Factors to consider in your pavement design

The objective of pavement design is to select the most economical pavement thickness and composition which will provide a satisfactory level of service for the anticipated traffic over the design period. In other words, when weighing up design options, we must consider the materials, traffic and environment. A designer should also consider the initial and maintenance costs of a pavement’s design over its service life, which could range from 20 to 40 years. Overall, the design should lead to pavement that is serviceable, safe, reliable, durable, sustainable, constructable, and maintainable over its lifespan.

Below is a list of factors that a pavement designer should consider in their design.

  1. Design reliability

  2. Traffic loading/road function

  3. Subgrade design

  4. Material availability and quality

  5. Environment, moisture and temperature

  6. Drainage condition

  7. Expansive subgrades

  8. Construction constraints

  9. Maintenance and rehabilitation strategies

  10. Staged construction

  11. Speed

  12. Noise

  13. Public utilities/services

  14. Whole of life cost

Our qualified engineers at Pavement Management Service have over 40 years of experience in pavement design and management. We look after your pavement by offer a range of road asset management solutions for:

• Identifying the most economical treatments for road failures;

• Estimating the long-term maintenance, refurbishment and replacement costs;

• Carrying out the ‘what if’ scenarios to confirm the lifecycle costs of changing service levels;

• Administering and controlling a wide variety of maintenance contractual frameworks.

Contact our team today to discuss any concerns about the design of your pavement.

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Common asphalt pavement defects and their causes

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7 Maintenance and Rehabilitation Strategies for Concrete Pavements