Case study : the effect of material characterization on pavement design and pavement distress analysis

Abstract

This projects main concern is pavement design structure. The final goal of this project is to prove that pavement design can be taken to a much higher level by several modifications in the existing code known as AASHO1993. In order to do so this study actually compares between the two main design procedures: AASHO1993 (American Association of State Highway Officials) which is the code still adopted nowadays and the MEPDG2002 (Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide) being the adjusted code for the future. The main consequence behind this study is to show clearly how much improvements can be integrated into AASHO1993 to lower the thicknesses and costs from one side and also to strengthen the section from another. Another addition took place for pavements cross section which is the replacement of the gravel base by a Cement Treated Base (CTB) and several analyses came into the favor of such a replacement since CTB tends to be much stronger and lasts way longer. This projects study is not doomed to an end yet since many researches must be held to perfectly prove that MEPDG2002 can be adopted instead of AASHO1993 and that all those modifications would not have a negative side impacting the pavement layers.