Implementing the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (TR-509)

Project status

Completed

Start date: 11/01/03
End date: 06/30/05

Researcher(s)

Principal investigators:

• Brian Coree

Co-principal investigators:

• Halil Ceylan | 515-294-8051 | hceylan@iastate.edu (project list)
• Dale Harrington | Snyder & Associates

Other authors: Alper Guclu, Sunghwan Kim, and Kasthurirangan Gopalakrishnan

Student researchers:

• Alper Guclu
• Sung Hwan Kim | sunghwan@iastate.edu

About the research

The current 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Pavement Design Guide is based on the empirical interpretation of the results of the 1960 AASHTO Road Test. With the release of the new Mechanistic-Empirical (M-E) Pavement Design Guide, pavement design has taken a “quantum” leap forward.

Implementation Plan: In order to effectively and efficiently transition to the M-E Pavement Design Guide, state DOTs need a detailed implementation and training strategy. This document is a plan for the M-E Pavement Design Guide to be implemented in Iowa.

Technical Report: This report seeks to outline the technical aspects of the new MEPDG. Full detail is essentially impossible and impractical, since the release of the MEPDG was accompanied by eighteen volumes of technical justification and background. Consequently, this report seeks only to provide a potential user with a practical understanding of the workings of the new guide, with only sufficient technical depth to aid in understanding.

Publications

Reports:

• Implementing the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (TR-509), Implementation Plan (1.3 mb pdf) June 2005
• Implementing the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (TR-509), Technical Report (4.7 mb pdf) June 2005

Tech transfer summary: Implementing the M-E Pavement Design Guide in Iowa May 2005

Sponsor(s)/partner(s)

Sponsor(s): Iowa Highway Research Board