Evaluating the structural capacity of flexible pavements at the network level using layered elastic analysis

Structural capacity and conditions of pavement are mostly assessed with non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies. NDT often involves pavement deflection to predict the pavement performance. Various devices, including Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Deflectograph, have been utilized widely as they can capture the shape of the deflection bowl. Application of load at a pavement surface and recording the deflection at specific locations is the fundamental principle in FWD testing. Traffic disturbances at the test site are one of the demerits of FWD testing. To limit the amount of FWD testing required at the network level, this study employs computer simulation through the software package Jacob Uzan Layered Elastic Analysis (JULEA). The primary objective of this study is to assess the pavement performance utilizing deflection and various deflection parameters. The parameters and analyses are performed based on the entire deflection bowls rather than a single deflection value. Thirty-five pavement sections are utilized in this study, extracted from the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database. Verifications of deflections are performed with JULEA, and the deflections are utilized in judging the overall structural conditions of pavement. A good correlation was observed between the field performance and the newly developed parameters. Moreover, the newly developed scale based on the parameter can be efficiently utilized by different departments of transportations (DOTs) to get early information on maintenance and rehabilitation procedures.