CE-342

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING–II
Flexible Pavement Design
(Spring 2024)

Dr. Muhammad Asif Khan

Assistant Professor
Department of Transportation Engineering (NICE)

AASHTO FLEXIBLE
PAVEMENT DESIGN
METHOD
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 AASHO ROAD TEST
• Guide published in 1961, 1972, 1981, 1986, 1993
Objective:
➢ Relationship between the Repeated Number of

Specified Axle Loads of Different Magnitudes

and Arrangements and the Performance of
Different Flexible and Rigid Pavement Designs
(Thicknesses)

AASHTO FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT DESIGN METHOD

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Continue
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 • We will learn the basics of design for a pavement having three layers,
Asphalt Concrete (AC), Granular Base Course, and Granular Sub-base
Course. Course and Layer have been used interchangeably in
subsequent texts.

• Figures and tables in this chapter should be referred to for design.

INPUTS FOR DESIGN CHART

Turn
Line

Turn
Line

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 • Estimated Design ESALs (W 18)
• Already discussed
• Time periods for ESALs are:-
• Performance Period is the period that an initial pavement structure
will last before it needs rehabilitation.

• Analysis Period is the period of time for which the analysis is

conducted. It is similar to the term "design life" used by designers.

• Reliability (R%). Concept of reliability in structural design of a

pavement is because of uncertainty in surveys, assessments
and numerous variables involved.

• Designer chooses a predetermined level of assurance that the

pavement will serve the period for which it was designed.

• Generally speaking, as the volume of traffic, difficulty of

rerouting traffic, and public expectation of using the facility
increase, the risk of failing to perform to expectations must be
minimized. Refer Table 1.

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 TABLE 1
• Overall Standard Functional Reliability%
Classification Urban Rural
Deviation (S0). In
Freeways 85-99.9 80-99.9
addition to a level of risk,
Arterials 80-99 75-95
the reliability concept takes Collectors 80-95 75-95
into account the chance Locals 50-80 50-80
variation in traffic
prediction and the normal TABLE 3 May take average value
SD ( So )
variation in pavement
For Flexible Pavements 0.40 to 0.50
performance prediction.
Refer Table 3. For Rigid pavements 0.30 to 0.40

• MR of Roadbed Soil / E of Materials.

• Already discussed.

• If CBR is known then MR can be determined from following

equation.

» Mr (lb/in2) = 1500 x CBR.

• The same scale line on design chart is used for modulus (E) for
granular base and sub base materials.

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 • Pavement Serviceability Concept (∆PSI)
• Involves the measurement, in numerical terms, the ability to serve traffic at
some instant during its life.
• Riding surface quality is assessed through individuals.
• Present Serviceability Index (PSI), on a scale of 0 to 5.
• ∆PSI is Design Serviceability Loss.
• ∆PSI = po – pt
where“:
po = Initial index
pt= Terminal or lowest allowable index, that will be tolerated before rehabilitation,
resurfacing, or reconstruction

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ΔPSI = Initial PSI (pi) - PSI (pt)

ΔPSI:
• 2.5 to 3.0 for major highways
• 2.0 for lower class highways
• 1.5 for very special cases

5 “Just constructed”
4.2 Initial PSI (pi)

PSI Terminal PSI (pt)

0 “Road closed”

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 STRUCTURAL NUMBER (SN)

• An abstract number that expresses the structural requirement/

strength of a pavement required for given combinations of
inputs.

• SN is converted to thickness of flexible pavement layers

through the use of suitable layer coefficients and drainage
coefficients related to the types of material being used.

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AASHTO 1993 NOMOGRAPH

log10 W18 = Z R S o + 9.36 log10 (SN + 1) − 0.20
log10 PSI /(4.2 − 1.5)
+

0.40 + 1094 /(SN + 1) 5.19 
+ 2.32 log10 M r − 8.07

Design Structural Number (SN)

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 • Structural Layer Coefficients
• “layer coefficients” or “strength coefficients”

• Load spreads through layers. Deeper a layer, the less load it must
support.

• Arranged in order of decreasing material strength.

• a1 a2 a3 are layer coefficients representative of the surface, granular

base, and granular subbase courses and determined from Figure 1, 2,
and 3 respectively.

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Materials of construction (AC surface), a1

FIGURE 1

0.44

Structural number of the

AC surface, a1

= Resilient modulus, Mr 16

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 Materials of construction (Base course), a2
FIGURE 2

Use CBR, R-value, or Mr to find

a2 values

Structural number of the

base course, a2

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Materials of construction (Subbase), a3

Charts are available to convert the properties of pavement construction
materials to structural numbers: a3, a2, and a1

FIGURE 3

Use CBR, R-value, or Mr to find a3

values
Structural number of the
subbase, a3

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 • Drainage Coefficients
• Granular base and subbase courses below AC course are
assigned drainage coefficients m 2 and m3 respectively.

• These represent the relative loss of strength due to its drainage

characteristics and exposure to moisture level approaching to
saturation. These are determined from Table 5.

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Definition of drainage quality and finding

recommended mi values
If “Fair” and
30% exposure,
then mi is 0.80. Select middle value for
Exam purpose
m2 for Base
Step 1 m3for Sub Base
TABLE -5
Time required to
drain the
base/subbase layer Step 2
to 50% saturation.

