Adaptation of Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide for Design of Minnesota Low-Volume Portland Cement Concrete Pavements

Abstract

A new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) was recently proposed in the United States. The performance prediction models in the MEPDG were calibrated using nationwide pavement performance data. This study examined the feasibility of adapting a recent version of the MEPDG for the design of low-volume concrete pavements in Minnesota. To achieve this, a comprehensive evaluation of the MEPDG Version 0.910 performance prediction models was conducted. It was found that the faulting model produced acceptable predictions, whereas the cracking model had to be adjusted. Although performance data from the Minnesota Road Research facility were actively used in calibration of the MEPDG, it is necessary to perform calibrations against a wider range of local variables to achieve a practical design procedure for Minnesota. The cracking model was recalibrated using the design and performance data for 65 pavement sections located in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. A prototype catalog of recommended design features for low-volume portland cement concrete pavements in Minnesota was developed using MEPDG Version 0.910. The catalog offers a variety of feasible design alternatives for a given combination of site conditions. It is recognized, however, that Version 0.910 is not the final version of the MEPDG. Therefore, the catalog should be updated after the MEPDG software is finalized.