Evaluating Flexible Pavement Rutting Damage Caused by Heavy Traffic Loads

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

Evaluating Flexible Pavement Rutting Damage Caused by Heavy Traffic Loads

David Sinkhonde, Ignasio Ngoma
The Polytechnic – Department of Civil Engineering, University of Malawi

Abstract- This research was under taken to evaluate road pavement sections experiencing serious rutting damage induced by heavy traffic vehicles and those experiencing little or no rutting damage. The research on the impact of heavy traffic loads on pavement rutting performance was conducted on HHI to Machinjiri junction (S137) road section using field investigations and surveys. The research incorporated traffic counts for heavy vehicles to confirm levels of heavy vehicle traffic on the road segment and to verify the high numbers of permits issued for truck loading. Field works on identification and quantification of pavement surface distresses by executing visual condition surveys were carried out allowing for the current pavement surface conditions to be rated using pavement condition degrees and severities. The research also utilized Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) test for rapid in situ measurements of the structural properties of the existing road pavement and therefore it accommodated the evaluation of the in situ properties of the materials in all pavement layers up to the depth of penetration of 800mm. Comprehensive analyses were undertaken on the collected data to evaluate the pavement rutting performance. The utilization of DN values and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values generated from DCP test results presented a potential methodology for determining the proportion of pavement rutting deterioration attributable to heavy traffic vehicles. Identification and quantification of pavement surface distresses by executing visual condition surveys on a 200m stretch rated the pavement surface conditions as between light and warning, warning, and between warning and severe. The traffic count levels for heavy vehicles obtained for five days indicated an average of 507 heavy vehicles per day and therefore confirming high traffic loads for the road section.

Keywords – Rutting, flexible pavement, heavy traffic loads, asphalt, Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP)

I. INTRODUCTION

Rutting describes the formation of depressions or cracks in the pavement surface attributed to wheel loads and high temperatures, combined with the character and design of the carriageway surface [6]. The paramount purpose of a paved road is to provide a functional surface for a specific transportation requirement. The fundamental function is to withstand loads under different traffic and environmental conditions without deforming since such distress conditions significantly reduce the functionality of the pavement [8]. A typical applied concept of flexible (or asphalt) pavement is that a layered structure with improved materials near the top would distribute the traffic loads in a way that the consequent stresses would not cause substantial deformation in the bottommost layer.

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