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 STRUCTURAL NUMBER (SN)
FIGURE 4

Design Structural Number (SN)

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AASHTO Design Equation

logW18 = (ZR)(S0) + (9.36)(log(SN+1) - 0.20 +

log [ΔPSI/(4.2-1.5)]/[0.40 + (1.094/(SN+1)5.19)]
+ (2.32)(log10MR) - 8.07

W18= Equivalent single axle load

ZR= Standard normal deviation for the selected R
S0= Standard deviation
ΔPSI= Design serviceability loss
MR= Resilient modulus of the subgrade (psi)
SN= Structural number = 𝑎1 𝐷1 + 𝑎2 𝐷2 𝑚2 + 𝑎3 𝐷3 𝑚3 + ⋯
𝑎𝑖 = Layer coefficient of the ith layer, i = 1,2,3,…no. of
layers
𝐷𝑖 = Thickness of ith layer, i = 1,2,3,…no. of layers 22

𝑚𝑖 = Drainage coefficient of the ith layer

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 Once SN value is set, thickness design begins…

SN = a1 D1 + a2 D2 m2 + a3 D3m3
SN1 = a1 D1
Proceed in SN 2 = a1 D1 + a2 D2 m2
this direction
SN 3 = a1 D1 + a2 D2 m2 + a3 D3 m3

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AASHTO- Recommended Minimum Thickness

ESALs Min Thickness (in)
Asphalt concrete Aggregate base
Less than 50,000 1.0 4
50,001-150,00
2.0 4

150,001- 500,000
2.5 4

500,001- 2,000,000 3.0 6

2,000,001-7,000,000 3.5 6

More than 7,000,000 4 6

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 AASHTO 1993 METHOD
Design steps

1. Determine the effective resilient modulus of the subgrade (Mr).

2. Select the design serviceability loss (ΔPSI).

3. Estimate the total number of I8-kip equivalent single-axle loads for the
design period (ESAL).

4. Select a level of reliability and the overall standard deviation (R, σ).

5. Determine the pavement structural number (SN).

6. Select the layer material type and determine the layer thickness (D i)

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EXAMPLE
Given: • CBR of base course =100, Mr =
30,000 lb/in2
• Urban Arterial
• CBR of subbase =22, Mr = 13,500
• Reliability level (R ) = 99%
lb/in2
• Standard Deviation (So) = 0.49
• CBR of subgrade = 6
• Initial serviceability, pi = 4.5
Find Mr of Subgrade and Pavement
• Terminal serviceability, pt = 2.5
thicknesses for surface, base and
• ESAL = 2 x 106 sub-base courses?
• “Fair” category and “30% Exposure”

• AC’s Mr at 68Fo = 450,000 lb/in2

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 SOLUTION
∆PSI = Initial PSI – Terminal PSI

» ∆PSI = 4.5 – 2.5 = 2.0

» m2 = m3 = 0.8 (From table 5)

» a1 = 0.44 (From Fig 1)

» a2 = 0.14 (From Fig 2)

» a3 = 0.10 (From Fig 3)

Mr (Subgrade) = 1500 x CBR = 1500 x 6 = 9000 psi

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SOLUTION
From the chart: SN1 = 2.8, SN2 = 3.7 and SN3 = 4.4 HOW?
1. R = 99%

2. SD = 0.49

3. ESALS = 2 x 106

4. Mr values:
3 4
1
• Subgrade = 9,000 lb/in2

• Subbase = 13,500 lb/in2 2 5

• Base = 30,000 lb/in2

5. ∆PSI = 2.0

SN = ~ 4.4 = SN3 (subgrade); SN = ~ 3.7 = SN2(subbase); SN = ~ 2.8 = SN1(base)

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 SOLUTION
From the chart: SN1 = 2.8, SN2 = 3.7 and SN3 = 4.4

Now based on SNs, lets calculate D1, D2 and D3.

SN1 = a1*D1

D1 = SN1/a1 = 2.8 / 0.44 = 6.36 ≈ 6.5″

From Table 4: 6.5″ > 3″ OK

Now calculate back actual SN1´ based on D1

SN1´ = 6.5 x 0.44 = 2.86

SN1´ (2.86) > SN1 (2.8) so, OK

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SOLUTION
SN2 = a1D1 + a2D2m2

OR

SN2 = SN1´ + a2D2m2

D2 = (SN2 – SN1´) /a2m2 = (3.7 – 2.86) / (0.14 x 0.80) = 7.5 ≈ 8″

From Table 4: 8″ > 6″ OK

Now calculate actual SN2´

SN2´ = SN1´ + a2D2m2 = 2.86 + (0.14 x 8 x 0.80) = 3.8

SN2´ (3.8) > SN2 (3.7) so, OK

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 SOLUTION
SN3 = a1D1 + a2D2m2 + a3D3m3

OR,

SN3 = SN2´ + a3D3/m3

D3 = (SN3 – SN2´)/a3m3 = (4.4 – 3.8) / (0.10 x 0.80) = 7.5 ≈ 8″

(Achievable OK)

Now Calculate actual SN3´

SN3´ = SN2´ + a3D3m3 = 3.8 + (0.10 x 8 x 0.80) = 4.44

SN3´ (4.44) > SN3 (4.4) so, OK

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SOLUTION
Summary:

D1 = 6.5″

D2 = 8″

D3 = 8″

SN1 = 2.86

SN2 = 3.8

SN3 = 4.44 =2.86 =6.5″

=3.8 =8″
=4.44
=8″

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 DISTRESSES IN FLEXIBLE
PAVEMENTS

Rutting Fatigue Cracking Bleeding

Ravelling Shoving
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LEARNING SOFTWARE

http://www.pavementinteractive.org/article/1993-aashto-
flexible-pavement-structural-design/

THANKS
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