A Simplified Pavement Design Tool

Presented by:
James J. Purcell, PE
www.PaveXpressDesign.com
NJAPA Technical Director
Brief Overview
• Why PaveXpress?
• What Is PaveXpress?
• An Introduction
• Overview of the System
• Design Scenarios Using
PaveXpress

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AASHTO has been
developing MEPDG for high
volume roads, but a gap has
developed for local roads
and lower volume roads.

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 What Is PaveXpress?
A free, online tool to help you create simplified pavement designs
using key engineering inputs, based on the AASHTO 1993 and 1998
supplement pavement design process.
• Accessible via the web and mobile devices
• Free — no cost to use
• Based on AASHTO pavement design equations
• User-friendly
• Share, save, and print project designs
• Interactive help and resource links

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1993 AASHTO Design Guide Equation — Basic Overview
The equation was derived from
empirical information obtained at
the AASHO Road Test.
The solution represents the average
amount of traffic that can be
sustained by a roadway before
deteriorating to some terminal level
of serviceability, according to the
supplied inputs.

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 1993 AASHTO Design Guide Equation — Basic Overview
∆𝑃𝑆𝐼
log10
log10 𝑊18 = 𝑍𝑅 × 𝑆0 +9.36 × log10 𝑆𝑁 + 1 − 0.20 + 4.2 − 1.5 + 2.32 × log 𝑀 − 8.07
1094 10 𝑅
0.4 +
𝑆𝑁 + 1 5.19

Where:
W18 = the predicted number of 18-kip equivalent single axle load (ESAL) applications
ZR = standard normal deviate
S0 = combined standard error of the traffic prediction and performance prediction
ΔPSI = difference between the initial design serviceability index (pi) and the design
terminal serviceability index (pt)
MR = resilient modulus of the subgrade (psi)

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1993 AASHTO Design Guide Equation — Basic Overview
The designer inputs data for all of the variables except for the
structural number (SN), which is indicative of the total pavement
thickness required.
Once the total pavement SN is calculated, the thickness of each
layer within the pavement structure is calculated
𝑆𝑁 = 𝑎1 𝐷1 + 𝑎2 𝐷2 𝑚2 + 𝑎3 𝐷3 𝑚3 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑖 𝐷𝑖 𝑚𝑖
Where:
ai = ith layer coefficient
Di = ith layer thickness (inches)
mi = ith layer drainage coefficient

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 General Guidance
• The solution represents the pavement thickness for which the
mean value of traffic which can be carried given the specific
inputs. That means there is a 50% chance that the terminal
serviceability level could be reached in less time than the period
for which the pavement was designed.
• As engineers, we tend to want to be conservative in our work.
Understand that as we use values that are more and more
conservative, the pavement thickness increases and the overall
cost also increases.

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 General Guidance
• A reliability factor is included to decrease the risk of premature
deterioration below acceptable levels of serviceability.
• In order to properly apply the reliability factor, the inputs to the
design equation should be the mean value, without any
adjustment designed to make the input “conservative.”
• The pavement structure most likely to live to its design life will be
the one with the most accurate design inputs. Whenever possible,
perform materials testing and use actual traffic counts rather than
relying on default values or guessing (too much!) regarding
anticipated traffic levels.

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 Screen 1

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 Screen 1

1) Project Name is an open field, allowing the user to input any desired
information.
2) Description is an open field, allowing the user to input any desired
information.
3) Estimated Completion Year field is used to extrapolate the growth in traffic
that may occur while the project is being constructed. Traffic data inputs
use data beginning in completion year.
4) State uses a drop-down box that allows the user to select the state.

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 Screen 1

5) Roadway Classification drop-down box allows the user to indicate the

functional classification that best describes how the pavement will be
used. In PaveXpress, the selection affects default values for design period,
reliability, and initial & terminal serviceability index. These default values
can be overridden by the user.
Access control is a key factor in the realm of functional classification. For example, all
Interstates are “limited access” or “controlled access” roadways. “Access” refers to the
ability to access the roadway and not the abutting land. It is difficult to find hard-and-fast
rules defining classifications, so some degree of judgment must be exercised here.

