AASHTO METHOD
Example
Determine the thickness of the surface, base and subbase layers using the following
design parameters:
Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL) = 2 106
Initial Present Serviceability Index, PSIi = 4.5
Terminal Present Serviceability Index, PSIt = 2.5
Resilient modulus of asphalt concrete, MR1 = 450,000 psi
CBR of crushed stone base = 100%
CBR of gravel subbase = 22%
CBR of subgrade = 6%
Exposure to moisture = 30% of the time
Quality of drainage: Surface layer Good
Base layer Fair
Subbase layer Fairly poor
Reliability, R = 99%
Standard deviation, So = 0.35
Solution
(1) Design Serviceability Loss, PSI
PSI = PSIt PSIi = 4.5 2.5 = 2.0
(2) Resilient Modulus
Subgrade :
Subbase :
Base :
MR4 = 6,800 psi (Figure 16-4 Appendix A-4, with CBR = 6%)
MR3 = 13,300 psi (Figure 16-16, Appendix A-10, with CBR = 22%)
MR2 = 30,000 psi (Figure 16-15, Appendix A-9, with CBR = 100%)
SN1 = 2.7
Base :
SN2 = 3.6
Subbase :
SN3 = 4.2
a1 = 0.44
a2 = 0.14
a3 = 0.098
m1 = 1.00
Base :
m2 = 0.80
Subbase :
m3 = 0.70
SN1
2.7
6.14 in 6.5 in
a 1m1 0.44(1.00)
OK!
D2
a 2m2
0.14(0.80)
6.61 in 7.0 in
OK!
D3
a 3m 3
0.098(0.70)
8.16 in 8.5 in
OK!
Surface
a1 = 0.44 , m1 = 1.00
MR1 = 450,000 psi
Base
a2 = 0.14 , m2 = 0.80
MR2 = 30,000 psi
Subbase
a3 = 0.098 , m3 = 0.70
MR3 = 13,300 psi
Subgrade
10