Evaluation of Long-term Pavement Performance (LTTP) Climatic Data for Use in Mechanistic-empirical Pavement Design Guide(MEPDG) Calibration and Other Pavement Analysis

Evaluation of Long-term Pavement Performance (LTTP) Climatic Data for Use in Mechanistic-empirical Pavement Design Guide(MEPDG) Calibration and Other Pavement Analysis
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 126
Release: 2015
Genre: Pavements
ISBN:

Improvements in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program's climate data are needed to support current and future research into climate effects on pavement materials, design, and performance. The calibration and enhancement of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) is just one example of these emerging needs. A newly emerging climate data source, the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for its own in-house modeling needs, provides continuous hourly weather data starting in 1979 on a relatively fine-grained uniform grid. MERRA is based on a reanalysis model that combines computed model fields (e.g., atmospheric temperatures) with ground-, ocean-, atmospheric-, and satellite-based observations that are distributed irregularly in space and time. MERRA data are available at an hourly temporal resolution and 0.5 degrees latitude by 0.67 degrees longitude (approximately 31.1 by 37.30 mi at mid-latitudes) spatial resolution over the entire globe. MERRA data were compared against the best available ground-based observations both statistically and in terms of effects on pavement performance as predicted using the MEPDG. These analyses included a systematic quantitative evaluation of the sensitivity of MEPDG performance predictions to variations in fundamental climate parameters. More extensive analysis of MERRA data included additional statistical analysis comparing operating weather station (OWS) and MERRA data, evaluation of the correctness of MEPDG surface shortwave radiation (SSR) calculations and comparison of MEPDG pavement performance predictions using OWS and MERRA climate data for more sections. The principal conclusion from these evaluations was that the MERRA climate data were as good and in many cases substantially better than equivalent ground-based OWS data. Given these many benefits and very few if any significant limitations, MERRA is strongly recommended as the new future source for climate data in LTPP. Recommendations are provided for incorporating hourly MERRA data into the LTPP database.

Guide for the Local Calibration of the Mechanistic-empirical Pavement Design Guide

Guide for the Local Calibration of the Mechanistic-empirical Pavement Design Guide
Author:
Publisher: AASHTO
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2010
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1560514493

This guide provides guidance to calibrate the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) software to local conditions, policies, and materials. It provides the highway community with a state-of-the-practice tool for the design of new and rehabilitated pavement structures, based on mechanistic-empirical (M-E) principles. The design procedure calculates pavement responses (stresses, strains, and deflections) and uses those responses to compute incremental damage over time. The procedure empirically relates the cumulative damage to observed pavement distresses.

Local Calibration of Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide for North Eastern United States

Local Calibration of Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide for North Eastern United States
Author: Shariq A. Momin
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2011
Genre:
ISBN:

The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) developed under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 1-37A project is based on mechanistic-empirical analysis of the pavement structure to predict the performance of the pavement under different sets of conditions (traffic, structure and environment). MEPDG takes into account the advanced modeling concepts and pavement performance models in performing the analysis and design of pavement. The mechanistic part of the design concept relies on the application of engineering mechanics to calculate stresses, strains and deformations in the pavement structure induced by the vehicle loads. The empirical part of the concept is based on laboratory developed performance models that are calibrated with the observed distresses in the in-service pavements with known structural properties, traffic loadings, and performances. These models in the MEPDG were calibrated using a national database of pavement performance data (Long Term Pavement Performance, LTPP) and will provide design solution for pavements with a national average performance. In order to improve the performance prediction of the models and the efficiency of the design for a given state, it is necessary to calibrate it to local conditions by taking into consideration locally available materials, traffic information and the environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to calibrate the MEPDG flexible pavement performance models to local conditions of Northeastern region of United States. To achieve this, seventeen pavement sections were selected for the calibration process and the relevant data (structural, traffic, climatic and pavement performance) was obtained from the LTPP database. MEPDG software (Version 1.1) simulation runs were made using the nationally calibrated coefficients and the MEPDG predicted distresses were compared with the LTPP measured distresses (rutting, alligator and longitudinal cracking, thermal cracking and IRI). The predicted distresses showed fair agreement with the measured distresses but still significant differences were found. The difference between the measured and the predicted distresses were minimized through recalibration of the MEPDG distress models. For the permanent deformation models of each layer, a simple linear regression with no intercept was performed and a new set of model coefficients (ßr1, ßGB, and ßSG) for asphalt concrete, granular base and subgrade layer models were calculated. The calibration of alligator (bottom-up fatigue cracking) and longitudinal (topdown fatigue cracking) was done by deriving the appropriate model coefficients (C1, C2, and C4) since the fatigue damage is given in MEDPG software output. Thermal cracking model was not calibrated since the measured transverse cracking data in the LTPP database did not increase with time, as expected to increase with time. The calibration of IRI model was done by computing the model coefficients (C1, C2, C3, and C4) based on other distresses (rutting, total fatigue cracking, and transverse cracking) by performing a simple linear regression.