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 Roadway Classifications
Interstate: All routes that comprise the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense
Highways belong to the “Interstate” functional classification category and are considered Principal
Arterials.
Arterials/Highways: The roads in this classification have directional travel lanes are usually separated
by some type of physical barrier, and their access and egress points are limited to on- and off-ramp
locations or a very limited number of at-grade intersections. These roadways serve major centers of
metropolitan areas, provide a high degree of mobility. They can also provide mobility through rural
areas. Unlike their access-controlled counterparts, abutting land uses can be served directly.
Local: Local roads are not intended for use in long distance travel, due to their provision of direct
access to abutting land. Bus routes generally do not run on Local Roads. They are often designed to
discourage through traffic. Collectors serve a critical role in the roadway network by gathering traffic
from Local Roads and funneling them to the Arterial network.
Residential/Collector: The roads in this classification have the lowest traffic loadings and are basically
comprised of automobiles and periodic truck service traffic, such as garbage trucks, etc. The “Collector”
name appended to this classification fits more with the “Local” classification above, i.e.,
“Collector/Local.”

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 Screen 1

6) Project Type drop-down box allows the

user to indicate the type of pavement
being designed:
• New Asphalt, 1993 AASHTO Design Guide
• New Concrete, 1998 Supplement
• AC Overlay on Asphalt, 1993 Guide This presentation will focus
• AC Overlay on Concrete or Composite on New Asphalt designs and
(No Design Performed) AC Overlay on Asphalt designs

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 Screen 2

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 Screen 2

1) Design Period is the length of time the design is intended to

last before the pavement reaches the end of its serviceable
life and requires rehabilitation.
2) Reliability Level (R) is the probability that a pavement
section designed using the process will perform satisfactorily
over the traffic and environmental conditions for the design
period. This is then used to determine the corresponding ZR.

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 Reliability Level as a Normal Distribution

Reliability Level (R) = The

probability that the pavement will
Variance = S02
survive the design period with a
pavement serviceability level greater
than the terminal serviceability level
−log10 𝐹𝑅
𝑍𝑅 =
𝑆0

Note that ZR increases as R

decreases, changing from
ZR Z=0 negative to positive when R < 50

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 AASHTO Suggested Reliability Levels
For Various Functional Classifications
Reliability Level (R): 50% to 95%, depending on Roadway Classification
The probability that a pavement section designed using the process will perform satisfactorily over the traffic
and environmental conditions for the design period. This is then used to look up ZR, the standard normal
deviate which is the standard normal table value corresponding to a desired probability of exceedance level.
Suggested levels of reliability for various Functional Classifications (1993 AASHTO Guide, Table 2.2, page II-9):

Recommended Level of Reliability

Functional Classification
Urban Rural

Interstate and Other Freeways 85–99.9 80–99.9

Principal Arterials 80–99 75–95

Collectors 80–95 75–95

Local 50–80 50–80

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 Screen 2

3) Combined Standard Error (S0) A variable that defines the overall design
uncertainty involved in the traffic and performance design inputs (the
likelihood that actual observed values during the pavement’s serviceable
life will deviate from these inputs). It is not recommended to change this
from 0.5 for flexible pavements.

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 Screen 2

4) Initial Serviceability Index (pi) is the Present Serviceability Index (PSI)

of the pavement immediately after construction.
5) Terminal Serviceability Index (pt) is the PSI when the pavement is
considered to have exhausted its serviceable life.
6) Change in Serviceability (ΔPSI) is the difference in PSI between the
time of the pavement’s construction and the end of its serviceable life.
PaveXpress calculates this number based on the designer’s inputs for pi
and pt (ΔPSI = pi − pt).

