08 Design of

HIGHWAY
Pavement
ENGINEERING
CLASSIFICA
TION DESIGN
OF PAVEMENT
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

CLASSIFICAT
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

RIGID
PAVEMENT
What is RIGID PAVEMENT?

ON
• Rigid pavements are those, which possess note worthy Tight Rigid
flexural strength or flexural rigidity. Longitudinal Joint Shoulder

Types of Rigid Pavement

• Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement Traverse Joint
• Jointed Reinforced Concrete
Concrete slab (jointed)
Pavement
• Continuously Reinforced Concrete Base course (non-erosive)

Pavement Subbase course (if needed)

Subgrade
Subgrade (Existing
(Existing Soil)
Soil)
 Highway Engineering

Types of Rigid Pavement

Joint Plain Concrete Pavement

• transverse joints spaced less than about 5 m apart and

no reinforcing steel in the slab. JPCP may, however,
contain steel dowel bars across transverse joints and
steel tie bars across longitudinal joints.

Joint Reinforced Concrete Pavement

• transverse joints spaced about 9 to 12 m apart and contains

steel reinforcement in the slab. The steel reinforcement is
designed to hold tightly together any transverse cracks that
develop in the slab. Dowel bars and tie bars are also used at
all transverse and longitudinal joints, respectively.
 Highway Engineering

Types of Rigid Pavement

Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

• CRCP has no regularly spaced transverse joints and

contains more steel reinforcement than JRCP. The high
steel content influences the development of transverse
cracks within an acceptable spacing and serves to hold
these transverse cracks tightly together. Transverse
reinforcing steel is often used.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

CLASSIFICAT
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

FLEXIBLE
PAVEMENT
What is FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT?

ON
• Flexible Pavements are those, which on the whole have lowSurface
or negligible
Courseflexural strength and
are rather flexible in their structural action under the loads.
Base Course

Examples of Flexible Pavement Subbase (Optional, usually treated subgrade)

• Conventional
• Asphalt Surfaced
• Deep Strength
• Full Depth
• Modified Full Depth
Subgrade (Existing Soil)
MCLEO
METHO
D’S
D
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

MCLEOD’S
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

BASIC PRINCIPLES
OF SUBGRADE
DESIGN
METHOD
There are two primary objectives for
subgrade design and construction,

a) a subgrade that will provide the highest

possible load carrying capacity throughout
the year.

b) a subgrade that is so thoroughly

compacted that it will undergo a minimum
of differential vertical movement
throughout the useful service life of the
superimposed flexible pavement.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

MCLEOD’S
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF
SUBGRADE DESIGN AND

METHOD
CONSTRUCTION
1) Establish the right-of-way of a road or airport runway
on sandy rather than on clayey soils wherever
possible. Clay soils become weaker and weaker as they
absorb more and more moisture, whereas sands
maintain high supporting value in either the wet or dry
condition.
2) When some choice exists between clayey and sandy
soils for subgrade construction, but the quantities of
sandy soils are limited, place the clay and other poor
soils as low in the subgrade as possible, and conserve
the sandy soil for the top layer of the subgrade.
3) By means of adequate drainage installations, protect
the subgrade from sources of moisture that might
enter and soften the subgrade soil, Figure 2.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL

MCLEOD’S
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

PRINCIPLES OF
SUBGRADE DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
4) Establish the top of the subgrade at least four feet above the ground

METHOD
water table, Figure 3. This helps to maintain the upper part of the
subgrade in a drier and stronger condition.
5) Excavate pockets of frost-affected soils, (usually fine sands and silts).
that are susceptible to acute frost heaving and frost boils, to one-
half the depth of frost penetration, but to a minimum depth of two
feet, and replace with soils of non-frost heave texture, Figure 4.
6) Deposits of peat, muck, or other highly organic soils should be
either,
a) completely displaced from under the subgrade, Figure 5, by
excavation, temporary surcharge, jetting with water, or blasting
with dynamite, or
b) thoroughly consolidated during construction by temporary
surcharge if there is ample time, or by the use of sand drains,
Figure 6, if the construction period must be short.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

MCLEOD’S
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF
SUBGRADE DESIGN AND

METHOD
CONSTRUCTION
7) Compact subgrade soils in relatively thin layers at approximately
optimum moisture content by means of sheepsfoot, pneumatic-
tired, or steel-wheeled rollers, or by vibratory compactors, etc., for
at least the top 12 inches of cut sections, and for the full depth of
embankments, Figure 7, to increase their density in place.
Mechanical compaction tends to increase subgrade strength,
provide more uniform subgrade bearing capacity, and reduce
differential vertical movement
THICKNES
S
OF PAVEMENT
USING
MCLEODS’S
METHOD
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G
THICKNESS
DESIGN EQUATION
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

