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.
Design reliability
Traffic loading/road function
Subgrade design
Material availability and quality
Environment, moisture and temperature
Drainage condition
Expansive subgrades
Construction constraints
Maintenance and rehabilitation strategies
Staged construction
Speed
Noise
Public utilities/services
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.