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 Present Serviceability Index Concept

PaveXpress default initial

5
serviceability (pi)
4

3
PSI

2
PaveXpress default range for
1 terminal serviceability (pt)
0
Traffic

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 Roadway Classification Effect
On PaveXpress Default Values
Arterials/ Residential/
Interstate Local
Highway Collector

Design Period 40 years 30 years 20 years 20 years

Reliability Level 95 85 75 50

Combined Standard Error (S0) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

Initial Serviceability Index (pi) 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5

Terminal Serviceability Index (pt) 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0

Change in Serviceability (ΔPSI) 1.5 1.5 2.5 2.5

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 Screen 3
AADT

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 Screen 3
1) Method of Determining ESALS
by Average Annual Daily Traffic

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 Screen 3
1) Method of Determining ESALS
by Average Annual Daily Traffic

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 Screen 3
Annual ESALs

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 Screen 3
1) Method of Determining ESALS
by Average Annual ESALs

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 Screen 3
Design ESALs

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 Where Can I Find Traffic Data?
• Many DOTs post their traffic count data online
• http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/roadway/traffic.shtm
• Contact the Traffic Division of the DOT
• Contact the Traffic Division of the city, if available
• If no official traffic count is available, conduct a short-term count
• Interview local people and businesses

The bottom line is, try to document in some way why you
selected the number for input into the design software.

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 Screen 4
Multiple
Asphalt Lifts

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Treating Multiple Asphalt Layers Differently
PaveXpress allows the designer to input for each
lift of asphalt a different:
• layer coefficient
• drainage coefficient
• thickness
The designer can either specify individual inputs
for the surface, intermediate (binder) course, and
base (leaving the program to calculate the base
thickness), or input all asphalt info as a single lift
and split it into separate lifts afterward.
Optimum Lift Thickness = 4 × NMAS

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 Screen 4
Single
Asphalt Lifts

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 Screen 4
1) Layer Coefficient is a measure of the relative ability of the material to function
as a structural component of the pavement. It is used with layer thickness to
determine the structural number (SN).
2) Drainage Coefficient represents the relative loss of strength in a layer due to
its drainage characteristics and the total time it is exposed to near-saturation
moisture conditions. The designer may increase the value from the default of 1
when drainage conditions are favorable, decrease when drainage conditions
are poor.
3) Minimum Thickness is the minimum allowable layer thickness (either per
specification, or based on practical construction limitations of the material).

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Layer Coefficient Considerations
Average values of layer coefficients for materials
used in the AASHO Road Test were as follows:
Asphalt Surface Course 0.44
Crushed Stone Base Course 0.14
Sandy Gravel Subbase 0.11
Keep in mind that these values were empirically
derived from a road test with one climate, one
soil type, and one asphalt mix type.
The asphalt layer coefficient used for the Road
Test was actually a weighted average of values
ranging from 0.33 to 0.83.
More recent studies at the NCAT Test Track found that
for Alabama, an asphalt layer coefficient of 0.54
better reflected actual performance.

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 Drainage Coefficient Considerations
1993 Design Guide Table 2.4 — Recommended mi Values for Modifying
Structural Layer Coefficients of Untreated Base and Subbase Materials in
Flexible Pavements
Percentage of Time Pavement Structure is Exposed to
Quality of Moisture Levels Approaching Saturation
Drainage
< 1% 1–5% 5–25% > 25%
Excellent 1.40–1.35 1.35–1.30 1.30–1.20 1.20
Good 1.35–1.25 1.25–1.15 1.15–1.00 1.00
Fair 1.25–1.15 1.15–1.05 1.00–0.80 0.80
Poor 1.15–1.05 1.05–0.80 0.80–0.60 0.60
Very Poor 1.05–0.95 0.95–0.75 0.75–0.40 0.40

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 Screen 5

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 Adding an Aggregate Base Layer
The designer can add an aggregate base layer (or
any other type of base or subbase layer) here.
The default layer coefficients are reasonable, but
can be overridden.
The default resilient modulus (MR) values came
from SHRP2 research, and can also be overridden.
The AASHTO recommended minimum thickness
values are:
4″ < 500 ESALs
6″ > 500 ESALs

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 Subgrade Considerations
The most common methods of classifying the
subgrade for pavement design are:
• California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
• Resistance Value (R)
• Resilient Modulus (MR)

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 California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
The CBR Test can be performed either in the
lab(AASHTO T 193, ASTM D 1883) or in the field
in situ (ASTM D4429).
The CBR is a simple test that compares the
bearing capacity of a material with a standard
well-graded crushed stone, which has a
reference CBR value of 100%.
Fine-grained soils typically have values less
than 20.