OF
minimum thickness of granular
base course needed to carry
a n y s p e c i fi e d
wheel load over any given
subgrade

PAVEMENT
where,
T = required thickness of granular base in inches,
P = gross single wheel load to be carried on the
runway of highway.
S = subgrade support measured for the same
contact area as

USING
that of the loid P,
K = the base course constant, which is an inverse
measure of
the supporting value of the base course per unit
U.S.
OF
CORPS
ENGINEE
RS
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

U.S. CORPS
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

ABOUT

OF
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 37,000 dedicated Civilians and
Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries
worldwide.
• With environmental sustainability as a guiding principle, the Corps team is working
diligently to strengthen our Nation’s security by building and maintaining America’s

ENGINEERS
infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train,
work and live. They are also researching and developing technology for their war
fighters while protecting America’s interests abroad by using their engineering
expertise to promote stability and improve quality of life.
CALIFOR
RESISTA
NIA
VALUE METHOD
NCE
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
CALIFORNIA
pavement thickness varies
directly with R value and
logarithm of load repetitions,
a n d v a r i e s i n v e r s e l y w i t h fi f t h

RESISTANCE
root of computer value

where,
T = total thickness of pavement, cm
K = coefficient constant of 0.166

VALUE
T.I. = Traffic Index
R = Stabilometer Resistance Value
C = Cohesiometer Value
EXPANSI
PRESSUR
ON
METHOD
E
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

EXPANSION
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

Standard Test
Method for
Resistance R-Value
PRESSURE
and Expansion
isPressure of strength of subgrade,
According to ASTM D2844 / D2844M – 18, this test method
used to measure the potential

METHOD
subbase, and base course materials for use in road and
Compacted
airfield pavements. The R-value Soils
is used by some
agencies as criteria for acceptance of aggregates for
base course and bituminous courses.
The expansion pressure testing has been used in conjunction with
the R-value test to determine cover requirements (thickness) and
construction controls to reduce pavement distortion from expansive
subgrade soils.
GOLDBEC
K’S
FORMULA
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
GOLDBECK’S
stress at the corner of the
slab using Goldbeck’s Formula

FORMULA
where,
d = depth of concrete pavement
W = wheel load
σmax = maximum stress
WIDTH OF
WIDENING OF
A
CURVE SECTION OF
ROAD
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

WIDENING O
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

Widening of
Pavement on
Horizontal Curve
PAVEMENT IN
The pavement is extra widened on the horizontal
curves due to the following reasons:

a) The wheel base of the vehicles is rigid and therefore

while taking the turn, only front wheel are able to
change direction. Path traveled by the front will be

A CURVE
different and will be at certain distance outwards
from the path traced by the inner wheel.
b) There is a tendency of the driver to take the outer
path at the curves to have more sight distance
visible ahead.
c) While overtaking operations on horizontal curves
driver will need more spacing from the other
vehicles to feel safer.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

WIDENING O
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

Widening of
Pavement on
Horizontal Curve
PAVEMENT IN
Factors governing the widening of the pavement
on the horizontal curves :

a) Length of wheel base

b) Radius of the curve negotiated, R
c) Psychological factor which depends upon the velocity of the

A CURVE
vehicle and the Radius of the curve.

In general, extra width is provided on the horizontal curves when the

radius is less than 300 m.
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

WIDENING O
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
Determine the extra width by
adding the width due to

PAVEMENT IN
mechanical widening and width
due to psychological widening

A CURVE
where,
We = extra width for pavement design
Wm = mechanical widening width
Wp = psychological widening width
n = number of traffic lanes l = length of the wheel
base
V = design speed in kmph R = radius of the
TRIAXIAL

TEST
METHOD
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

TRIAXIAL
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

Triaxial Test Method

of Flexible
Pavement Design
TEST
Triaxial test is conducted on soil specimen under 160
kN/m2 of lateral pressure. Hence modulus of elasticity
is calculated from stress strain curve. Traffic coefficient
X and saturation coefficient Y are introduced in this
method. These are multiplied with the load system to
get the total pavement thickness.

METHOD
H I G H W AY E N G I N E E R I N G

TRIAXIAL
H I G H WAY E N G I N E E R I N G

DESIGN EQUATION
To t a l p a v e m e n t t h i c k n e s s by
triaxial test method

TEST
METHOD
where,
T = total pavement thickness
P = wheel load
Δ = design deflection = 0.25 cm
E = modulus of elasticity
X = traffic coefficient
Y = saturation coefficient
a = radius of the contact area, cm