Unit 4 - Pavement Design

UNIT-4
Concrete pavement design methods

Some of the methods for design of concrete airfield pavement structures are
(i) Corps of Engineers (CoE) method
(ii) Federal Aviation Administration method (FAA)
(iii) Portland Cement Association (PCA)
(vi) Rigid pavement design by IRC method
Rigid pavement design by IRC method:-
Rigid pavements are rigid i.e, they do not flex much under loading like flexible pavements. They are
constructed using cement concrete. In this case, the load carrying capacity is mainly due to the rigidity ad
high modulus of elasticity of the slab (slab action). H. M. Westergaard is considered the pioneer in
providing the rational treatment of the rigid pavement analysis.
 Modulus of sub-grade reaction
Westergaard considered the rigid pavement slab as a thin elastic plate resting on soil sub-grade, which is
assumed as a dense liquid. The upward reaction is assumed to be proportional to the deflection. Base on
this assumption, Westergaard defined a modulus of sub-grade reaction in kg/cm given by
where is the displacement level taken as 0.125 cm and is the pressure sustained by the rigid plate of
75 cm diameter at a deflection of 0.125 cm.
 Relative stiffness of slab to sub-grade
A certain degree of resistance to slab deflection is offered by the sub-grade. The sub-grade deformation is
same as the slab deflection. Hence the slab deflection is direct measurement of the magnitude of the sub-
grade pressure. This pressure deformation characteristics of rigid pavement lead Westergaard to the
define the term radius of relative stiffness in cm is given by the equation .
(1)
where E is the modulus of elasticity of cement concrete in kg/cm (3.0 10 ), is the Poisson's ratio of
concrete (0.15), is the slab thickness in cm and is the modulus of sub-grade reaction.
 Critical load positions
Since the pavement slab has finite length and width, either the character or the intensity of maximum
stress induced by the application of a given traffic load is dependent on the location of the load on the
pavement surface. There are three typical locations namely the interior, edge and corner, where differing
conditions of slab continuity exist. These locations are termed as critical load positions.
 Equivalent radius of resisting section
When the interior point is loaded, only a small area of the pavement is resisting the bending moment of
the plate. Westergaard's gives a relation for equivalent radius of the resisting section in cm in the
equation .
(2)
where is the radius of the wheel load distribution in cm and is the slab thickness in cm.
 Wheel load stresses - Westergaard's stress equation
The cement concrete slab is assumed to be homogeneous and to have uniform elastic properties with
vertical sub-grade reaction being proportional to the deflection. Westergaard developed relationships for
the stress at interior, edge and corner regions, denoted as in kg/cm respectively and given
by the equation - .
(3)
(5)
where is the slab thickness in cm, is the wheel load in kg, is the radius of the wheel load
distribution in cm, the radius of the relative stiffness in cm and is the radius of the resisting section in
cm
Figure: Critical stress locations
 Temperature stresses
Temperature stresses are developed in cement concrete pavement due to variation in slab temperature.
This is caused by (i) daily variation resulting in a temperature gradient across the thickness of the slab and
(ii) seasonal variationresulting in overall change in the slab temperature. The former results
in warping stresses and the later in frictionalstresses.
 Warping stress
The warping stress at the interior, edge and corner regions, denoted as in kg/cm
respectively and given by the equation - .
(6)
(7)
(8)
where is the modulus of elasticity of concrete in kg/cm (3 10 ), is the thermal coefficient of
concrete per C (1 10 ) is the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the slab,
and are the coefficient based on in the desired direction and right angle to the desired
direction, is the Poisson's ration (0.15), is the radius of the contact area and is the radius of the
relative stiffness.
 Frictional stresses
The frictional stress in kg/cm is given by the equation
(9)
where is the unit weight of concrete in kg/cm (2400), is the coefficient of sub grade friction (1.5)
and is the length of the slab in meters.
 Combination of stresses
The cumulative effect of the different stress give rise to the following thee critical cases
 Summer, mid-day: The critical stress is for edge region given by
 Winter, mid-day: The critical combination of stress is for the edge region given
by
 Mid-nights: The critical combination of stress is for the corner region given
by
1993 AASHTO Rigid Pavement Structural Design
Empirical equations are used to relate observed or measurable phenomena with outcomes. There are
many different types of empirical equations available today but this section will present the 1993
AASHTO Guide basic design equation for rigid pavements as an example. This equation is widely used and
has the following
(these variables will be further explained in Inputs)
where: W18 = predicted number of 80 kN (18,000 lb.) ESALs
ZR = standard normal deviate
So = combined standard error of the traffic prediction and performance prediction
D = slab depth (inches)

pt = terminal serviceability index
DPSI = difference between the initial design serviceability index, po, and the design terminal
serviceability index, pt
= modulus of rupture of PCC (flexural strength)
Cd = drainage coefficient
J = load transfer coefficient (value depends upon the load transfer efficiency)
Ec = Elastic modulus of PCC

k = modulus of subgrade reaction
This equation is not the only empirical equation available but it does give a good sense of what an
empirical equation looks like, what factors it considers and how empirical observations are incorporated
into an equation. The rest of this section will discuss the specific assumptions, inputs and outputs
associated with the 1993 AASHTO Guide flexible pavement empirical design equation.

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UNIT-4

Concrete pavement design methods

Rigid pavement design by IRC method:-

 Modulus of sub-grade reaction

this assumption, Westergaard defined a modulus of sub-grade reaction in kg/cm given by

 Relative stiffness of slab to sub-grade

define the term radius of relative stiffness in cm is given by the equation .

 Equivalent radius of resisting section

 Wheel load stresses - Westergaard's stress equation

respectively and given by the equation - .

where is the modulus of elasticity of concrete in kg/cm (3 10 ), is the thermal coefficient of

The frictional stress in kg/cm is given by the equation

1993 AASHTO Rigid Pavement Structural Design

So = combined standard error of the traffic prediction and performance prediction

D = slab depth (inches)

Ec = Elastic modulus of PCC

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