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Using the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer to Estimate CBR
The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP)
Test can be performed in the field in situ
(ASTM D6951) and used to estimate CBR
values.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Waterways Experiment Station developed
the following relationship between
Dynamic Penetration Index (DPI) and CBR:
log10(CBR) = 2.46 − 1.12 log10 (DPI)
DCP Testing at the
NCAT Test Track

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 Resistance Value (R)
The Resistance Test is performed in the
lab (AASHTO T 190, ASTM D 2844).
It tests both treated and untreated
laboratory compacted soils or aggregates
with a stabilometer and expansion
pressure devices. It tests the ability of the material to resist lateral
spreading due to an applied vertical load.
A range of values are established from 0 to 100, where 0 is the
resistance of water and 100 is the resistance of steel.

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 Resilient Modulus (MR)
The Resilient Modulus Test is performed in the lab
(AASHTO T 307, ASTM D 2844).
It is a measure of the soil stiffness and tri-axially
tests both treated and untreated laboratory
compacted soils or aggregates under conditions
that simulate the physical conditions and stress
states of materials beneath flexible pavements
subjected to moving wheel loads.
As a mechanistic test measuring fundamental
material properties, it is often thought preferable
to the empirical CBR and R-value tests.

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 Resilient Modulus (MR)
PaveXpress uses some common empirical expressions used to
estimate MR from CBR and R-values:

MR = 2555 × CBR0.64
MR = 1000 + (555 × R)

Although these equations may help the designer evaluate materials,

it is usually best to determine MR directly through testing,
if possible, rather than from the use of correlation equations.

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 Subgrade Considerations
The Asphalt Institute publication IS-91 gives the following test values
for various subgrade qualities:
California Bearing Resilient Modulus
Relative Quality R-Value
Ratio (psi)

Good to Excellent 43 17 25,000

Medium 20 8 12,000
Poor 6 3 4,500

Note that different design guides will show different ranges for the various
subgrade qualities — use engineering judgment when evaluating subgrade
design inputs.

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 Screen 6
Calculated
Design

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 Screen 6
Recommendation:
Perform multiple iterations of the design with
different plausible input values to get a sense
of the range of pavement structures needed to
carry the anticipated loads in various
scenarios.
Use engineering judgment to select the
optimum pavement structure.

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PaveXpress for AC Overlay Design
• AC Overlay Design for Flexible Pavement Rehabilitation Only
• Evaluation Methods for Existing AC Pavement
– Condition Survey
– Non-Destructive Deflection Testing
• Includes Questions on Coring and Milling
– Delamination/Stripping
– Top-Down or Bottom-Up Cracking
• Adjustment to Existing Pavement
Layer Coefficients

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 Screen 1

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 Screen 1

7) Structural Evaluation Method drop-down box

allows the user to indicate the type of
approach used to evaluate the existing
pavement following one of two approaches in
the 1993 Guide:
• Condition Survey
• Nondestructive Testing (NDT)

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 Screen 2

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 Screen 2
1) Add Existing Layer: For the rehabilitation of an pavement, the existing
pavement structure must be input. All like materials are grouped into a single
layer. For example, all asphalt layers are combined. For each layer, the total
thickness must be included. Layer types include:
• Asphalt — Dense Graded
• Asphalt — Open Graded
• Aggregate Base
• Cement Treated Base
• Bituminous Treated Base
• Asphalt Stabilized Base
• Subbase

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 Screen 2

2) Subgrade Soil Type: Following the

input of the pavement structure,
subgrade information is needed. The
user can use AASHTO classifications for
the project. These classifications
compare the expected subgrade
modulus with the user input value. If
the user value is higher or lower than
the expected value for the
classification, a warning is given.

