PCA Design Method

PCA Design Method

Two failure modes considered:
Fatigue failure due to slab flexure
Erosion failure due to foundation compression

Edge loads produce the worst stresses

Fatigue based on tensile stress due to edge loads

Corner loads produce the worst deflections

Erosion based on deflections due to corner loads

2
Miners Hypothesis

3
Fatigue Model

4
 Erosion Model

P = rate of work
p = contact pressure (psi)
h = slab thickness (in)
k = modulus of subgrade reaction (psi/in)
C = 1.0 (granular subbase), 0.9 (stabilized subbase)
5
 Erosion Model

No tied concrete shoulder Tied concrete shoulder

6
 Design Parameters

1. Concrete modulus of rupture (MR)

2. Modulus of subgrade reaction (k)

3. Design traffic volume

4. Axle load spectrum

7
Modulus of Subgrade Reaction
Design k Values for Untreated Subbases

Design k Values for Cement-Treated Subbases

8
 Design Traffic Volume

Average Direction Traffic

Daily Traffic Distribution Growth
(two-way) Factor Multiplier

V 365 ADT T D L G Y

Percent Lane Design

Trucks Distribution Life
Factor

9
 Design Traffic Volume

AASHTO

V 365 ADT T Tf D L G

PCA

V 365 ADT T D L G Y

10
Growth Factor (AASHTO)
Design
Life

1 r 1
n

G
r
Annual
Growth
Rate

11
 Growth Factor (AASHTO)

ADT
Area = ADT (G)

0 5 10 15 20 25

12
Growth Factor (PCA)

Design
Life

Y
G 1 r 2

Annual
Growth
Rate

13
 Growth Factor (PCA)

ADT(G)

ADT
Area = ADT (G)(Y)

0 5 10 15 20 25

14
Lane Distribution Factor
(ADT) (D) (G)

15
 Axle Load Spectrum
600

500

400
Frequency

300

200

100

0
3000-6999 7000-7999 8000- 12000- 16000- 18000- 20000- 22000- 24000- 26000-
11999 15999 17999 19999 21999 23999 25999 29999
Single Axle Load (lbs)

16
 Axle Load Spectrum
250

200

150
Frequency

100

50

0
6000- 12000- 18000- 24000- 30000- 32000- 34000- 36000- 38000- 40000-
11999 17999 23999 29999 31999 33999 35999 37999 39999 41999
Tandem Axle Load (lbs)

17
 Design Procedure
1. Choose a trial slab thickness (h).
2. For each axle load class:
a) Determine Ni for fatigue failure.
b) Divide ni by Ni to determine fatigue damage factor di.
c) Determine Ni for erosion failure.
d) Divide ni by Ni to determine erosion damage factor di.
3. Sum fatigue and erosion damage factors over all of the
axle load classes.
4. If both sums are less than 1 (life) your design is good;
otherwise you need to increase your slab thickness.
18
 Example
Four-lane rural interstate

ADT = 12,900 (two-way)

T = 19%
r = 4%
D = 0.5 (assumed)
Y = 20 years

19
 Axle Load Spectrum
180
168.8

160

140
Axle Count per 1000 Trucks

120

100

80

60 53.9

38.8
40
28.2
21.7
20
9.8
5.9
2.8 1.4 0.6
0
12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Single Axle Loads (kips)

20
 Axle Load Spectrum
160
152.2

140

124.6
120 112.8
Axle Count per 1000 Trucks

100
90.5
85.5
81.4
80

60

40 34.3

20
11.5
3.9 2
0
16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
Tandem Axle Loads (kips)

21
Traffic Growth Multiplier

Y
G 1 r 1.04
10
2 1.5

22
 Design Traffic Volume

12,900 0.19 0.5 1.5 20

V 365 ADT T D L G Y

(ADT)(D)(G) = (12,900)(0.5)(1.5) = 9675

23
Lane Distribution Factor

24
 Design Traffic Volume

12,900 0.19 0.5 0.81 1.5 20

V 365 ADT T D L G Y

V = 10,880,000 trucks

25
 Axle Load Spectrum
2,000,000
1,837,000
1,800,000

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000
586,900
600,000
422,500
400,000 307,200
235,800
200,000 106,900
64,410 30,140 14,690 6,310
0
12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Single Axle Load (kips)

26
 Axle Load Spectrum
1,800,000
1,656,000
1,600,000

1,400,000 1,356,000
1,227,000
1,200,000

984,900
1,000,000 930,700
885,800

800,000

600,000

372,900
400,000

200,000 124,900
42,870 21,320
0
16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52

Tandem Axle Load (kips)

27
 Example
Clay subgrade
k = 100 psi/in
4" untreated subbase
Concrete MR = 650 psi
Doweled JPCP
Asphalt Shoulders

28
Modulus of Subgrade Reaction
Design k Values for Untreated Subbases

Design k Values for Cement-Treated Subbases

29
30
31
Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20

32
 Load Safety Factor

Traffic Volume LSF

High
1.2
(interstates, multilane highways)
Moderate
1.1
(highways and arterials)
Low
1.0
(collectors, residential streets)

Multiplication factor for axle loads

33
Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

34
 Equivalent Stress
Equivalent Stress No Concrete Shoulder Equivalent Stress Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)

35
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206
0.317 206/MR

30 36.0 6310

36
37
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4

38
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900

39
40
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0
= 61.0

41
Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

42
 Equivalent Stress
Equivalent Stress No Concrete Shoulder Equivalent Stress Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)

43
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192
0.295 192/MR

52 62.4 21,320

44
45
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9

46
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9

48 57.6 42,870

47
48
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9

48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0
= 62.9

49
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0

50
 Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor Doweled Joints, Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor No Dowels, Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)

51
 Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor Doweled Joints, No Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor No Dowels, No Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)

52
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206 2.59
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0

53
Allowable Repetitions
Concrete Shoulder 54
Allowable Repetitions
No Concrete Shoulder 55
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206 2.59
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4 1,500,000 0.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0

56
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

206 2.59
0.317

30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4 1,500,000 0.4

28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1 2,200,000 0.7
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1 3,500,000 0.9
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4 5,900,000 1.1
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0 11,000,000 1.0
23,000,000 1.0
64,000,000 0.5
unlimited 0
= 6.1
57
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9

48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0

58
 Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor Doweled Joints, No Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor No Dowels, No Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)

59
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192 2.79
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9

48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0

60
Allowable Repetitions
No Concrete Shoulder 61
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192 2.79
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9 920,000 2.3

48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0

62
 Design 1 Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2

192 2.79
0.295

52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9 920,000 2.3

48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0 1,500,000 2.9
44 52.8 124,900 2,500,000 5.0
40 48.0 372,900 4,600,000 8.1
36 43.2 885,800 9,500,000 9.3
32 38.4 930,700 24,000,000 3.9
28 33.6 1,656,000 92,000,000 1.8
24 28.8 984,900 unlimited 0.0
= 38.9
63