Structural road design aims to ensure the
road
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
Th ...
is strong enough for the expected number of vehicles in a certain number of years. The input of a calculation is the number expected of vehicles (e.g. 10,000,000) divided in groups (e.g. trucks, vans, cars) and the number of years that the road has to function before the road structure has to be fully renewed (e.g. 20 years).
The given example of 20 years does not mean that there is no maintenance during this period. There is a certain amount of maintenance, but it can be scheduled and is low.
For asphalt, the
Shell pavement design method is often used.
See also
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Road traffic control
: ''For the road traffic science, see various articles under :Road traffic management, Road traffic management.''
Road traffic control involves directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic around a construction zone, accident or other road disruptio ...
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Geometric design of roads
The geometric design of roads is the branch of highway engineering concerned with the positioning of the physical elements of the roadway according to standards and constraints. The basic objectives in geometric design are to optimize efficienc ...
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Road surface
A road surface (British English) or pavement (North American English) is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, macadam, ...
References
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165635/http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/design.htm - The Idiots' Guide to Highways Maintenance
*http://www.cshrp.org/products/techbr-23.pdf Pavement Structural Design Practices Across Canada
*https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/26992/Haul_Road_Design_Guidelines.pdf?sequence=1 - GUIDELINES FOR MINE HAUL ROAD DESIGN
Pavements
Pavement engineering
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