01121589

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2087-03

http://scholar.google.com...mith&publication_year=2008

Calibration of mechanistic–empirical models for pavement design is a very complex process. The heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) is ideal for the first step in this calibration process. The short test section can be carefully constructed with well-characterized materials and instrumented to measure the pavement response. The climatic conditions may be controlled or monitored closely, all load applications are known exactly, and perhaps most important, the pavement may be tested until it fails. This overcomes the problems of real pavements, which have uncertainties with regard to materials, loads, and climatic conditions and which are normally designed with a high reliability leading to very few failures. The mechanistic-empirical models of an incremental-recursive computer program, known as CalME, have been initially calibrated using data from 27 flexible pavement test sections tested with the two HVSs owned by the California Department of Transportation. Most sections were instrumented with multidepth deflectometers to compare the measured pavement deflections (at several depths) to the deflections predicted by the mechanistic model. Resilient deflections were compared for the complete time history of each test, and each test was carried to failure in regard to rutting (12.5 mm), cracking (2 m/m²), or both. This involved the calibration of models for changes in layer moduli, including the effects of asphalt fatigue. The comparison of measured and predicted response is essential to ensure that the pavement response is predicted reasonably well by the mechanistic model. Once this was achieved, models for permanent deformation of the individual pavement layers were calibrated against the measured permanent deformation of the layers, again using the complete time history of each test.

01121592

English

pp 20-28

2008

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309126007

Print

Figures (8) ; References (11) ; Tables (1)

Calibration; Deflection; Flexible pavements; Mathematical models; Mechanistic-empirical pavement design; Pavement cracking; Pavement layers; Rutting

Heavy vehicle simulators; Layer moduli

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

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 4 2009 2:50PM

• Accuracy of Current Complex Modulus Selection Procedure from Vehicular Load Pulse: NCHRP Project 1-37A Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Adaptation of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide for Design of Minnesota Low-Volume Portland Cement Concrete Pavements
• Benefits of the Minnesota Road Research Project
• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Concrete Materials: Characterization to Support Implementation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Conversion of Testing Frequency to Loading Time Applied to the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Database Support for the New Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Detection of Delamination in Concrete Pavements Using Ground-Coupled Ground-Penetrating Radar Technique
• Dynamic Analysis and In-Situ Validation of Perpetual Pavement Response to Vehicular Loading
• Effect of Traffic Load Measurement Bias on Pavement Life Prediction: A Mechanistic-Empirical Perspective
• Local Calibration of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide for Flexible Pavement Design
• Pavement Rutting Performance Prediction by Integrated Weibull Approach
• Repeatability of Asphalt Strain Measurements Under Full-Scale Dynamic Loading
• Strain and Pulse Duration Considerations for Extended-Life Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavement Design