Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide–Based Pavement Design Catalog for Low-Volume Roads in Arkansas

Abstract

Historically, low-volume roads in Arkansas were typically constructed by use of a standard section, that is, a double surface treatment over a specified thickness of granular base. Subsequent analysis indicated that these sections were structurally inadequate in many cases. In recent years, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department has invested significant research dollars to implement the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), which is widely believed to be a quantitative leap over the 1993 AASHTO design guide. However, the MEPDG research efforts mostly target high-volume roads. In this paper, a design catalog for low-volume roads (LVRs) in Arkansas was developed with MEPDG software, Version 1.10. The catalog offers a variety of feasible design alternatives for a comprehensive combination of site conditions. The factors considered include the five geographical regions in Arkansas and the typical Arkansas load spectrum for LVRs with three traffic levels, three subgrade types, and six potential aggregate types available in Arkansas that can be used as granular base and surface layer aggregates. All the MEPDG design inputs needed for the development of the design catalog are generated on the basis of the variety of previous MEPDG implementation research conducted in the state of Arkansas. It is anticipated that the design catalog will serve as a simplified and rational design process for the LVRs in Arkansas.