Module 4

OTHER DEISGN METHODS

California resistance value method
• Related with Hveem and Carmany
• Pavement thickness varies directly with R value
and logarithm of load repetitions
K (TI )(90  R)
T
C 1/ 5
• T = total thickness (cm), K = numerical constant =
0.166
TI  1.35( EWL) 0.11

• R = stabilometer value, C = cohesiometer value

 Problem
• Calculate the 10-year EWL and TI values using
the following data. Assume 50 % increase in
traffic in a 10 year period

Number of AADT (two Number of EWL constants

axle directions) axle (yearly basis)
2 3500 2 330
3 344 3 1070
4 295 4 2460
5 80 5 4620
6 3040
 Solution
Number AADT (two EWL constants Product
of axle directions) (yearly basis)
2 3500 330 = 330 x 3500

3 344

4 295

5 80

Total yearly EWL = sum of products

• 10 year EWL = 10 x (total EWL)
• As increase in traffic is 50 %,
• Increase in traffic after 10 years
• = 10 year EWL x (1 +(50/100))
• Find average increase for 10 year period
TI  1.35 (Average EWL) 0.11

• If R-value and C-value is available, Pavement

thickness can be computed
 Problem 2
• Calculate the equivalent C-value of a 3 layered
pavement section having individual C-values
as below. Take Cohesiometer value of gravel as
15
Materials Thickness (cm) C-value
Bituminous concrete 10 60
Cement treated base 20 225
Gravel sub base 10 15
 Solution
• The individual thickness of each layer is
converted to their gravel equivalent
• If tg = gravel thickness, t = individual thickness
• Cg = Cohesiometer value of gravel = 15
• C = respective C-value
1/ 5
tg C 
 
t  C g 

• Find equivalent gravel thickness for the 3
different materials
• Actual pavement thickness = 10 + 20 + 10 = 40
• Equivalent pavement thickness =
• Find the C value using the same formula
 Triaxial method
• L.A Palmer and E.S Barber proposed the
deisng method based on Boussinesq’s eqn
• The pavement thickness Ts consisting of a
material with modulus Es is given by,

• Where, T = pavement thickness, cm

• P = wheel load (kg)
• Es = modulus of elasticity of subgrade from
triaxial test result (kg/cm2)
• a = radius of contact area, (cm)
• Δ = design deflection (usually 0.25 cm)
• X = traffic coefficient, Y = rainfall coefficient
• If pavement and subgrade are considered as a 2
layered system, a Stiffness factor has to be
introduced
• Then pavement thickness is modified using
the stiffness factor = (Es/Ep)1/3
• The relation between a pavement layers of
thicknesses t1 and t2 of elastic modulus E1 and
E2 is given by,
1/ 3
t1  E 2 
  
t 2  E1 
 Problem
• Design the pavement section using the following
data
• Wheel load = 4100 kg;
• Radius of contact area = 15 cm
• Traffic coefficient = 1.5, Rainfall coeff. = 0.9
• Subgrade modulus = 100 kg/cm2
• Modulus value of base course material = 400
kg/cm2
• Modulus of 7.5 cm thick bituminous concrete
surface course = 1000 kg/cm2
 Solution
• Assume the pavement to consist of a single
layer of base-course only, then the pavement
thickness is given by

• Find the thickness Tb

• This Tb is the thickness of the pavement if the
pavement is constructed with only the base
course material.
• Now, replace the base course material with
bituminous concrete surface
• I.e., let 7.5 cm thick concrete surface with Ec =
1000 kg/cm2 be equivalent to the thickness Tb
of the pavement
• Find the equivalent replacement thickness tb
1/3
𝑡𝑏 𝐸𝑐
=
𝑡𝑐 𝐸𝑏
• tc = 7.5 cm, Ec = 1000, Eb = 400, Find tb
• Required base course thickness = Tb - tb
 Mc Leod Method
• Pavement design method based on plate bearing test
• From the plate bearing test, an empirical equation is
recommended
P
• T = K log10
S
• Here T= required thickness of gravel base, (cm)
• P= gross wheel load, (kg)
• S = total subgrade support, kg (for the same contact
area, deflection and number of repetitions of load P)
• K = base course constant.
• Base course constant K depends on the loaded area (or the
bearing plate diameter)
Calculation of S
• The subgrade support S is calculated using the standard value
of Subgrade support for 30 cm diameter plate at 0.5 cm
deflection and 10 repetitions.

