Pavement distresses and serviceability

Atul Narayan, S. P.
IIT Madras

September 6, 2015

Outline

Introduction

Pavement distress models

Incremental damage

Outline

Introduction

Pavement distress models

Incremental damage

Subordinate learning objectives

To analyze the stress-strain distribution in pavements for given

loading conditions. 3

To estimate pavement distresses based on stresses and

strains in pavement structure.

To explain the effect of mechanical properties on pavement

behavior and performance.

To analyze the stresses and distresses caused by vehicle

loading.

To estimate the expected volume of traffic in design life

Outline

Introduction

Pavement distress models

Incremental damage

Fatigue model for pavements

1 k2 1 k3
N f = k1 ( ) ( )
t
E

(1)

where
Nf is the number of repetitions to failure by fatigue

t is the horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the

HMA layer
E is the elastic modulus of HMA layer
ki , i = 1, 2, 3 are constants found from laboratory
testing

Failure corresponds to 50% of the pavement surface area

covered with alligator cracking.

IRC, Asphalt Institute, Shell Bitumen and MEPDG uses it.

The model essentially implies that fatigue life decreases with

increase in the horizontal tensile strain or elastic modulus of
HMA layer.

Rutting model for pavements

Nr = k4 v k5

(2)

where
Nr is the number of repetitions to failure by rutting

v is the vertical compressive strain at the top of the

subgrade
ki , i = 4, 5 are constants

Failure corresponds to rut depth being more than 25 mm.

This model assumes there is permanent deformation only in

the subgrade

In reality, most permanent deformation occurs in the HMA

layer, especially when it is thick.

Outline

Introduction

Pavement distress models

Incremental damage

Introduction

Traffic is not homogeneous.

Material properties change with daily, monthy and seasonal

variations.

Miners rule or Linear damage hypothesis

Damage is a parameter characterizing the state of a material

such that:

It is 0 for an undamaged material

It is 1 for a material that has experienced complete failure.

If N repetitions of a load L causes complete failure (i.e. damage

equal to 1), then the damage caused by any single repetition of the
1
load L is
N

Miners rule or Linear damage hypothesis (cont.)

Linear damage hypothesis

If N1 repetitions of some cyclic loading L1 causes complete failure
and N2 repetitions of another cyclic loading L2 also causes
complete failure, the damage due to n1 repetitions of L1 and n2
n1 n2
+
repetitions of L2 is n1 D1 + n2 D2 =
N1 N2

It was first proposed by A. Palmgren and popularized by M.

Miner.

Miner (1945) proved that the total work that can be absorbed
until failure has a constant value.

Miners rule applied to pavement failure

Nij is the number of repetitions of i th vehicle group to failure in

the j th time period.

The damage per passing of a particular vehicle at a particular

time period is
1
(3)
Dij =
Nij

It is assumed that the total damage to the pavement structure

is the sum of the damage due to individual load repetitions.
DTotal =
j

ni
Nij

(4)

Activity 1

There are two types of trucks that use a particular highway section,
Truck A and Truck B. Every year, 1 million trucks pass through the
highway section of which 40% are truck type A and the remaining
60% are of truck type B. If 10 million repetitions of Truck A causes
complete failure and 8 million repetitions of Truck B also cause
complete failue, how long would the pavement last?