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 Screen 2

3) Subgrade Modulus: As with the new

design of an asphalt pavement, the
overall structure needed to support
the anticipated loading is highly
dependent on subgrade strength.
The user can enter a design
modulus based on lab testing or a
correlation with CBR or R-values

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 Screen 2

4) New AC Overlay: To calculate overlay

thickness, two inputs regarding the
asphalt material must be provided.
First, what layer coefficient to use; a
standard value is 0.44, but it can be
altered by the designer. The second
input is minimum lift thickness for the
AC overlay. With most asphalt mixes,
this depends on the top stone size.
This value should reflect the common
asphalt overlay material used.

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Existing AC Pavement Evaluation:
Two Options

Nondestructive Testing
Condition Survey

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 Screen 3a
Condition
Survey

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 Screen 3a
1) Condition Survey: This approach to assessing
the existing pavement’s structural capacity
relies on a visual condition survey. Two
distress types —Alligator Cracking and
Transverse Cracking — are evaluated and
used in PaveXpress. For each distress type, a
percentage by condition type (Low, Medium,
or High) is recorded.
While rutting is considered in Chapter 5 of the 1993 Guide, it is highly
recommended to mill surfaces that experience rutting.

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 Screen 3a
2) Cores: In addition to a visual assessment of
the pavement, coring is critical. Coring will
aid in confirming the existing pavement
structure and retrieving material for lab
testing. Just as importantly, cores can be
used to determine the direction of cracking,
along with the presence of delamination or
stripping. The depth of cracks and location of
delamination/stripping is used by PaveXpress
to guide the user in determining depth of
milling needed.

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 Screen 3a
3) Distressed Pavement: In many cases, the
existing pavement surface is distressed and
should be removed prior to placement of a
new AC overlay. The designer must define
the depth of existing pavement to be
removed. This material that is removed will
impact the existing structural capacity.

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 Screen 3b
Layer
Coefficients

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 Screen 3b
Layer Coefficients: Based on the condition
of the existing pavement’s surface, AASHTO
provides recommendations for adjusted layer
coefficients. If the existing surface and the
associated distresses will be removed, then
“sound” or common layer coefficients from
the remaining layers should be used. If the
entire pavement structure is distressed, then
a value from the AASHTO Recommendation
range should be entered by the user.

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 Screen 3
Nondestructive
Testing

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 Screen 3
1) Backcalculation Results — Design Subgrade Modulus:
The subgrade modulus value is very important to the
required structural capacity of the pavement. PaveXpress
allows for direct entry of a modulus based on deflection
testing and backcalculation. If the user has not performed
backcalculation, then raw deflection data can be entered
(Calculate button). It is suggested the user enter data from
the 18″, 24″, or 36″ sensor when using this approach.
Please note, the Design Subgrade Modulus and the
Subgrade Modulus on Screen 2 may not be equal.
PaveXpress uses the Design Subgrade Modulus with the NDT
method for calculating overlay designs.

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 Screen 3
1) Backcalculation Results — Sneff : The effective
structural number is used to characterize the
condition of the pavement. PaveXpress allows for
direct entry of a SNeff based on deflection testing
and backcalculation. If the user has not
performed backcalculation, then raw deflection
data can be entered (Calculate button). Using
the total pavement structure and the Design
Subgrade Modulus, SNeff is computed.

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 Screen 3
2) Cores: In addition to a visual assessment of
the pavement, coring is critical. Coring will
aid in confirming the existing pavement
structure and retrieving material for lab
testing. Just as importantly, the cores can be
used to determine the direction of cracking
along with the presence of delamination or
stripping. The depth of cracks and location of
the delamination/stripping is used by
PaveXpress to guide the user in determining
depth of milling.

