The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) used the recently released NCHRP 1–37A guide and software to develop a strategic plan for its implementation of operations. The new guide includes all possible variables that may affect the performance of the pavement. A general sensitivity study of these variables was conducted with an early version of the software. A few focused studies were conducted, including ( a) a preliminary local calibration of the guide with 11 Strategic Highway Research Program General Pavement Studies sections in Texas, ( b) traffic composition effect compared with that of the traditional 80–kN equivalent single-axle loads (ESALs) and of the design load, and ( c) effect of the choice of the weather station and of changing the water table depth on the performance of the pavement. The results indicate that ( a) the use of the 80–kN ESALs leads to underdesigning the structure, ( b) the design load concept can be used in screening runs to determine a preliminary design, and ( c) in the case analyzed, changing the depth of the water table resulted in changing the moduli of the unbound material but did not affect the performance. Finally, a strategy for implementation was recommended to TxDOT, including ( a) training, ( b) laboratory testing and equipment acquisition, ( c) field forensic studies for calibration, ( d) calibration and validation of the guide, and ( e) additional studies.
Strategic Plan of the Texas Department of Transportation for Implementing NCHRP 1–37A Pavement Design Guide
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board ; 1919 , 1 ; 152-159
2005-01-01
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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