Advancement in the Design and Performance of Sustainable Asphalt Pavements

Advancement in the Design and Performance of Sustainable Asphalt Pavements
Author: Louay Mohammad
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2017-07-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 331961908X

This volume on “Advancement in the Design and Performance of Sustainable Asphalt Pavements” includes a collection of research and practical papers from an international research and technology activities on Mixture Design Innovation, Structural Pavement Design, Advancement in Production and Construction, Climate Changes and Effects on Infrastructure, Green Energy, Technology and Integration. The volume constitutes an important contribution in view of the urgent need to develop materials, designs, and practices to ensure the sustainability of transportation infrastructure. This volume is part of the proceedings of the 1st GeoMEast International Congress and Exhibition on Sustainable Civil Infrastructures, Egypt 2017.

Calibration and Validation of the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model for Pavement Design

Calibration and Validation of the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model for Pavement Design
Author: C. E. Zapata
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Total Pages: 73
Release: 2008
Genre: Pavements
ISBN: 0309099293

"This report summarizes the results of research to evaluate, calibrate, and validate the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model (EICM) incorporated in the original Version 0.7 (July 2004 release) of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) software with measured materials data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance Seasonal Monitoring Program (LTPP SMP) pavement sections. The report further describes subsequent changes made to the EICM to improve its prediction of moisture equilibrium for granular bases. The report will be of particular interest to pavement design engineers in state highway agencies and industry ..."--Foreword.

Evaluation of Climatic Effects on Pavement Performance Using Mepdg

Evaluation of Climatic Effects on Pavement Performance Using Mepdg
Author: Jhuma Saha
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2011-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9783847308676

Over the past decade, the design of both flexible and rigid pavements has been fundamentally evolving. This evolution includes the replacement of empirical design procedures, mainly based on different editions of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Design Guide with mechanistic-based procedures, such as the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). This book includes my master thesis that I carried out at University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. This book attempts to explore the implementation of the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) in Canada. The content of this book can be categorized into two parts. First, it explores the effects of climate on pavement performance using the MEPDG. Second, it compares the MEPDG with AASHTO - 1993 based Alberta Transportation Pavement Design (ATPD) method. This book presents three novel methods to evaluate the quality of the climatic data files used for the MEPDG. This book also demonstrates the sensitivity of climatic factors on pavement performance. A typical flexible pavement section and climatic data files of different Canadian weather stations were used in this study.

Advances in Materials and Pavement Performance Prediction II

Advances in Materials and Pavement Performance Prediction II
Author: K. Anupam
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 501
Release: 2020-12-08
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1000343480

Inspired from the legacy of the previous four 3DFEM conferences held in Delft and Athens as well as the successful 2018 AM3P conference held in Doha, the 2020 AM3P conference continues the pavement mechanics theme including pavement models, experimental methods to estimate model parameters, and their implementation in predicting pavement performance. The AM3P conference is organized by the Standing International Advisory Committee (SIAC), at the time of this publication chaired by Professors Tom Scarpas, Eyad Masad, and Amit Bhasin. Advances in Materials and Pavement Performance Prediction II includes over 111 papers presented at the 2020 AM3P Conference. The technical topics covered include: - rigid pavements - pavement geotechnics - statistical and data tools in pavement engineering - pavement structures - asphalt mixtures - asphalt binders The book will be invaluable to academics and engineers involved or interested in pavement engineering, pavement models, experimental methods to estimate model parameters, and their implementation in predicting pavement performance.