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 Screen 3
3) Distressed Pavement: In many cases, the
existing pavement surface is distressed and should
be removed prior to placement of a new AC
overlay. The designer must define the depth of
existing pavement to be removed. This material
that is removed will impact the existing structural
capacity.
Unlike the condition survey method, with NDT the
designer must assign a layer coefficient for the
distressed material being removed. This value should
correspond to the distress present following the
AASHTO Condition Survey recommendations.

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Screens 4 & 5
The information on these
screens is the same as for new
pavement designs.
One area for consideration,
however, is the Design Period.
For most AC overlays, a design
life of 10 to 20 years is
common.
The period is generally in line
with the expected life of the
asphalt surface mix.

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 Screen 6
Calculated
Design

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 Screen 6

Overlay: Once the existing pavement information is input, PaveXpress uses the
AASHTO equations to calculate the existing or effective structural number (SN)
of the pavement. From the design and loading information, the required SN to
support the loadings over the design life is calculated. The difference in the
required SN and the existing SN is converted to an overlay thickness. If this
thickness is less than minimum thickness input on Screen 2 or the required SN is
less than the existing SN, then PaveXpress will report the minimum overlay
thickness value.

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 Understanding the Effect of PaveXpress
Default Values on Calculated Thickness
1) Design Period — if the designer uses the total design ESAL count as the traffic input,
changing the design period on Screen 2 has no direct effect on calculated thickness.
However, if the designer uses the program to calculate ESALs instead of inputting them
directly, this design period is used in the calculation.
2) Reliability Level (R) — as the selected Reliability Level increases, the calculated
pavement thickness increases.
3) Initial Serviceability Index (pi) — if an occasion arises that pi is lower than the default of
4.5 (the program only allows an input down to 4.0), the calculated pavement thickness
would increase because the Change in Serviceability would, by definition, decrease.
4) Terminal Serviceability Index (pt) — if choosing a different pt than the default value,
the calculated pavement thickness would increase as the Change in Serviceability
decreases.

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 Understanding the Effect of PaveXpress
Default Values on Calculated Thickness
5) Change in Serviceability Index (ΔPSI) — as the allowable change in serviceability
between initial construction and terminal serviceability decreases, the calculated
pavement thickness increases.
6) Total Design ESALs — as the amount of expected traffic increases, the calculated
pavement thickness increases.
7) Layer Coefficient — as any layer coefficient increases, the calculated pavement
thickness decreases.
8) Drainage Coefficient — as any drainage coefficient decreases, the calculated pavement
thickness increases. Because this factor has such a negative influence on calculated
thickness and likely decrease in pavement longevity, the subgrade should be modified in
some manner to improve drainability instead of increasing asphalt thickness in hopes of
bridging the problem.

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 Rigid Pavements
PaveXpress can also be used to design rigid
pavements in accordance with the AASHTO
Design Guide 1998 Supplement for Rigid
Pavements.
The steps are similar, but
geared toward the values and
inputs important to concrete
pavements.

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 1998 AASHTO Design Guide Equation — Basic Overview
∆𝑃𝑆𝐼
log10 𝑆𝑐′ 𝐶𝑑 𝐷0.75 − 1.132
log10 𝑊18 = 𝑍𝑅 × 𝑆0 + 7.35 × log10 𝐷 + 1 − 0.06 + 4.5 − 1.5 + 4.22 − 0.32𝑝 × log
𝑡 10 18.42
1.624 × 107
1+ 8.46 215.63 𝐽 𝐷0.75 − 0.25
𝐷+1 𝐸𝑐
𝑘
Where:
W18 = the predicted number of 18-kip equivalent single axle load (ESAL) applications
ZR = standard normal deviate
S0 = combined standard error of the traffic prediction and performance prediction
D = slab depth (inches)
ΔPSI = difference between the initial design serviceability index (pi) and the design terminal serviceability index (pt)
S′c = modulus of rupture of PCC (flexural strength)
Cd = drainage coefficient
J = load transfer coefficient
Ec = elastic modulus of PCC
k = modulus of subgrade reaction

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QUESTIONS?

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 A Simplified Pavement Design Tool

www.PaveXpressDesign.com

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