AN EXAMINATION OF THE AASHTO REMAINING LIFE FACTOR

The 1986 AASHTO Pavement Design Guide introduced a remaining life factor that is applied in the design of pavement overlays. An examination of the remaining life concept was made to determine its practicality. The examination revealed inconsistencies in overlay designs determined using the AASHTO remaining life factor. Further investigation revealed that the remaining life factor should have a value of 1.0 for all overlay situations. As a result, it is recommended that the AASHTO overlay design approach be revised to exclude remaining life considerations.