DESIGN OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS CONSIDERING MIXED LOADS AND TRAFFIC VOLUME

CRITERIA RELATING LOADING, STRENGTH, AND THICKNESS AND THOSE RELATING THICKNESS AND LOAD REPETITIONS WERE EXTENDED AND COMBINED TO PROVIDE A REVISED METHOD OF DESIGN FOR HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS. THE METHOD PROVIDES MEANS FOR COMBIN- ING ANY COMPOSITION OR DISTRIBUTION OF LOADING AND TREATING ANY INTENSITY OF USE FROM THAT OF A PERIMETER ROAD, HIGHWAY SHOULDER, OR RESIDENCE DRIVE TO THAT OF THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVELLED TURNPIKE OR FREEWAY. IT ALSO PROVIDES MEANS OF DESIGN FOR ESSENTIALLY LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH A MINGLING OF VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC, SUCH AS MIGHT BE EXPERIENCED AT REMOTE MISSILE SITES. THE METHOD INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT OF CURVES SHOWING THE NUMBER OF REPETITIONS OF A BASIC 18,000-LB, SINGLE-AXLE, DUAL-TIRE LOAD EQUIVALENT TO ONE OPERATION OF ANY OF A RANGE OF LOADS FROM PASSENGER CARS TO VERY HEAVY TRUCKS. DESIGN RELATIONS WERE DEVELOPED FOR THE BASIC 18,000-LB SINGLE-AXLE LOAD IN TERMS OF CBR, THICKNESS, AND LOAD REPETITIONS. THESE TECHNIQUES PERMIT THE COLLECTIVE EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF ANY COMPOSITION OF TRAFFIC AND FOR ANY DESIRED PAVEMENT-USE LIFE. DESIGN THICKNESS CAN BE DETERMINED FROM CURVES FOR THE TOTAL EQUIVALENT OPERATIONS OF THE BASIC LOAD. THE METHOD PROVIDES A POSITIVE TREATMENT OF LOAD REPETITIONS AND ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR SELECTION OF A SINGLE DESIGN LOAD TO REPRESENT AN ENTIRE RANGE OF LIGHT TO HEAVY LOADS. /AUTHOR/