CE 46100 – Roadway and Pavement Design

Credits and contact hours:

  • 3 credits
  • Lecture that meets 3 times per week for 50 minutes per meeting for 15 weeks

Specific course information:

  • Catalog description: Design of highway pavement systems, subgrades, subbases and bases, soil stabilization, flexible and rigid pavements; cost analysis and pavement selection; drainage; pavement evaluation.
  • Prerequisites: Senior standing in CE or consent of instructor. Familiarity with basic engineering construction materials, soils, and engineering materials behavior would be helpful, but is not a necessity.
  • Course status: Elective course

Specific Goals for the course:

  • Student learning outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course the student shall be able to:
    • Identify and distinguish the components of pavement structures.
    • Explain the behavior of materials incorporated into pavement structures.
    • Identify and distinguish distresses and their cause in flexible, rigid and composite pavements.
    • Classify subgrade soil and base materials and explain their potential performance in a pavement structure with or without stabilization.
    • Calculate stresses, strains, and deflections in flexible and rigid pavements.
    • Describe failure mechanisms in flexible, rigid and composite pavements.
    • Predict traffic estimates for use in pavement design.
    • Design flexible pavements in accordance with AASHTO, Asphalt Institute, and ME- PDG design methods.
    • Design rigid pavements in accordance with AASHTO, Portland Cement Association, and ME-PDG design methods.
    • Evaluate alternatives, using appropriate measures of merit.
    • Explain the differences in empirical, mechanistic/empirical, and mechanistic pavement design procedures.
    • Demonstrate the capacity for critical thought.
  •  Relationship of course to program outcomes
    • Outcome 1: An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
    • Outcome 2: An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
    • Outcome 5: An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

Topics:

  • INTRODUCTION
    • Pavement types and structures
    •  Design methods and factors
  • SERVICEABILITY
    • Serviceability, Flexible pavement distress
    •  Rigid pavement distress
  • PROJECT EVALUATION
    • Site and pavement investigation
    • Design criteria
  • PAVING MATERIALS
    • Soils and compaction
    • Granular materials
    • Stabilization
  • TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
  • FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT DESIGN
    • 1993 AASHTO design method
    • Asphalt Institute design method
    • ME-PDG design method
  • RIGID PAVEMENT DESIGN
    • 1993 AASHTO design method
    • PCA design method
    • ME-PDG design method
    • Steel and joint design
  • CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT
    • Drainage
  • REHABILITATION DESIGN
    • 1993 AASHTO design method
    • ME-PDG design method
  • ECONOMIC ANALYSIS