01334118

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2226-09

http://scholar.google.com...wski&publication_year=2011

The "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide" (MEPDG) is the result of NCHRP Project 1-37A. This pavement design procedure uses mechanistic and empirical models calibrated with national data. Calibration of MEPDG is required to improve the accuracy of the models for local conditions. The data needed for calibration require numerous tests to characterize materials. The fieldwork for collecting the data to verify the models is laborious. This research studied the sensitivity of MEPDG to material input parameters. The main goal of this research was to determine the influence of material parameters on pavement performance as predicted by MEPDG. Results from sensitivity analyses can be used for planning data collection for calibration, implementation, and general understanding of MEPDG. However, MEPDG is so complex that the sensitivity analysis methodology was carefully designed to identify the relative importance of input variables. This research employed space-filling computer experiments with Latin hypercube sampling, standardized regression coefficients, and Gaussian stochastic processes to categorize the relative importance of material inputs in MEPDG for two flexible pavement structures that used Level 3 analysis. The methodology worked well for analyzing the sensitivity of material inputs in MEPDG, with the advantages of varying all parameters at once and requiring a relatively small number of runs for a completed analysis of the entire input space. Effective binder content, as-built air voids, Poisson’s ratio, surface shortwave absorption of asphalt layers, and resilient modulus of subgrade had a significant effect on pavement performance.

01353811

11-0119

English

pp 85-93

2011

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309167369

Print

Figures (3) ; References (27) ; Tables (4)

Calibration; Data collection; Flexible pavements; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Properties of materials; Sensitivity analysis

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

Gaussian processes; Latin hypercube sampling; Materials characterization

Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 17 2011 5:20PM

• Analysis of Perpetual Pavement Experiment Sections in China
• Bootstrapping Procedure to Determine Convergence in Monte Carlo Simulations
• Calibration of Distress Models from the "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide" for Rigid Pavement Design in Argentina
• Calibration of the "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide" for Flexible Pavement Design in Arkansas
• Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement: Identification of Distress Mechanisms and Improvement of Mechanistic–Empirical Design Procedures
• Effect of Concrete Strength and Stiffness Characterization on Predictions of Mechanistic–Empirical Performance for Rigid Pavements
• Enhancing "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide" Rutting-Performance Predictions with Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Results
• Estimation and Validation of Gaussian Process Surrogate Models for Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization: Based on the "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide"
• Finite Element Model for Rutting Prediction of Flexible Pavement with Cementitiously Stabilized Base–Subbase
• Improvements to Modeling of Concrete Slab Curling by Using NIKE3D Finite Element Program
• Minnesota Road Research Data for Evaluation and Local Calibration of the "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide"’s Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model
• New Laboratory-Based Mechanistic–Empirical Model for Faulting in Jointed Concrete Pavement
• Structural Analysis of Pervious Concrete Pavement
• Thirty-Year Performance Evaluation of Two-Layer Concrete Pavement System
• Toward Implementation of the "Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide" in Latin America: Preliminary Work in Chile