• The chart (in the next slide) is used for finding the ratio
(termed as unit subgrade support)

𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ′N′ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟

•
𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑎𝑡 0.5 𝑐𝑚 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 30 𝑐𝑚 𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒
Calculation of S
• The “design unit subgrade support” is obtained
by multiplying the contact pressure of the design
load by the above ratio.
• i.e. 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 = 𝑝 ×
𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜
• The total subgrade support S is calculated by
multiplying the unit subgrade support by the
contact area
• i.e. 𝑆 = 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 ×
𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
 Problem
• Design a highway pavement for a wheel load
of 4100 kg with a tyre pressure of 5 kg/cm2 by
McLeod method. The plate bearing test
carried out on subgrade sol using 32.2 cm
diameter plate yielded a pressure of 2.5
kg/cm2 after 10 repetitions of load at 0.5 cm
deflection.
 Solution
𝑃 4100
• Radius of contact area, 𝑎 = =
𝑝𝜋 5𝜋
𝑃 2𝜋𝑎 2
• Perimeter to area ratio, = = =
𝐴 𝜋𝑎 2 𝑎

• From the design chart, find the value of unit

subgrade support
• 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡= chart value
x 2.5 kg/cm2
• S = design unit subgrade support x contact
area
• Find the value of K from design chart
P
• Find T using = K log10
S
 Burmister’s (Layered system) Method
• Flexible pavement system is composed of
layers
• In Boussineq’s analysis,
• Esubgrade = Esub-base = Ebase course
• In layered analysis, Esubgrade< Esub-base < Ebase
course
• The effectiveness of reinforcing action is
considered in Burmister’s approach
Assumptions
1. The materials, in the pavement layers are isotropic,
homogeneous and elastic. The pavement forms a
stiffer reinforcing layer having modulus of elasticity
higher that of the underlying subgrade in the two-
layer system.
2. The surface layer is infinite in horizontal direction and
finite in vertical direction the underlying layer in two
layered system is considered infinite in both
directions.
3. The layers are in continuous contact; the top layer is
free of shearing and normal stresses outside the
loaded area.
• The vertical stress on the subgrade is reduced
from 70 to 30 percent by introducing a
pavement layer of thickness equal to the
radius of the load or h =a, having elastic
modulus 10 times higher than the elastic
modulus of subgrade soil i.e.. for Ep/Es = 10.
• The deflection factor F2 will be dependent on
Es/Ep and h/a
• Displacement equations used here are
𝑝𝑎
• ∆= 1.5 ∙ 𝐹2 for flexible plate
𝐸𝑠
𝑝𝑎
• ∆= 1.18 ∙ 𝐹2 for flexible plate
𝐸𝑠
• For a single layer, h = 0, and Es/Ep = 1 and
therefore F2 = 1
 Problem
• Plate bearing test conducted with 30 cm
diameter plate on a soil subgrade yielded a
pressure of 1 kg/cm2 at 5 mm deflection. The
same test carried out over 18 cm base course
yielded a pressure of 5 kg/cm2 at 5 mm
deflection. Design the section of pavement for
a wheel load of 4100 kg with a tyre pressure
of 6 kg/cm2 and allowable deflection 5mm.
Use Burmister method
 Solution
• Case 1
• Plate load test is conducted on Subgrade

top of the subgrade

• a = 15 cm, p = 1 kg/cm2, ∆= 5𝑚𝑚 = 0.5 𝑐𝑚
𝑝𝑎
• Calculate Es for a single layer from ∆= 1.18 𝐸𝑠
× 𝐹2
• For a single layer, h/a = 0, Es/Ep =1 hence F = 1
• Es = 35.4 kg/cm2
• Case 2 18 cm base course

• Plate load test is conducted on Subgrade

top of the base course
• a = 15 cm, p = 5 kg/cm2, ∆= 5𝑚𝑚 = 0.5 𝑐𝑚, Es = 35.4
• Here, number of layers ≠ 1, hence F ≠ 1
𝑝𝑎
• Find the value of F2 from ∆= 1.18 × 𝐹2
𝐸𝑠
• F2 = 0.2 cm
• h = 18 cm, a = 15 cm; Find Es/Ep from the design chart
• Es/Ep is around 1/80
• Case 3 = Design for a wheel load
• Wheel load = P = 4100 kg
• p = 6 kg/cm2, Es = 35.4 kg/cm2
Base course
• ∆= 0.5 𝑐𝑚
• As we are designing for a Subgrade

wheel load, F2 will change

𝑝𝑎
• Need to Find F2 from ∆= 1.5 × 𝐹2
𝐸𝑠
• 1.5 instead of 1.18 because the pavement is a
flexible pavement (there is no rigid plate here)
• As we are designing for the wheel load, a ≠ 18
cm
• Find a
• Wheel load P = 4100 kg, tyre pressure, p = 6
kg/cm2. Find the area of contact and then find
the value of a.
• 𝜋𝑎2 = 𝑃/p
• a = 14.75 cm
 𝑝𝑎
• Find F2 from ∆= 1.5 × 𝐹2
𝐸𝑠
• ∆= 0.5 𝑐𝑚, Es = 35.4 kg/cm2, p = 6 kg/cm2
• a = 14.75 cm
• F2 = 0.133
• As we are designing the pavement h (thickness of a layer)
must be found out
• F2 = 0.133, Es/Ep = 1/80
• Find h/a from the chart.
• h/a = 2.8
• Find h if a = 14.75 cm
h = 41.3 cm ≈ 42 cm