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PAVEMENT DESIGN & REHABILITATION

Structural Analysis of Flexible

Pavements

LT Col Dr Sarfraz Ahmed

Spring 2013

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Purpose of Pavement Structural Analysis

Assess pavement structural integrity/load-carrying
capacity

Remaining Service Life (RSL) analysis

Support M&R improvement program

Evaluate M&R techniques

Develop pavement performance prediction models

Improve pavement design approaches

Establish load limits

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Layered System Concepts - Assumptions

Analytical solutions to the state of stress or strain has
several assumptions
 The material properties of each layer are homogenous,
 Each layer has finite thickness except for the lowest layer
 All layers are infinite in lateral directions
 Each layer is isotropic, (uniformity in all orientations)
 Full friction is developed between layers at each interface
 Surface shearing forces are not present at the surface
 The stress solution are characterized by two material
properties for each layer (E & µ)
 Mostly Not Valid
 Reasonable for Small Strains
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Critical Responses in Flexible Pavements

Load-Related Critical Responses: Stresses and Strains
Flexible Pavements with
Unbound Granular Base
Critical tension due to bending
is at the lowest point of (all)
bound layer(s): bottom of AC

1 Vertical Compressive Stress,

AC Rutting
2 Horizontal Tensile Strain,
Ac Fatigue
3 Vertical Compressive Stress,
Base Rutting
4 Vertical Compressive Stress, Subgrade Rutting
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Critical Responses in Flexible Pavements

Load-Related Critical Responses: Stresses and Strains
Flexible Pavements with
Bound Granular Base
Critical tension due to bending is at
the lowest point of (all) bound
layer(s): bottom of Stabilized Base

1 Vertical Compressive Stress,

AC Rutting
2 Horizontal Tensile Strain,
Ac Fatigue
3 Vertical Compressive Stress,
Base Rutting
4 Vertical Compressive Stress, Subgrade Rutting
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Structural Analysis of Flexible Pavements

Stresses, Strains and Deflections in Pavements

Single Layer - Point and uniformly distributed load

Two Layer Systems

Multi-Layer Systems

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One Layer System: Point Load (BOUSSINESQ, 1885)

Boussinesq Equations Assumes
–Stress, Strains, Deflections –Homogeneous
–Isotropic
–Elastic Media
–Point Load at Surface

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One Layer System: Point Load (BOUSSINESQ, 1885)

Stresses

 = / 
3
=  ⁄
2 1 + ⁄

Main Conclusions:


 Decreases with  and 

Maximum
 under 

 Independent of Material Properties

Bell-shape Distribution of


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One Layer System: Point Load (BOUSSINEQ, 1885)

Deflections
Surface
1 −  
 =


Any Point
1+ 
ω= 2 1 −  +   


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Example:1 One Layer System, Point Load

A farm vehicle imparts a wheel load of 60 kN to the

surface of a low-volume, un-surfaced pavement. For
the purposes of this exercise, assume that the
pavement can be adequately represented as a one-
layer pavement and that tire loads can be represented
as point loads. Use the Boussinesq point load equation
to solve the following:

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Example:1 One Layer System, Point Load (Cont)

Requirement 1
(a) Using a spreadsheet, plot the vertical stress in the
pavement as a function of depth below the surface for a
single, 60 kN load. Determine the depth at which σz is
reduced to 40 kPa, directly under the point point load (r=0).
The most effective way to plot the data would be to ‘mimic’
the pavement section, e.g., assign z as the vertical axis,
with the plot origin at the top-left and with z increasing
downwards. The stress can then be plotted along the x-
axis.

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Example:1 One Layer System, Point Load(Cont)

Requirement 2
(b) A second 60 kN load (load 2) is situated 2 meters away.
i) What is the vertical stress at a depth of 50 mm
immediately below one tire?
ii) What is the vertical stress at a depth of 1meter
below the same tire?
iii) What is the stress halfway between the two tires at
a depth of 1 meter? Again, assume point loads for all
parts of this problem.

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Two Layer Pavement System

1. Vertical Stress

2. Vertical stress at interface

3. Surface Deflection 
4. Deflection at Interface 
5. Tensile / radial stress
 or Tensile strain

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Two Layer Pavement System

1. Vertical Stress
 (After Burmister 1958)
For known z/a and E1/E2
Vertical stress for any pressure q can be determined

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Two Layer Pavement System

2. Vertical Stress at interface
 (After Huang 1969)

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Example:2 Two Layer System

A circular load having radius of 6 in. and uniform
pressure of 80 psi applied on a two-layer system. The
subgrade has elastic modulus of 5000 psi and can
support a max vertical stress of 8 psi. If the HMA has
elastic modulus of 500,000 psi, what is the required
thickness of a full-depth pavement? If a thin surface
treatment is applied on a granular base with elastic
modulus of 25,000 psi, what the thickness of base
course required.

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Example:2 Two Layer System

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Example:2 Two Layer System (Cont)

(After Huang 1969)

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Assignment # 1
A wheel having radius of 10 inches and uniform
pressure of 50 psi applied on a two-layer system. The
subgrade has elastic modulus of 6000 psi and can
support a max vertical stress of 8 psi. If the HMA has
elastic modulus of 450 ksi, determine following:
a. what is the required thickness of a full-depth
pavement?
b. If a thin surface treatment is applied on a granular
base with elastic modulus of 30,000 psi, what the
thickness of base course required.
c. What is the vertical stress at the top of subgrade
for pavement structure in scenario “b” above.
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