Pavement engineering is a branch of
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
that uses engineering techniques to design and maintain flexible (
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...
) and rigid (
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
) pavements. This includes streets and highways and involves knowledge of
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debri ...
s,
hydraulics
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...
, and material properties. Pavement engineering involves new construction as well as rehabilitation and maintenance of existing pavements. Maintenance often involves using engineering judgment to make maintenance repairs with the highest long-term benefit and lowest cost. The
Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is an example of an engineering approach applied to existing pavements. Another example is the use of a
falling weight deflectometer
A falling weight deflectometer (FWD) is a testing device used by civil engineers to evaluate the physical properties of pavement in highways, local roads, airport pavements, harbor areas, railway tracks and elsewhere. The data acquired from FWDs ...
(FWD) to non-destructively test existing pavements. Calculation of pavement layer strengths can be performed from the resulting deflection data. The two methods - empirical or mechanistic is used to determine pavement layer thicknesses.
The evaluation of existing road pavements is done based on 3 factors:
* Functional surface condition, where all the distresses such as cracks, potholes, rutting and others are analyzed.
* Structural condition, which analyzes pavement's structural strength to take loading from trucks.
* Roughness, using parameters such as the International Roughness Index to evaluate comfort for drivers.
See also
*
NCAT Pavement Test Track
The NCAT Pavement Test Track is an oval-shaped track in Lee County, Alabama
Lee County is a county located in east central Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 174,241. The county seat is Opelika, and the largest city is Aubu ...
References
External links
Pavement engineering
Transportation engineering
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