure discussed previously
Separate thickness charts are available for
1-10msa and 10-150msa traffic levels
Subgrade CBR of 2% to 10% are considered
Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) prepared with
60/70 bitumen is considered as the bituminous
layer.
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition
Total thickness obtained (if design charts are
used) is split into different layers as per the
pavement design catalogues given in IRC:37-2001
Granular sub-base, granular-base and bituminous
surfacing (binder course and wearing course)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Typical Thickness Chart
Total Pavement Thickness, mm

CBR

Design Traffic, msa

 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Design Traffic
Cumulative number of standard axle load (80kN)
coverages expected during the design life period
can be estimated from
Initial traffic intensity after construction in terms
of commercial vehicles per day (CVPD)
Traffic growth rate during the design life period
Design life (years)
Vehicle damage factor (VDF)
Lateral distribution of commercial vehicles over
the carriageway
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Design Traffic
Design life 15 Years for NH & SH, 20 Years for
Expressways and Urban roads. Other categories
10 to 15 years
Possibility of stage construction to be examined
Vehicle Damage Factor Multiplier to convert the
number of commercial vehicles of different axle
loads and axle configurations into equivalent
number of standard axle load repetitions
VDF obtained from axle load survey
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Design Traffic
VDF - in the absence of axle load data, the
following values can be adopted
Initial traffic (cvpd) Rolling/plain Hilly
0 150 1.5 0.5
150 1500 3.5 1.5
> 1500 4.5 2.5

Lateral distribution
Single - lane road 100% of two-way traffic
2-lane single carriageway 75% of two-way traffic
4-lane single carriageway 40% of two-way traffic
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Design Traffic
Lateral distribution
Dual Carriageway roads
Dual 2-lane carriageways 75% of traffic in each direction
Dual 3-lane carriageways 60% of traffic in each direction
Dual 4-lane carriageways 45% of traffic in each direction
Traffic in each direction assumed to be half the total traffic
if directional distribution is not known.

Annual Growth Rate To be projected. Assume

7.5% if no data is available
Estimation of Design Traffic
N = (365*A*D*F*((1+r)n-1))/(r)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Estimation of Design Traffic
Estimation of Design Traffic
N = (365*A*D*F*((1+r)n-1))/(r)
Where, N = Cumulative std. Axle repetitions during design period
A = Initial traffic intensity (cvpd) in the year of construction
D = Lane distribution factor
F = Vehicle damage factor
n = design life in years
r = annual rate of growth of commercial vehicles (for 7.5% rate
of growth, r = 0.075)

Traffic in the year of completion of construction

A = P (1 + r) x
where P = traffic intensity (cvpd) at last count
x = no. of years between last count and year of completion
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition Design catalogue
CBR 4 % (Traffic 1-10)
Traffic Total PAVEMENT COMPOSITION
(msa) Pavement Bituminous Surfacing Granular Granular
Thickness Base Sub-base
Wearing Binder
(mm) (mm) (mm)
Course Course
(mm) (mm)
1 480 20 PC -- 225 255
2 540 20 PC 50 BM 225 265
3 580 20 PC 50 BM 250 280
5 620 25 SDBC 60 DBM 250 285
10 700 40 BC 80 DBM 250 330
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition Design catalogue
CBR 4 % (Traffic 10-150)
Traffic Total PAVEMENT COMPOSITION
(msa) Pavement Bituminous Surfacing Granular Granular
Thickness Base Sub-base
BC (mm) DBM (mm)
(mm) (mm) (mm)
10 700 40 80
20 730 40 110
30 750 40 130
250 330
50 780 40 160
100 800 50 170
150 820 50 190
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition Subbase
Subbase Min CBR of 20% for traffic upto 2 msa
Min CBR of 30% for traffic > 2msa
For subgrade soils of low permeability, the GSB
should be for full width of formation
The thickness of the extended portion should not
be less than 150 mm for traffic <10 msa and 200
mm for traffic >10 msa
If subgrade CBR is < 2%, design of CBR of 2% and
provide a capping layer of 150mm thick material
having min. CBR of 10% in addition to sub-base
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition Base and Surface
Base Min thickness 225mm (traffic upto 2 msa)
Min thickness 250mm (traffic > 2 msa)
Material to conform to MORTH and IRC
specifications
Bituminous Surfacing wearing course or
wearing course + binder course
Wearing courses Surface dressing, open-graded
premix carpet, mix seal surfacing, semi-dense
bituminous concrete and bituminous concrete
Binder course Bituminous Macadam (BM) and
Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM)
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Pavement Composition Base and Surface
Use of BM (low bitumen content, high air void) to be
restricted for traffic < 5 msa
Provide DBM for traffic > 5msa
Equivalence of BM in terms of DBM (10BM = 7 DBM)
Selection of binder type and mix type to be made on
the basis of traffic and climatic conditions
For snow-bound areas, bus-stops, round-abouts
provide Bituminous concrete for water proof, stable
surface. Mastic Asphalt also can be used.
Open-graded Premix carpet of thickness upto 25mm
thickness not considered as a structural layer
 Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
IRC:37-2001 Major Limitations
Thickness charts are still available for CBR values
of upto 10% only
Design charts are available for only a pavement
temperature of 350C
Charts available for DBM only
The contribution of individual component layers is
still not realized fully with the system of catalog
(block) thicknesses. The same can be done
through use of an analytical tool for design
instead of resorting to thickness charts