Developing an Implementation Strategy for Virginia Department of Transportation Pavement Rehabilitation Design Using Mechanistic-Empirical Concepts

Report No: 22-R13

Published in 2022

About the report:

The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) was developed with an objective to provide the highway community with a state-of-the-practice tool for the design of new and rehabilitated pavement structures.  The Virginia Department of Transportation VDOT) officially adopted the MEPDG for new construction for interstate and primary routes effective January 1, 2018.  For rehabilitation design, VDOT currently uses an earlier-generation AASHTO guide, the 1993 Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. To  ensure a more effective overlay design, it is imperative to conduct a local calibration/validation of design procedures and to determine the proper material inputs for both the existing and any new pavement materials that maybe used in the rehabilitation. 

The purpose oft his study was to assist VDOT in the implementation of AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software (hereinafter “Pavement ME Design”) for the design of overlays for existing flexible, rigid, and composite pavement.  The study evaluated various input levels and the need for separate local calibration factors for rehabilitation of asphalt concrete(AC) over AC, AC over jointed concrete, and AC over continuously reinforced concrete pavements using Version 2.2.6  of Pavement ME Design.  The study recommends implementation of the use of the current Version 2.2.6 for rehabilitation design only after a detailed sensitivity analysis with regard to various distresses using current calibration coefficients.  Further, the study recommends the promotion of detailed forensic evaluation as part of rehabilitation design for restorative maintenance projects and that VDOT consider adopting V2.6  of Pavement ME Design for new and rehabilitation design.

Disclaimer Statement:The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.

Authors

Last updated: November 7, 2023

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